Disappointing Motorcycle Helmet Usage Rates in Illinois
Some individuals enjoy using their motorcycle as the preferred way to move about the city or take a leisurely trip on Illinois State routes. Others see motorcycle riding as an economical choice to reduce the expense of buying gas and paying high insurance premiums when traveling to work, shopping or other local destinations. Most riders know the risks of motorcycling and should wear a motorcycle helmet to protect themselves should they crash, which choose not to.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (DOT) released crash information for the year 2014 involving motorcycle accidents with injuries and fatalities. The report revealed that 92 percent (3030 incidents) of the 3292 motorcycle crashes occurring that year involved males, and more than a third of those (1146 accidents) were between 21 and 34 years of age. Motorcyclists who suffered fatal injuries in these accidents that year “were less likely to have been using safety equipment” like wearing a helmet.
Statistics show that of the 118 motorcycle fatalities occurring in 2014, fewer than 2 percent had been wearing a DOT-compliant helmet and 80 percent (68 fatalities) were not wearing any helmet at the time of the accidents. The number of deaths associated with motorcycle accidents occurring in Illinois in 2015 rose 24 percent from the previous year.