Whether or not you are in agreement with the idea of motorcycle riders wearing helmets is your own personal view.  However, your own personal view should be made on the basis of relevant information that allows you to make an educated decision whether or not to wear a helmet.  Over the last motorcycle riding season I have been running a poll on my website asking if all motorcycle riders should be required by law to wear a helmet when riding.  The results are interesting - 55% say yes and 45% say no.  I would like to think that these are educated opinions.

There are many reasons to wear and not wear a helmet.  In favor of not wearing a helmet is what I call the freedom of choice argument.  This argument essentially states that "I am responsible for myself and if I choose to not wear a helmet that should be my right."  Another way of putting it would be "the government should stay out of my business - if I do not want to wear a helmet I should not be required by law to do so."  This argument has a certain amount of appeal and for the most part I personally agree.  Pundits also agree that it may be your right to decide if the decision is only impacting you alone but they claim that if you are injured while not wearing a helmet it is society that pays.  I agree with this statement too.  I think, as a motorcycle injury attorney and a motorcycle rider, I have a unique appreciation for both views.  My personal opinion is that you should not be required by law to wear a helmet by law but you should also carry enough insurance to ensure that if (or when) you are injured that you can care for yourself and not have to rely on society to support you.

Whatever your sentiment or view you should make an educated decision about wearing a helmet when riding your motorcycle or scooter.  Brain injury often occurs when you do not wear a helmet and you are involved in a crash.  Let's face it - car or truck versus motorcycle or scooter - motorcycle or scooter (and rider) lose every time.  Whether helmets actually decrease brain injury may be argued but I think most would agree that given the same crash you are better off wearing a helmet.

Brain injury is usually divided into traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI).  Traumatic brain injury includes concussion, contusion, coup-countercoup, diffuse axonal and penetration.  Acquired brain injury includes anoxic and hypoxic injuries.  All, some or none of these injuries can be the result of a motorcycle crash.  An excellent web resource that describes all of these injuries is the Brain Injury Association of Utah. Furthermore, brain injury can be mild, moderate or severe.

The Brain Injury Association of Utah is a non-profit organization in existence since 1984 and it's mission is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, research, education and advocacy. This organization is sponsoring their 19th Annual Family Professionals Conference in Layton October 9th and 10th.  Another fantastic resource is the Brain Injury Association of America.

You can get a feel for how those with brain injuries cope and the impact that the injury has had on them and their families by visiting this Deseret News Article titled Coping with Brain Injury is a Daily Struggle.  One of the most debillitating symptoms of brain injury is the fact that those injured look normal and I think are therefore expected to be normal functioning. When impulse control is altered because of the injury these injured persons are at greater risk for injury - physical, emotional and financial.

Here are some quick facts copied from the Brain Injury Association of Utah website:

• Every 23 seconds, one person in the U.S. sustains a brain injury
• Over the past 12 years, mortality from brain injury has exceeded the cumulative number of American battle deaths inclusive of all wars since the founding of the Republic.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a silent yet serious epidemic currently leaving 5.3 million Americans with disabilities. This represents over- 2% of the US population; 40,000 victims in Utah alone!
• 50% of brain injuries are caused by vehicle crashes, 26% by falls.
• In September 2000 alone, 8600 children under the age of 15 suffered a brain injury from scooter accidents... almost 300 children per day!
• Every 7 minutes, someone dies of a brain injury
• One death every day and one brain injury every four minutes can be prevented by the use of helmets in recreational activities, including skiing and biking.
• 80 % of brain injury victims end up in a divorce
• 75% of persons with TBI who return to work will lose their job within 90 days if they do not have supports.
• The estimated lifetime cost for each survivor of a severe brain injury exceeds $4 million.
• According to a study conducted by The National Foundation for the Brain, the cost of brain injury in the United States was $48.3 billion in 1992. Hospitalization accounts for $31.7 billion, and fatal brain injuries cost the nation $16.6 billion each year. We estimate that this figure may be substantially higher today.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a silent yet serious epidemic currently leaving 5.3 million Americas with Disabilities. This represents over 2% of the US population; estimated 40,000 individuals in Utah alone suffer from a long-term disability from brain injury!
• Each year, approximately 567,000 people go to the hospital emergency departments with bicycle related injuries; about 350,000 of those are children under 15 years of age. Of those children, about 130,000 sustain brain injuries.
• 1 million children sustain brain injuries every year ranging from mild to severe, with approximately one-third of all pediatric injury cases are related to brain injury. This public health concern ranks as the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents in the United States.
• In Utah, during the school year 1997-98, there were 900 injuries that affected those from kindergarten through sixth grade. Of these injuries, 276 were possible concussions or loss of consciousness. This is disconcerting because these types of head injuries can cause long term problems.

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