According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, motorcycles are the “most hazardous form of motor vehicle transportation” in part because they are less stable and less visible than an automobile. The group also reports that motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 69 percent and the risk of death by 42 percent.
What is Wisconsin’s current motorcycle helmet law?
According to Wisconsin Statute section 347.485:
- Motorcycle helmets are only required for drivers and passengers under the age of 18 or those drivers who have an instructional permit.
- All motorcycle drivers must wear eye protection such as goggles, glasses or face shields.
- It’s illegal for a driver who is above the age of 18 to operate a motorcycle with a passenger who is under 18 and not wearing a helmet.
- For those required to wear helmets, your helmet must have a “DOT” symbol on the back (which ensures the protective gear meets federal requirements).
- When wearing a helmet, you must have the chin strap fastened.
While Wisconsin does not make it mandatory for all motorcycle drivers to wear a helmet, we encourage you to consider the following:
- In 2013, despite motorcyclists representing just 2 percent of all registered vehicles, they accounted for 14 percent of total traffic fatalities.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motorcycle crash fatalities have more than doubled since 1997.
- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that in 2014 42 percent of motorcyclist deaths were single-vehicle crashes and 58 percent were multiple-vehicle crashes.
- IIHS reports that in 2014, 52 percent of motorcyclist deaths occurred on weekends and 57 percent of deaths occurred on major roads that were not freeways or interstates.
- Helmets don’t just save lives — they save money. According to NHTSA, riders who are injured because they were not wearing a helmet are more likely to require costly hospital treatments, require rehabilitation and require public assistance to manage these costs.
- NHTSA estimates that motorcycle helmets save $2.7 billion annually.
ATV’s also are popular in Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s ATV helmet laws state that all operators and passengers under the age of 18 must wear a DOT-standard ATV or motorcycle helmet. Helmets are not required when driving on lands owned by your immediate family, while operating for agricultural purposes, hunting or fishing and for those over the age of 18.
But consider these statistics from IIHS:
- Nationwide, only 9 percent of those fatally injured on an ATV were wearing a helmet.
- Seventy-six of ATV fatalities involved a single vehicle.
- The majority of ATV deaths (64 percent) were caused by the ATV rolling over.
- Overall, ATV deaths have increased more than nine times since 1982.
- According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the majority of ATV/UTV deaths in Wisconsin involve drivers who were not wearing a helmet. The DNR encourages ATV drivers and passengers to wear helmets whether it is legally required or not.
