Hitting the open road: the debate over requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets revs up once again.

• Author: Shinkle, Doug
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

There are two kinds of motorcycle riders, goes a popular saying: Those who have crashed and those who will.

Motorcycle deaths have increased and so have riders. The number of people killed while riding or driving a motorcycle has increased 138 percent since 1997. And the number of registered motorcycles has shot up from 3.8 million in 1997 to 8.4 million in 2011.

Meanwhile, the debate over whether to require everyone to wear a helmet--pitting concerns over public health costs versus the loss of individual freedoms--has accelerated as well.

Motorcycles and Safety

Over the last several years, motorcyclists continue to be overrepresented in traffic-related fatalities, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They now account for 14 percent of all traffic-related fatalities but represent only 3 percent of all motor vehicles. In 2012, motorcycle crashes killed 4,957 people, 57 percent more than in 1997. At the same time, fatalities from crashes in other vehicles dropped 32 percent, from 33,609 to 22,912.

Safer vehicles and highways, coupled with better law enforcement and medical treatment, have reduced car and truck fatalities. Motorcycle deaths have not followed suit, although recently released data from NHTSA show a 6.4 percent decrease in deaths in 2013, the first decline since 2009.

Fewer riders don helmets, particularly in states that don't require all riders to wear them, and head injuries continue to be the leading cause of motorcycle deaths. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 700 more lives could have been saved in 2010 if wearing a helmet was required everywhere.

Motorcycle advocates point out that motorcyclist deaths have actually decreased in proportion to the vast increase in bikes on the road. A recent report from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation calculated that the number of fatalities per 100,000 motorcycles registered fell between 2005 and 2011, from 74 to 55.

Many motorcyclists believe riding without a helmet is an unalienable right in America. Groups such as ABATE, which has chapters in several states, argue that instead of passing mandatory helmet laws, states should concentrate on making the roads safer for motorcyclists by increasing drivers' awareness of motorcyclists and imposing stiffer sanctions against drivers who cause motorcycle crashes.

The American Motorcyclist Association points out that wearing a helmet does nothing to prevent a crash...