HIGHLIGHTS

• The state of the art in helmet design and materials has improved significantly over the past fifteen years, and their effectiveness in preventing fatalities is greater than previous estimates indicated.
  
  
• As a result of these improvements, motorcycle helmets are currently estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing rider fatalities, compared with the 1989 estimated effectiveness of 29 percent.
  
  
• The higher effectiveness means that over the ten-year period from 1993 through 2002, motorcycle helmets have saved 7,808 lives, 2,378 more than was previously thought.
  
  
• Effectiveness of 37 percent means that a rider can reduce his or her risk of suffering a fatal injury in a crash by over one-third simply by wearing a proper helmet.
  
  
• Despite the improved performance of helmets, the incidence of fatal motorcycle crashes in the United States has been increasing in recent years, as the percentage of riders who use helmets has fallen from 71 percent to 58 percent nationally.