Analyzing the Effectiveness of Helmet Laws in Reducing Motorcycle Fatalities in the United States: A State-Level Study in 2020

Motorcycle fatalities are a significant public health issue in the United States. Motorcyclists are more vulnerable than other motorists and have a higher risk of injury and death in the event of an accident. To reduce the number of preventable motorcycle fatalities, some states have implemented mandatory helmet laws. However, the effectiveness of helmet laws in reducing fatalities remains a topic of debate. For this study, state-level data on motorcycle fatalities, motorcycle registrations, and helmet laws in the United States was collected for the year 2020. The data was obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u27s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database, the Federal Highway Administration\u27s (FHWA) motorcycle registration database, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) website. Chi-square tests were conducted to examine the relationship between helmet laws and motorcycle fatalities and motorcycle registrations, with a significance level of p \u3c 0.05. Data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel. The chi-square tests on the data for both motorcycle fatalities and registration proved the statistical significance of this analysis. For motorcycle fatalities, the sigma value was 3.45 with a chi-square comparison value of 5.99, indicating a significant correlation between fatalities and helmet laws. Similarly, the sigma value for motorcycle registration was 3.35 with a chi-square comparison value of 5.99, indicating a significant association between registration and helmet laws. My study has several limitations, including the use of cross-sectional data and the exclusion of other potential variables that may affect motorcycle safety outcomes, such as road infrastructure and weather conditions. Future research could address these limitations and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between helmet laws and motorcycle safety. Despite these limitations, my findings suggest that universal helmet laws are an effective way to reduce motorcycle fatalities at the state level