Whether a motorcyclist is out for a brief evening cruise or a week long road trip, a helmet could be the difference between life and death in an unexpected accident. According to NHTSA, between 1984 and 2006, an estimated 19,230 lives were spared due to helmet utilization, and an additional 12,320 lives would have been saved if a helmet had been worn. Although some argue that strict, involuntary helmet use imposes on motorcyclists freedom to make decisions benefiting themselves, motorcyclists cannot defy the cold, hard statistics and laws of physics that propose involuntary helmet use is crucial. Since the invention of motorcycle in 1885, the government and physicists have been working together to surmise a universal solution to the …show more content…
Ben Roethlisberger, past quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, had publicly defended his right to not wear a helmet, while stating that he would “be careful”. Weeks later, Roethlisberger suffered serious injuries such as a broken jaw, broken nose, and concussion as a result of a helmetless motorcycle accident. As a motorcyclist who defended his right of choice, then suffered the consequences, Roethlisberger said “I never meant any harm to others, nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me.” It is much less traumatic to take advice from someone who learned from their mistakes, rather than experience them first hand. In conclusion, statistics and Newton’s three laws of motion propose highly persuasive and logical reasoning for involuntary helmet use, safeguarding not only motorcyclist lives but other travelers as well. Although helmets are not guaranteed to save lives, helmet utilization has been the difference between life and death in many incidents in the past, but will continue to save lives if riders utilize helmets