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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=18216
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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: April 29, 2015 12:29 PM
From: Representative Dan Frankel
To: All House members
Subject: LBFC Study on Motorcycle-Related Fatalities and Injuries (Former HR 420)
 
In the near future, I will be re-introducing House Resolution 420 from the 2013-2014 Legislative Session, calling for a statewide study on motorcycle-related fatalities and injuries since passage of Act 10 of 2003. I hope you will join me in this effort.

Act 10 of 2003 repealed the universal helmet law in Pennsylvania for motorcyclists 21 years of age or older who have either been licensed to operate a motorcycle for two full calendar years or have completed an approved motorcycle rider safety course. Current law also allows any person over the age of 21 to ride as a passenger without a helmet if the driver meets these requirements. The Commonwealth is one of 28 states that require only some motorcyclists to wear a helmet, while 19 states and the District of Columbia currently have universal helmet laws.

Nationally, 4,612 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in 2011 and 81,000 individuals were injured. Motorcyclists are 30 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per miles traveled. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helmets are roughly 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. As we continue debate on health care in general both nationally and right here in the Commonwealth, I think it is important that we re-examine Act 10’s impact on Pennsylvania’s health care landscape.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States saved $3 billion due to helmet use in 2010, but could have saved an additional $1.4 billion if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. The last study on Act 10 occurred in 2008, but this study failed to include information related to medical costs and insurance. Specifically, my resolution will compare the hospital charges for motorcycle-related head injuries to the charges for non-head motorcycle injuries before and after the helmet law repeal. Additionally, my resolution will determine the number of uninsured riders involved in accidents since 2003. I believe this data is necessary to provide a comprehensive understanding of how motorcycle-related crashes affect the insurance industry.

There is strong evidence that universal helmet laws save lives and money. I hope you will support my efforts to get a better understanding of what impact our Commonwealth’s current motorcycle helmet law has on health care costs and outcomes.

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Introduced as HR376