April 22, 2013
Data has long supported the idea that wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle can drastically reduce the chances of injury or death in the event of an accident. Despite these numbers, more than 800,000 novelty helmets, which offer no protection during a collision, are distributed in the United States each year.
Motorcyclists sustaining serious Brain Injuries are often the result of wearing a novelty helmet when an accident occurs. An article from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting discusses this risk and what is being done to solve the problem.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that as many as 754 people die each year when they are involved in motorcycle accidents while wearing novelty helmets. This high number leaves many wondering, why these items are still being sold if they offer no protection?
Selling the novelty helmets is legal as long as they make no misrepresentation as to their compliance with safety standards and regulations outlined by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Others ask, why aren’t the helmets banned from use?
Law does ban the use of novelty helmets when riding on the highway; however, enforcement of this law can be difficult. In Virginia, for instance, it is illegal for law enforcement to utilize helmet checkpoints to catch those breaking the state’s helmet law.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley encourage motorcyclists to stay safe by always wearing a DOT-Approved helmet when riding.
