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MOTORCYCLE HELMET USE INCREASES IN 2006
In June 2006, 51 percent of motorcyclists in the United States used
DOT-compliant helmets, a 3-percentage-point increase from the 2005 rate.
This result is from the National Occupant
Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which provides the only probability-based
observed data on helmet use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted
by
the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.
The 2006 survey also found the following:
. The use of helmets that are not compliant with Federal safety
regulations
stands at 14 percent in 2006, statistically unchanged from the prior year.
Such helmets generally have either an insufficient coverage area or
insufficient thickness to provide adequate protection in a crash.
. The use of DOT-compliant helmets increased by 22 percentage points in
the
West to 72 percent in 2006. However, use in rush hours nationwide dropped
by
22 points to 42 percent. These changes are statistically significant.
. Use rates remain statistically lower in States that do not require all
riders to use helmets. In 2006, 68 percent of motorcyclists in States
requiring helmet use wore DOT compliant helmets, compared to 37 percent in
States not requiring all to use helmets.
The complete report is available online at
www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2006/810678.pdf.
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