Require bikers to wear helmets

Most motorcyclists in Hawaii have said they wear helmets for safety, but an overwhelming majority oppose enactment of a law requiring that they do so. Twenty motorcyclists were killed in traffic accidents in Hawaii last year, and 12 of them were not wearing helmets. Legislators should follow 20 states that require helmets to be worn by all motorcyclists.

On the Sunday before last, three motorcyclists were involved in accidents in Hawaii. Two of them, who were not wearing helmets, died. The third, who wore a helmet, was hospitalized but survived injuries.

In addition, nearly 400 head injuries during a year in Hawaii are related to motorcycle crashes that require hospital care, according to the state Department of Health. Still, many motorcyclists know better than to drive bareheaded but do so anyway.

"That’s their culture," a motorcyclist responded to a 2004 survey conducted for the state Department of Transportation. "If you put a helmet on one of those guys, then they’re going to get chided and ridiculed about wearing a helmet."

The department points to a federal assessment that a person without a helmet while operating a motorcycle or motor scooter is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury. Safety helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by 37 percent.

Attitudes and habits differ significantly between owners of what are called cruisers — motorcycles popular among bike groups and reminiscent of "Easy Rider," with high handlebars and seats far back — and owners of smaller and relatively erect sport motorcycles, more likely to be used to travel from one place to another, including commuting.

The DOT survey indicated that while all sport bikers and 90 percent of cruisers agree that helmets reduce head injuries, the percentage of cruisers who believe they increase rider safety and should be worn more often dips below positive attitudes among sport bikers regarding helmets. While 79 percent of the general population favors a mandatory motorcycle helmet law, only 31 percent of sport bikers and 18 percent of cruisers agree.

Why should non-motorcyclists care? Because they foot much of the bill for medical care following an accident. In recent years, taxpayers paid an average of $1.9 million a year for hospital expenses of head-injured motorcyclists covered by Medicaid or Medicare, Dr. Daniel J. Donovan, director of neurosurgery at The Queen’s Medical Center, told Hawaii legislators this year.

Donovan said 23 percent of injured motorcyclists treated at Queen’s in 2007 had no health insurance so paid none of what totaled $2.2 million for their medical treatment, not to mention rehabilitation and lost productivity. People who are insured know what that means to their premiums.

While many motorists complained about seat belt laws when they took effect in the 1980s, the admonition that they "click it or ticket" has saved numerous lives. Only motorcyclists younger than 18 are required in Hawaii now to wear helmets. Legislators should act responsibly to expand the requirement to motorcyclists of all ages.