In June 2005, 48 percent of motorcyclists in the U.S. used DOT-compliant helmets, a 10-point drop from the usage rate last year. 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 (NHTSA). The 2005 survey also found the following: * The use of helmets that are not compliant with Federal safety regulations was 9 percent in 2005, statistically unchanged from the prior year. Such helmets include helmets with an insufficient coverage area or insufficient thickness to provide adequate protection in a crash; * The drop in the use of DOT-compliant helmets occurred in States not requiring all motorcyclists to use helmets (a 10-point drop), and occurred on both expressways (a 9-point drop) and surface streets (a 10-point drop), among other categories; and * use rates remain statistically lower in States that do not require all riders to use helmets. In 2005, 67 percent of motorcyclists in States requiring helmet use wore DOT-compliant helmets, compared to 38 percent in States not requiring all to use helmets. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting