ALL 50 STATES SHOULD HAVE MANDATORY MOTORCYCLE HELMET LAWS
TOPIC: Mandatory motorcycle helmet laws
PURPOSE: To persuade the audience that all 50 states should enact and enforce a mandatory motorcycle helmet law.
THESIS STATEMENT: Mandatory helmet laws save lives and dollars.
INTRODUCTION
Did you know that only 19 states and the District of Columbia have laws in place that require all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet? 19!?
28 states have laws covering some riders, usually people younger than 18.
3 states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) that do not have any helmet requirements at all. I find it odd that we all are required by law to wear our seatbelts and put our children in safety seats, but somehow motorcycle riders aren’t required to wear a helmet.
maybe you are like me…you don’t ride a motorcycle but you think it’s only common sense to wear a helmet if you did.
Well according to research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety . . . when given the free choice - HALF of all motorcycle riders will choose not to wear a helmet! CENTRAL IDEA
And that’s why I think it’s important to implement mandatory motorcycle helmet laws across the country. Because these laws get riders to wear the helmets that can save their lives.
Transition (Includes three main points): To convince you of this, I want to talk to you about…
I. How laws have changed and how those changes impact helmet use
II. Discuss the opposition to helmet laws.
III. Show you some of the extensive research regarding fatalities/injuries/costs with respect to helmet use.
BODY
Let’s begin by looking back in time . . .
I. Motorcycle helmet laws have quite a history of change
A. If we start in 1976 we find that all but three states had universal helmet laws in place.
B. But in the years since several states “changed lanes” on their motorcycle helmet laws with some repealing all or parts of their law and some
References: Naumann, R & Shults, R. (2012, June 15). Helmet Use Among Motorcyclists Who Died in Crashes and Economic Cost Savings Associated With State Motorcycle Helmet Laws — United States, 2008–2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Vol. 61 / No. 23. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (2012, May). Q&A: Motorcycles — helmets. Retrieved from http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/helmet_use.aspx Yaukey, J & Benincasa, R. (2008, March 26). Motorcycle deaths rose as states rolled back helmet laws