In June 2006, 51 percent of motorcyclists in the United States used DOT-compliant helmets, a 3-percentage-point increase from the 2005 rate. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which provides the only probability-based observed data on helmet use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2006 survey also found the following: • The use of helmets that are not compliant with Federal safety regulations stands at 14 percent in 2006, statistically unchanged from the prior year. Such helmets generally have either an insufficient coverage area or insufficient thickness to provide adequate protection in a crash. • The use of DOT-compliant helmets increased by 22 percentage points in the West to 72 percent in 2006. However, use in rush hours nationwide dropped by 22 points to 42 percent. These changes are statistically significant. • Use rates remain statistically lower in States that do not require all riders to use helmets. In 2006, 68 percent of motorcyclists in States requiring helmet use wore DOTcompliant helmets, compared to 37 percent in States not requiring all to use helmets. (Author/publisher)
Abstract