NTSB Urging Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Laws

The National Transportation Safety Board is advocating universal motorcycle helmet laws for all riders in all states.

2010-12-30

December 30, 2010 (Press-News.org) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is advocating universal motorcycle helmet laws for all riders in all states. Of the 47 states that currently have motorcycle helmet laws, 27 require helmets only for certain riders -- usually those under 18. Washington, D.C. and 20 states require helmets for all motorcycle riders.

Previously, Florida legislation required all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Since 2000 however, the state allows riders 21 the option to ride without a helmet provided that they carry at least $10,000 medical insurance coverage.

According to USA Today, every day in the United States more than 12 motorcyclists die in crashes and the leading cause of these fatalities is head injuries. Although motorcycles comprise only three percent of the vehicles on the roads, they are involved in 13 percent of the country's fatalities, says NTSB Vice Chairman Christopher Hart. He says that helmets that meet the United States Department of Transportation regulations are 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle fatalities.

In Florida, the trend is not encouraging. When comparing the period from 1997 to 1999 with the period from 2001 to 2003, motorcycle fatalities increased by 48 percent nationally; in Florida, these fatalities increased 81 percent.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that helmet use decreased following the change to the law in 2000. Crash reports suggest that helmet use declined significantly among riders under the age of 21, who are still covered by the law; fatalities in this age group nearly tripled in the three years following the change in the law.However, many motorcycle enthusiasts oppose a helmet requirement.

Last year marked the first time in 11 years that the number of motorcycle fatalities dropped. While some experts attribute the decrease to the economy, Jeff Hennie, vice president of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, finds it alarming and disturbing that the NTSB would pursue motorcycle helmet laws after such a drop. Hennie favors rider education and motorist awareness over motorcycle helmet laws.

While spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association Jonathan Adkins says the trend in recent years has been for states to repeal mandatory motorcycle helmet laws, he also says, "there is no argument that motorcycle helmet laws will reduce fatalities."

Anyone injured in a motorcycle accident should contact a personal injury attorney to discuss the accident, address any uninsured or underinsured motorist issues, and determine whether they may have a right to compensation for medical bills and other damages.

Article provided by Winters & Yonker P.A.
Visit us at www.wintersandyonker.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Wisconsin Legislature Bans Texting While Driving

2010-12-30

On December 1, 2010, Wisconsin joined 30 other states prohibiting a person from driving any motor vehicle while composing or sending an electronic text message or an electronic mail message. The law amends Wisconsin Statute Section 346.89 by expressly declaring that texting while driving is prohibited. Previously, the inattentive driving statute stated only that "No person while driving a motor vehicle shall be so engaged or occupied as to interfere with the safe driving of such vehicle." The new law also prohibits using a computer to send messages while driving, ...

Medical Errors: Costly Compromises of Quality Care

2010-12-30

According to a new study, avoidable medical errors cost Americans $19.5 billion in 2008. The Society of Actuaries (SOA) bases the figure on a conservative estimate of 1.5 million measurable medical errors. The SOA used insurance claims data to provide the measurement of the price of preventable medical errors. Staggering Cost of Medical Errors Managing director of MBA Actuaries, Inc. Jim Toole said in a statement accompanying the report, "Of the $19.5 billion in total costs, approximately $17 billion was the result of providing inpatient, outpatient and prescription ...

New Efforts to Bring Awareness to the Dangers of Distracted

2010-12-30

Technology is designed to make us better off. From the practical to entertainment, these advances in creature comforts are designed to make us more comfortable. Such is the case with the telephone. Starting with the rotary and corded phones, advancement first gave us the wireless phone and the answering machine. Now we have cell phones that go everywhere and do most things that a computer can do. These amazing devices allow us to make calls from nearly anywhere, send text and picture messages, and even send and receive important emails. However, if technology is misused, ...

The Duluth Model: Defending Against Domestic Violence Charges in Washington

2010-12-30

In Washington State, domestic violence is legally defined as physical harm, bodily injury, assault or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault between family or household members. Sexual assault and stalking by one family or household member against another also are considered domestic violence crimes. "Family or household members" include: - Spouses and former spouses - People with a child in common - Adults related by blood or marriage - Adults who live or have lived together - Adults who are currently or were formally in a dating ...

Seeking Protection from Domestic Violence

2010-12-30

Domestic violence is a sensitive, yet prevalent issue that continues to effect families regardless of race, region or economic class. In 2008 more than 70,000 domestic violence incidents were reported to police, resulting in over 21,000 arrests. Aside from police protection, domestic violence victims in New Jersey have a number of resources available to them through legal remedies, advocacy agencies and community organizations. This article highlights the steps victims can take to protect themselves and assert their legal rights. At the outset, it must be understood ...

When Parents Divorce: Crafting a Child Custody Agreement

2010-12-30

A child too often becomes a pawn in a game between separating parents and can suffer more than anyone else involved if not properly protected. Ideally, a child should be kept out of the courtroom to alleviate emotional scarring as a result of his or her parents' legal battles. One means of doing so is by negotiating an out of court child custody agreement. What Is a Child Custody Agreement? A "custody agreement" or "parenting agreement" is a written settlement between parents that addresses issues such as living arrangements, visitation rights (for each parent and ...

Are Full-Body Airport Scanners Hazardous to Your Health?

2010-12-30

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, news reports were full of travel horror stories from airport security lines. Travelers were faced with a choice of two evils: a full-body pat-down, which some compared to sexual assault, or a trip through a scanner which reportedly allows the technician to essentially see what a person looks like naked. Amongst all the hoopla and cries of "Don't touch my junk!" an important question remains unanswered: just how safe are these scanners? Airline pilots, in particular, are concerned that if they repeatedly pass through these advanced scanners, ...

DUI Sentencing Alternatives in Pennsylvania

2010-12-30

The state of Pennsylvania takes drunk driving very seriously and has a set of very aggressive DUI laws to prove it. Pennsylvania has adopted a three-tier DUI penalty system that punishes drivers based on the amount of alcohol in their system at the time of arrest and the number of prior DUI convictions they have: - General impairment DUI (.08 to .099% BAC) - High BAC DUI (.10 to .159% BAC) - Highest BAC DUI (.16% and higher BAC) Under this system, a person convicted of a first time general impairment DUI can expect to receive up to six months probation and a $300 ...

Smyrna Georgia Hotel Near Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Provides Accommodations to Guests Attending Oklahoma!

2010-12-30

Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Galleria Hotel, an affordable Smyrna Georgia hotel, is the perfect place for travelers to stay who are planning to see the Broadway Series national tour of the classic American musical Oklahoma! at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Oklahoma! is being preformed from January 6 - 9, 2011 with the following show times: - Thursday, January 6 at 8:00pm - Friday, January 7 at 8:00pm - Saturday, January 8 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm - Sunday, January 9 at 2:00pm The musical Oklahoma! launched the songwriting collaboration of Richard Rodgers and ...

Sneak Peek Trailer of TNT's Epic New Television Series by Steven Spielberg, FALLING SKIES

2010-12-30

TNT will be premiering Steven Spielberg's epic new television series, FALLING SKIES, June of 2011. The ten-week television event opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. Falling Skies is about an epic battle that pits humans against the alien force that has invaded our world. Outnumbered and outmatched, it's up to a group of everyday heroes to band together and triumph against a mysterious invading force. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major ...

Medicaid cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" could undermine the coverage, financial well-being, medical care, and health of low-income Americans, and lead to more than 16,500 medically-preventab

AMS Science Preview: Gun violence & weather; NOAA flights improve hurricane forecasts; atmospheric rivers and radio waves

Effect of respiratory phase on three-dimensional quantitative parameters of pulmonary subsolid nodules in low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer

NTSB Urging Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Laws

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: