Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2009—Overall Results

Use of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)-compliant motorcycle helmets increased significantly to 66% in 2011, up from 54% in 2010, based on the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS). The NOPUS is the only survey that provides nationwide probability-based observed data on helmet use in the United States and is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The trend of motorcycle helmet use shows that the DOT-compliant helmet use increased in 2011 while the percentages of motorcyclists who were wearing non-compliant helmets or who were not wearing any helmet decreased. The 2011 survey also found the following: (1) The increases in helmet use in 2011 occurred in many motorcyclist groups, including motorcycle riders in States without universal helmet laws, on surface streets, in rural areas, and during weekends; and (2) Helmet use from 2010 to 2011 increased from 54% to 66% in the Northeast, from 43% to 53% in the Midwest, from 54% to 70% in the South, and from 75% to 81% in the West.