Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog : Atlanta Georgia Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Jason R. Schultz Law Firm : Wrongful Death, Malpractice, Car Accidents : Georgia

Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers and motorcycle safety groups have lost one of the world’s pioneering authorities on motorcycle safety.  Harry Hurt, of the Hurt’s Report, died last week at the age of 81.

As an Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer, I believe Hurt’s biggest professional achievement was the Hurt Report, which investigated 900 motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles between 1976 and 1977. The investigation led to a better understanding of the causes of motorcycle crashes. The findings were published in 1981, and the research has not been followed by another motorcycle crash study since. The findings of the Hurt Report have helped American regulators understand the causes of motorcycle crashes, leading to the development of safety procedures to reduce them.

Among the Hurt Report’s primary findings were some that were quite startling at the time.

• Speed was not a factor in most motorcycle accidents.
• Helmet use could prevent serious injuries, such as brain injuries and fatalities.
• Most accidents occurred when motorists violated the motorcyclist’s right of way.

Harry Hurt’s interest in motorcycle safety began early. As a graduate student, he participated in a project to develop a crash helmet, which is used as a prototype of sorts for modern helmets. However, it was only after he joined the University of Southern California as faculty, that he really developed an interest in motor vehicle safety.

In the years since the Hurt Report was published, there have been major enhancements made to motorcycle safety.  Helmet use is now considered the single biggest factor standing between a motorcyclist and traumatic brain injury. We also know now that motorcyclists are often injured because of a motorist’s failure to yield. Unfortunately, the time has come for new studies into motorcycle crash causation. Fatality rates in these accidents have increased by more than 100 percent over the past decade.  It would be the ultimate tribute to Harry Hurt if we follow up his 1981 ground breaking study with a new one that might provide some answers and solutions to the current high fatality rates in motorcycle wrecks.

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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

TBI Resource Guide

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.

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