Motorcycle Helmet Laws Could Account For Discrepancy In Outcomes Between South Carolina And North Carolina

Some people are sticklers for the rules.  The sight of someone littering on public property raises their blood pressure.  A driver doing a California stop sign maneuver in South Carolina gives them fits.  If someone tries to cut in front of them while standing in line, they are ready to come to blows.  Then there are people who take individual freedoms as their starting point and believe that the less rules one must follow, the better.  Whether it is better to impose safety rules on everyone or only on those at the highest risk comes down to first principles, but when it comes to motorcycle helmet laws, a recent study indicates that stricter laws applied universally lead to fewer motorcycle-related fatalities and catastrophic injuries.  South Carolina’s motorcycle helmet laws are on the lenient side, but your chances of surviving a motorcycle collision are better if you take safety precautions beyond what the law requires.  If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, even though you were complying with motorcycle helmet laws, contact a Columbia motorcycle accident lawyer.

Should We Look to Our Northern Neighbor as an Exemplar of Motorcycle Safety?

In South Carolina, motorcyclists and motorcycle passengers under the age of 21 must always wear a motorcycle helmet when riding, and the helmets must meet legally prescribed safety specifications.  If you are old enough to purchase alcoholic beverages legally, then you are old enough to make your own decisions about whether to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle in South Carolina.  By contrast, North Carolina requires everyone, regardless of age, to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

Researchers from the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently published a study on the relationship between motorcycle helmet laws and the medical outcomes of people involved in motorcycle collisions.  The researchers noted that motorcycle riders in North Carolina wore helmets 94 percent of the time during the period studied, whereas in South Carolina, where helmets are optional for all but the youngest riders, they only wore helmets 47 percent of the time.

All motorcycle collisions carry a risk of severe injury, but not wearing a helmet further increases the risk.  25 percent of patients with helmets required admission to the Intensive Care Unit after a motorcycle accident, as did 39 percent of patients without helmets.  Furthermore, motorcyclists without helmets were more likely not to have insurance, making their accident-related medical expenses a greater financial burden to the public.

Laws requiring motorcycle helmets for all riders used to be more common.  In the late 1970s, 47 states had universal helmet laws, like North Carolina has today.  Today, only 19 states require helmets for all motorcyclists and motorcycle passengers.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a lawsuit or insurance claim if you got injured in a motorcycle accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

facs.org/media-center/press-releases/2025/motorcycle-helmet-laws-save-lives-study-shows-universal-laws-increase-helmet-use-and-reduce-injury-severity/