The Importance of Protective Gear on a Motorcycle
Arizona motorcycle helmet law says that all adult riders who are older than the age of 18 can choose whether or not to wear a helmet when they ride a motorcycle. Any passenger or rider who is younger than 18 will be required by law to wear a helmet. While there are many other forms of protective gear a rider can wear outside of a helmet, the motorcycle helmet law in Arizona says that if a motorcycle isn’t already equipped with a protective windshield than all drivers and passengers regardless of age must be wearing eye protection. If you are pulled over by the police and found to not be wearing a helmet that is required or if you aren’t wearing your protective eye gear, you are likely going to be fined. Fines for these violations can be as high as $75 for first-time offenders and increase substantially if an individual is caught multiple times.
Why Is It Important to Wear Protection When Driving a Motorcycle?
While adult drivers have the option of wearing head protection, looking at the crash data, choosing to wear one increases your safety immensely. Some Arizona lawmakers understand this and in 2016 developed House Bill 2052. If it had passed, the bill would have made it mandatory that all motorcycle riders wear a helmet no matter what their age. The bill ultimately did not pass, but the importance of wearing a helmet still remains the same.
The numbers surrounding motorcycle crashes in Phoenix make the city one of the most dangerous for riders across the country. In 2016, the Arizona Department of Public Safety showed that there were close to 800 Arizona motorcycle accidents. More than 30 of these accidents were fatal. Motorcycles have a higher rate of crashes than do cars, and both drivers and passengers are incredibly vulnerable to serious injury if not death in a crash. When motorcycle accidents take place, the majority of them result in some form of trauma to the head. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that head injuries are responsible for the majority of fatal crashes. Because the occurrence of head injury is so high with motorcycle crashes if an individual doesn’t die from their injuries they can still have their lives turned upside down by experiencing traumatic brain injury and paralysis.
The risks are so high when it comes to riding a motorcycle, and wearing a helmet can make a big difference for the wellbeing and safety of a rider and for passengers. Those riders who choose to hit the road without a helmet increase their risk of experiencing a fatal head injury by 40%. A quality helmet that fits well, not only protects the skull, but it can also dampen down the cacophony of wind noise surrounding a rider. This alone helps improve safety as the rider can better hear all other surrounding sounds.
Do You Need a Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Attorney For Your Claim?
The Arizona motorcycle accident injury attorneys at ELG will help you with your personal injury claim. The bilingual, Spanish-speaking Phoenix accident attorneys at ELG specialize in personal injury cases. Our firm has a wide breadth of experience winning the highest amount of compensation for our clients. Our experienced Phoenix serious injury attorneys can be reached at (623) 877-3600 to schedule a free consultation.
