Bikers: wear your helmets – avoid deadly head injuries, TBI & bad hair

News outlets reported three fatal motorcycle accidents over the weekend in Austin, TX at the Republic of Texas (ROT) Rally. Last year, we discussed a number of serious and fatal accidents that occurred at a bike rally in Galveston. In most of the serious accidents, there was a common factor: the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet.

 We won’t argue that a good motorcycle helmet will save your life in every accident. It won’t. For instance, the motorcyclist who died in Friday’s accident plummeted about 40 feet to the ground after losing control of his bike and falling from an overpass. Even the best helmet can’t help you then, and indications are that he was wearing a helmet.

 And we understand the prevailing rationale, articulately uttered by at least one biker at the Austin rally, that when you choose to ride without a helmet, you know what you’re getting into. But are you prepared to face the costs of the most severe injuries you might incur if you suffer an accident while you’re riding without a helmet? Or are you hoping government coffers will remain solvent enough to pay for your medical costs and ongoing care? (I wouldn’t place my health as a stake on that bet.)

 There were three fatalities at the ROT Rally. The two accidents on Saturday presented frequent motorcycle accident scenarios. In one, a passenger car suddenly turned in front of an oncoming bike. Car drivers notoriously fail to adequately account for the smaller profile of oncoming bikes and riders. It’s something I understand. When I’m behind the wheel of a car, I also have trouble accounting for the different sizes and sometimes speeds of smaller motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.

 That perception problem seems to form a natural part of how we humans process information and perceive complicated visual data. The problem is not going away. It’s best for all parties to try and remain aware of it as much as they can and to take precautionary measures.

 Motorcyclists seem to perceive the problem and take safety measures more than others. But most bicyclists seem completely unaware of how difficult it is for motor vehicle drivers to account for their presence and adjust their speeds in time to be safe. I often see an oblivious bicyclist taking his or her chances in motor traffic and wondering if I’m gong to see them on the news accident reports later that evening.

 With a little caution, passenger vehicles and motorcycles can safely share the roads together. Completely separate paths or lanes would probably be a safer answer for bicycles however. And cars too. Cars can suffer accidents trying to suddenly adjust speed or trajectory for a careless or heedless bicyclist.

 When motorcycles do suffer collisions with other motor vehicles, the biker tends to get the worst of the encounter – helmet or no helmet. The biker is unprotected on his bike and subject to easy vehicle ejection. The passenger vehicle occupant is generally enclosed within metal walls and protected to some extent from ejection by seatbelts.

 A biker launched into the air in a wreck can suffer severe impact on landing. Without a helmet, severe head injury and traumatic brain injury are frequent results. A good, well-fitting motorcycle helmet can protect you from the worst injuries in many cases. Learn about the increased survival rates and lower medical injury costs for helmet wearers in this informative article.