Texas bikers are an one-of-a-kind breed-independent, hardy and dedicated, and with miles of picturesque roads and open space to explore, it’s no surprise. Texas only requires bikers under 21 to wear a helmet and motorcycle accident injury rates are higher here than in many other states. It’s a controversial issue, with plenty of Texans on both sides of the equation. Last month, a study by the Center For Disease Control gave those in support of universal helmet laws some hefty new artillery: They revealed a direct correlation between helmet-use and significant state cost-savings.
The CDC research focused on the effects of helmets in motorcycle accidents purely in terms of monetary impact. From 2008 to 2010 they investigated motorcycle crashes across the country in order to establish how much each state saves when motorcycle drivers and their passengers wear helmets.