Jessica Hayes, MD, MPH
Jane Hayes, MD, MPH, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the first author of a recent study in Prehospital Emergency Care, State-Level Helmet Use Laws, Helmet Use and Head Injuries in EMS Patients Involved in Motorcycle Collisions.
The researchers were interested in comparing the rates of severe head injuries after motorcycle collisions in U.S. states with helmet use laws vs. those without.
Here are five things to know about their study:
While hitting the open road on the back of a motorcycle may be exhilarating, riding is not without safety risks. In 2022, the injury rate for patients in motorcycle collisions (MCCs) was nearly four times higher than that for car occupants, and MCCs are almost 22 times more likely to involve fatalities.
Motorcycle helmets are estimated to reduce the risk of head injuries by almost 70% and reduce the risk of death by almost 40%. However, laws requiring helmet use differ by state. In 2022, only 18 states had laws requiring helmet use in motorcyclists over 21 years old.
Hayes and colleagues looked at the rates and severity of head trauma in states with and without laws for motorcycle helmet use.
The team analyzed data from the 2022 ImageTrend Collaborate national EMS dataset, looking at 911 responses in which the patient transported to the hospital was involved in a motorcycle accident.
A total of 15,891 patient encounters were included (the team only included patients who were 21+, as states have different laws regarding motorcycle helmet use for younger riders).
Approximately 67% of the incidents occurred in states without helmet use laws.
Digging deeper into the data, the team found that states without helmet use laws had a significantly higher prevalence of emergency medical service (EMS)-documented head injuries (18.8%) than states with helmet laws (8.5%). The head injuries themselves were also more severe in states without helmet-use laws, according to assessments using the Glascow Coma Score.
The team's analysis also showed that patients in states with helmet laws were more likely to be wearing those helmets at the time of their accident (more than 60%) compared to patients in states without laws (less than half were wearing helmets).
The findings suggest that EMS teams in states without helmet use laws—or those that are planning to rescind helmet use laws—should prepare for a higher influx of patients with head injuries, Hayes and team write.
So if you are going to hit the road on a motorcycle as a rider or a passenger, it's a good idea to wear a helmet—even if it's not required by state law. Your head will thank you for it!
Article Cited: Jane M. Hayes, Rebecca E. Cash, Lydia Buzzard, Alyssa M. Green, Lori L. Boland & Morgan Anderson (10 Jan 2025): State-Level Helmet Use Laws, Helmet Use, and Head Injuries in EMS Patients Involved in Motorcycle Collisions, Prehospital Emergency Care, DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2025.2450280
Mass General Brigham Research
Research at Mass General Brigham includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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