MOTORCYCLE SAFETY LAWS IN THE U.S.

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY LAWS

State laws regarding motorcycle safety are very difficult to keep track of. They can cover helmet use, eye protection, inspections and speed and they vary extremely along state lines. Twenty two (22) states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but their laws regarding these other safety issues are far less consistent, not to mention the other twenty eight (28) states whose helmet laws vary as well. These variations make motorcycle laws difficult to follow, which can be frustrating since these laws are so easily enforceable.

Between Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland there are distinct variations in these laws. Maryland and New Jersey require all riders to wear helmets while Pennsylvania only requires riders under the age of 21 to wear helmets and Delaware only requires riders under age 19. Of these four (4) states, all require eye protection except New Jersey. Given how confusing the laws are between these four (4) states which many riders travel between, you can imagine how confusing it can be on a national level.

In an effort to clear up some of the confusion, here is a map and chart that has the most basic rules about motorcycle safety by state. The map shows the helmet requirement ages by state and the chart shows the helmet requirement age, whether eye protection is required or not, and the max speed allowable.

State	Helmet Required?	Eye Protection?	Max Speed
Alabama	Yes	Not Required	70
Alaska	If Under 18	Required	65
Arizona	If Under 18	Required	75
Arkansas	If Under 21	Required	70
California	Yes	Not Required	70
Colorado	If Under 18	Required	75
Connecticut	If Under 18	Required	65
Delaware	If Under 19	Required	65
Florida	If Under 21	Required	70
Georgia	Yes	Required	70
Hawaii	If Under 18	Required	55
Idaho	If Under 18	Required	75
Illinois	No	Required	65
Indiana	If Under 18	If Under 18	65
Iowa	No	Not Required	65
Kansas	If Under 18	Required	70
Kentucky	If Under 21	Required	65
Louisiana	Yes	Required	70
Maine	If Under 16	Not Required	65
Maryland	Yes	Required	65
Massachusetts	Yes	Required	65
Michigan	Yes	Not Required	70
Minnesota	If Under 18	Required	70
Mississippi	Yes	Not Required	70
Missouri	Yes	Required	70
Montana	If Under 18	Not Required	75
Nebraska	Yes	Not Required	75
Nevada	Yes	Required	75
New Hampshire	No	Required	65
New Jersey	Yes	Not Required	65
New Mexico	If Under 18	Required	75
New York	Yes	Required	65
North Carolina	Yes	Not Required	70
North Dakota	If Under 18	Not Required	75
Ohio	If Under 18	Required	65
Oklahoma	If Under 18	Required	75
Oregon	Yes	Not Required	65
Pennsylvania	If Under 21	Required	65
Rhode Island	If Under 21	Required	65
South Carolina	If Under 21	If Under 21	70
South Dakota	If Under 18	Required	75
Tennessee	Yes	Required	70
Texas	If Under 21	Not Required	70
Utah	If Under 18	Not Required	75
Vermont	Yes	Required	65
Virginia	Yes	Required	65
Washington	Yes	Required	70
Washington, D.C.	Yes	Required	55
West Virginia	Yes	Required	70
Wisconsin	If Under 18	Required	65
Wyoming	If Under 18	Not Required	75

Motorcycle safety

We all remember being told to wear our helmets when we were younger, and most of us accepted this guidance. Sure it was inconvenient, and we hated the way we looked and how the helmet felt, but it was certainly better than a fight with our parents. We did not give much thought to safety, but it turns out our parents were right and safety is a huge factor. Wearing a helmet on a motorcycle is important to the safety of riders and passengers. Here are some key facts about how important wearing a helmet really is:

An motorcyclist without a helmet is 40% more likely to suffer a fatal injury than a helmeted motorcyclist.

For the 18 years from 1984 to 2002 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that helmets saved about 13,774 motorcyclists

A study from the University of Southern California showed that wearing a helmet was the most important factor in surviving a crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also estimates that wearing a helmet reduces the likelihood of death in a crash by 37%.

These simple statistics show just how vital wearing a helmet is to surviving a motorcycle crash. Yet people still remain opposed to this easy safety precaution. States that have these helmet laws have lower fatality rates for crashes, yet only twenty two (22) states require all riders to wear helmets. Regardless of whether your state has a helmet requirement you should always wear one while riding a motorcycle. It is the safest choice.