Helmet laws have always been a bit controversial. There is no universal federal helmet law, each state makes their own rules for who needs to wear a helmet. California, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, New York, and Washington require both the rider and passenger to be wearing helmets no matter what age at all times. Some states like Utah, Maine, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii and Indiana, only require helmets to be worn by those 18 and under. There are three states that don't require a helmet at all and those are Iowa, Illinois, and New Hampshire.
This graph shows how many motorcycle fatalities occurred in 2017 across the US. It also shows if those states had a helmet law or not. It also estimates how many lives could have been saved if the rider was wearing a helmet. The best rule of thumb to follow when riding a motorcycle whether you are over 18 or not is to always wear a helmet! It could be the difference between life and death! Plus a helmet with a face shield will prevent you from having to pick bugs out of your teeth after your ride!
Infographic by: yourlawyer
