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Garren Darling
Callahan
English IV (3)
8 October 2015
Should Motorcycle Laws Be More Strictly Enforced?
I have had a love for motorcycles ever since I was little. My dad had been a diehard
enthusiast for several years when I was young, so those interests rubbed off on me as they
usually do between father and son. My dad would always watch MotoGP races on TV, and I
would watch them whenever I could. Seeing these races all the time got me used to seeing riders
in full leather and kevlar gear, riding boots, gloves, shoulder pads, knee pads, a fully certified
helmet, and many other various safety gear items. In these races, riders are always getting into
wrecks, but since they are fully protected with the right gear, they are almost always able to stand
up and walk away from them. That is why it was so peculiar for me to see riders around town
wearing regular clothes riding one of these powerful machines. I first assumed that it had to be
illegal for people to do this because it was so dangerous, but I later found out it was only illegal
in a few states. I did not understand this at all. If American motorcycle laws were made to
require all riders to wear the right protective gear, riding motorcycles would become safer, and
the riders would not be looked down on as irresponsible and putting themselves in danger.
As of 2015, there are only sixteen states that require all riders to wear a helmet while
riding a motorcycle, three that do not require one at all, and the rest have varying laws depending
on the age of the operator. There are no laws for other forms of safety gear whatsoever. I think
that this miniscule requirement is absolutely ridiculous. I believe that all riders should at least be
required to wear a helmet. I say this because helmets save lives. No one can deny that. For

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example, when California passed its helmet law in 1992, helmet use jumped from 50% to 99%.
During this same period of time, motorcycle accident fatalities in California decreased 37%
(The Helmet Law). I think that this is a no-brainer when it comes to how the states should
enforce these laws.
People opposed to such laws will argue that it should be their choice if they want to wear
one or not. While I understand how they might want this, I do not think it should matter.
Every person riding inside of a car is required by law nationwide to wear a seatbelt. Even
though they might not like to, they still have to do it, and they will be punished if they do not.
Another benefit of requiring helmets is that it will reduce motorcycle theft tremendously. If
helmets are required on all riders, then a stolen motorcycle ridden by a theft not wearing a helmet
will attract the attention of law enforcement and lead to an arrest and the return of the
motorcycle. This theory has been proven. Motorcycle thefts in nineteen Texas cities decreased
44% in the two years after Texas legislature enacted a mandatory helmet law (The Helmet Law
Debate). Another law that is enforced in some states concerning a riders safety restricts law
enforcement from pursuing fleeing motorcyclists. While I disagree with trying to evade the
police, it makes perfect sense to me that riders are not allowed to be chased. Chasing a speeding
motorcycle in a police cruiser is a futile cause as usually the motorcycle will have no problem
getting away. While the officer is trying to catch said motorcycle, he his putting the other
motorists and himself in danger, not to forget the rider. Even while seeing these positive results
of requiring a helmet, some states still choose not to go that route which amazes me.
So what exactly does a rider need to wear to remain safe while riding a motorcycle? A lot
of what you need to wear depends on what kind of rider you are, and where you will be riding.

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For example, if you are an average rider making a short commute to work, you will most likely
not take the time to be covered head to toe in leather. For this scenario, wearing a helmet,
gloves, jeans, close-toed shoes, and a light jacket will suit you just fine. On the other hand, if
you are an experienced rider taking your beloved bike out on a two hour long joyride through
curvy roads and straight-aways, you will definitely want to be much more protected. A good set
of gear for this riding scenario would be a helmet, gloves, riding boots, leather or kevlar pants, a
fully padded jacket, and any other kind of additional padding you may want. Just taking these
small steps before you go out to ride may save your life one day, the federal government
estimates that the number of deaths on motorcycles per mile traveled in 2013 was over 26 times
the number as in cars (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). That comes out to 4,381
deaths on a motorcycle in the year 2013. I believe that if safety laws for motorcycles were more
strictly enforced, this number would be decreased drastically.
People may argue that they are experienced and safe riders and say they will not get into
any accidents. What those people need to take into consideration is that no matter how safe you
are, motorcycles are hard to see sometimes, and all it takes is for that one person who is driving
in a hurry to pull out in front of you to end your life. Even though gear is a big part to remaining
safe on a motorcycle, it is not the only thing that can save your life. You must practice safe riding
habits which include, maintaining a safe speed, watching for loose gravel or debris, and always
driving defensively. What this means is to always assume that the car that is waiting to turn out
on the road does not see you. That way, in the case the driver does not actually see you, you will
be prepared to stop. Above all, you just need to be responsible. Motorcycles are very powerful,
very dangerous machines that need not be underestimated.

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So what are the possible solutions? There are several things that can be done to make
motorcycles safer. Laws could be changed nationwide to require all riders on all two-wheeled
vehicles to wear a certified helmet. They could also go as far as to require certain types of gear
such as jackets, gloves, boots, pants, etc. If they did this, it would no doubt decrease deaths on
motorcycles and make them safer. As always, though, you will have people who think their
skills are enough to keep them safe, and they will opt out of wearing a helmet regardless of laws,
just as some do when it comes to seatbelts. Another possible solution is to only require helmets
in rural areas where high speed accidents are more likely to occur. To me this is a very
reasonable application. The reason I say that is because if someone is using a motorcycle to
commute to and from work in a crowded city, they are much less likely to be achieving higher
speeds and taking risky turns that require a lot of leaning. In this scenario I can understand how
a helmet is not absolutely necessary, even though it still would protect you in the event of
another drivers error that could cause you to get in an accident. The Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety states that 33% more of motorcycle crashes happen per mile in rural areas than
in urban ones. This only further proves my point that helmets might not be as important in urban
areas, though I still believe they should be enforced, just to be safe. Variants for requiring
helmets could also coincide with how much CC your bike has. For example, the power
difference between a small moped, and a 1,000CC motorcycle is monumental. While the top
speed of a 125CC moped will be around 45 mph, a 1,000CC motorcycle can reach speeds of 180
mph and up. So what this could mean is that small mopeds that do not reach dangerously high
speeds may not need a helmet as badly as a sports bike might. Regardless of all these things,
though, there is always the chance that you can be injured while youre riding a vehicle with two

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wheels, and wearing a helmet is one of the simplest (yet most important), things you can do to
protect yourself.
So what is the best solution? It is to require all riders to wear helmets, with a few
exceptions; if the rider is over thirty-five years old, and lives in an urban area, that person may
choose to wear one or not. Also, if the bike is under 600CC, and the rider is over thirty-five years
old, they may choose. I believe that this is a very reasonable law that takes into consideration the
power of the bike and where it will be primarily ridden. It also take into consideration to age of
the rider, which means that the older more responsible will be less likely to choose not to wear a
helmet as they will be more aware of the dangers than a young inexperienced rider might be. If
this law was enforced, it would help save lives and make motorcycles more safe for everyone
who rides them.
Either way, the goal should be fewer people dying while riding motorcycles. It can be a
very fun, exciting, and rewarding hobby, but it can also be very dangerous. Too many young
riders too way too early than anyone would want and it can all be solved by a simple law change.
Some people may not realize how important it is to wear a helmet until it is too late and the end
up dead. If certain states would just bite the bullet and require helmets for everyone, less people
would die, and insurance would probably cost less as well. I also believe that to become a
licensed motorcycle rider, everyone should be required to pass a test that proves that they
understand the safe way to ride a motorcycle, just as all drivers must do before they can become
licensed. All of these things will make motorcycles better for everyone; after all, they are just as
dangerous as they are fun, and sometimes those dangers are ignored to have a little fun.