Should all states require motorcyclists and passengers to wear helmets Assignment

Should all states require motorcyclists and passengers to wear helmets - Assignment Example More important is the cost which a society has to bear when a biker meets an accident (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2010). Head injuries are a severe outcome of riding bike without a helmet. Some people have stay in hospitals for a long duration with increased rehabilitation cost. Insurance companies do not afford all the cost and it is the public that ultimately pays for head and other injuries. Society should assess the claim of violation on freedom versus funding. After these analyses, it is important to wear helmet whenever people of any age are driving a motorcycle of riding a bike for their own health and safety. Federal government should take interest to keenly monitor the rising accidents and implement helmet laws where it does not exist (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons). The major problem in America is variations in helmet laws in different states. For example, 20 states in US and district Columbia have very elaborate helmet laws for all riders and pass engers. There are further 27 states where the helmet law is imposed on some categories of the riders. Different age groups come under this law and some are out of it. Three states do not have any helmet law for people. There is a dire need for legislatures to take responsibility and introduce helmet law in the states where it is urgently required ("Helmet laws state," 2003) According to analysis there are about 80 million bike users in US. Bicycles are being used for fun, sports, health and transportation in different states. Popularity of bicycles has increased their usage and ultimately death rate and head injuries have also risen. According to data approximately 716 bike riders died on the roads in different states and about 91% out of... The paper represents the solution and advantages of a massive problem with motorcycle deaths in the United States, which has several important consequences; it costs lives, which tears apart families and is obviously tragic, it puts a drain on already strained medical institutions, and it costs tax payers, private citizens and health insurance companies massive amounts of money each year. Though, like any problem, there is no solution that will entirely solve this issue: motorcycling, and driving generally, is inherently dangerous and nothing can be done that will prevent that. But there are methods of risk mitigation, and harm reduction, that, if used consistently by motorcyclists and their passengers will help prevent deaths and injuries. So there are two parts to this solution: what actions need to be taken by motorcyclists, and what can be done to encourage them to take those actions? As mentioned in Part I, it is clear that helmet usage can go a significant way in reducing injur ies. It might also be important for motorcyclists to wear other protective gear, such as spine supports, Kevlar gloves and so on – the exact level of protection that should be warn is hard to pin down: more, however, is obviously always better. The aspect of how to get people to behave differently, two methods used in conjunction might work best: laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, and public awareness to encourage them to follow these laws for their own safety.