The repeal of a motorcycle helmet law in Texas has been followed by a sharp increase in fatal motorcycle crashes in the state, according to a study led by two Clinton School professors and published in the Southern Medical Journal.
Professors Al Bavon, PhD, and Christina Standerfer, PhD, found that in the 10 years since the 1997 repeal of the helmet law, fewer motorcyclists chose to use helmets, and fatality rates per vehicle miles traveled rose by about 25 percent.
“This study shows that it’s bad public policy to repeal mandatory motorcycle helmet laws,” Bavon told the Houston Chronicle. “Motorcyclists not wearing helmets are having an adverse effect on highway safety in Texas.”
Bavon and Standerfer analyzed data on motorcycle fatalities from 1994 to 2004 to find trends in the rate of fatal injuries before and after the repeal of the helmet law.
Overall, the number of motorcycle deaths increased by 30 percent after the repeal of the helmet law. This was partly explained by an increase in motorcycle ridership, though other measures of motorcycle fatalities increased as well, according to the study.
This suggests “a strong correlation between the enactment of the repeal legislation and the increase in fatalities,” Bavon and Standerfer wrote.
Bavon is associate professor of management and administration at the Clinton School, teaching courses in Decision Analysis and Program Development and Evaluation. Standerfer is an assistant professor at the Clinton School with expertise in Communication and Civic Engagement.
The Southern Medical Journal is the official journal of the Southern Medical Association.
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