Accidents Bring Awareness to Texas Helmet Law and Motorcycle Safety

The state of Texas doesn't require motorcyclists to wear a helmet. But two separate accidents resulting in the deaths of two motorcyclists not wearing helmets on one summer weekend have brought the helmet law into debate. The current law requires riders to have a minimum of $10,000 of health insurance coverage for motorcycle-accident-related injuries. If a cyclist has such coverage, the rider is not required to wear a helmet.

The National Center for Statistics and Analysis, an office of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, released a report in 2005 stating that motorcycle helmets were about 37 percent effective in preventing fatalities. Obviously, wearing a helmet is one of the easiest ways to prevent serious head injuries but riders can take other steps to decrease their risk of injury should they be in a motorcycle crash. Motorcyclists should consider the following tips before each ride:

• Be safety smart. Make sure your equipment operates properly and be aware of others on the road.
• Wear proper clothing. Should your bike fall, you will come in contact with the road. Wearing protective clothing such as long, leather pants and jackets will prevent skin trauma and save you from intense pain and possible surgeries.
• Wear proper foot and eye protection. Wearing goggles will not only keep your eyes safe from flying debris while biking, but will also protect your eyes in the event of an accident. Proper footwear means wearing leather boots instead of sandals, which will not help your legs or feet survive a crash.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while riding.

Choosing to be safety conscious will allow you to enjoy your ride knowing you have done what you can to prevent an accident. Although motorcycles accidents in Texas cannot be completely eradicated, riders can take steps to minimize the number of motorcycle fatalities and injuries.