NHTSA Study Probes Link Between Motorcycle Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injury
I recently came across this new report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration titled Motorcycle Helmet Use and Head and Facial Injuries. The study was conducted by the agency to determine the relationship between the use of helmets by motorcyclists and the kind of accident outcomes, including type of injuries, hospital costs etc.
The study used data drawn from 18 states, and analyzed 104,472 motorcyclists who were involved in accidents in these states between 2003 and 2005. Of these motorcyclists, 57 percent were wearing helmets at the time of the accident, while 43 percent were non-helmeted. A few key points emerged from the study.
- In both the helmeted and non-helmeted group, 40 percent of motorcyclists either received injuries that were serious enough to require treatment in the hospital, or died in the accident.
- However, the percentage of unhelmeted motorists who sustained moderate to severe head/facial injuries was 6.6 percent, compared to 5.1 percent of motorcyclists who were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
- 15 percent of helmeted motorcyclists suffered Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) compared to 21 percent of unhelmeted motorcyclists.
- Approximately 9 percent of unhelmeted motorcyclists sustained minor to moderate TBI, compared to 7 percent of helmeted motorcyclists.
- More than 7 percent of motorcyclists who were not wearing helmets sustained severe TBI, compared to 4.7 percent of helmeted motorcyclists.
The study also measured the average hospital charges for motorcyclists who survived an accident. Not surprisingly, hospital charges were 13 times higher in case of motorcyclists who sustained a TBI. In cold hard numbers, that is an average charge of $31,979 for patients with TBI vs. $2,461 for those who didn’t sustain TBI.
It is unlikely that a NHTSA study will do much to change riding behavior in those who do not wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. For such people, I would recommend a look at these websites to understand how Traumatic Brain Injury can impact your life, and the high chances of sustaining one if do not wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
American Occupational Therapy Association
Jason Schultz is an Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer, helping injured victims of motorcycle accidents in Atlanta recover the compensation they deserve.
