Wearing Helmets for Safety

Native News Network Staff in Native Health. Discussion »

WASHINGTON – However you feel about wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, data released by the Centers of Disease Controls and Prevention indicates lives are saved when helmets are worn.

Helmets Saved Over 1,500 Riders' Lives

Wearing a helmet can save your life on a motorcycle. In fact, in 2010, helmets saved over 1,500 riders' lives, but about 700 more lives could have been saved if all riders had worn helmets.

The Rez Riders, based in southern California, is a large American Indian motorcycle club. The Rez Riders provided protection for Long Walkers in last year's Longest Walk III - Reversing Diabetes. The club does not require its members to wear helmets, while most do.

“Our members wear helmets,”

commented Orlando Vigil, a Rez Rider, who served as the California state coordinator of the Longest Walk III.

“We've seen that helmets reduce the likelihood of death in a motorcycle crash by about 37 percent,”

commented Rebecca Naumann from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC.

Full-face helmets offer the best protection for your head, face, eyes - and smile.

“CDC encourages that every motorcycle rider wear a helmet on every trip. We also encourage that motorcycle riders never ride after drinking,”

added Naumann.

In 2010, motorcyclists who wore helmets prevented so much head injury that the total savings to the country amounted to $3 billion.

Many states require motorcyclists and their riders to wear helmets.

posted July 17, 2012 8:50 am edt