doi: 10.1080/15389588.2010.529974..OBJECTIVE: The "risk compensation" hypothesis suggests that individuals offset perceived gains in safety by increasing their risk-taking behavior to maintain a stable or "homeostatic" level of risk. If this is true for motorcyclists, then helmet use, which reduces the risk of brain injury and death, may lead helmet users to take more risks when they ride. Thus, increased risk-taking by helmet users should show up as overrepresentation in crashes, and accident reconstruction should reveal risky behaviors in the seconds just before the crash. This article examines data from two separate studies involving the on-scene, in-depth investigation and reconstruction of motorcycle crashes: 900 in Los Angeles (1976-1977) and another 1082 in Thailand (1999-2000).METHODS: Each crash was investigated on scene within minutes of its occurrence by teams of specially trained researchers and later reconstructed in order to identify precrash and crash events, verify helmet use/nonuse, etc. "Exposure" data on helmet use and other readily visible factors were also collected for the population-at-risk by observing riders who passed by each accident scene some time after a crash that had been investigated by the team.

In this article, helmeted and unhelmeted accident-involved riders are compared to each other as well as to the population-at-risk.RESULTS: In Thailand, helmeted riders did not differ significantly from unhelmeted riders in alcohol use, precrash speed, being the primary or sole cause of the crash, or unsafe speed or lane positioning for the traffic conditions; they were no more likely to be in a single-vehicle accident, to crash by running off the road, or to lose control. In Los Angeles, drinking riders were half as likely to wear a helmet as nondrinkers. However, when drinkers and nondrinkers were segregated, helmeted riders were no more likely to cause their crash, run stop signs or red lights, commit other traffic code violations, or run off the road. They did not differ in speed or single-vehicle crash rates. In both studies, helmeted riders were underrepresented in crashes compared to helmet use in the population-at-risk, and helmet use was associated with greater distances traveled.

CONCLUSIONS: The data fail to support the hypothesis that the increased safety provided by motorcycle helmet use is offset by more risk-taking while riding. The only evidence of risk compensation was that helmet use increased with greater amounts of travel.The Effect of Motorcycle Helmet Use On the Probability of Fatality and the Severity of Head and Neck Injuries A Latent Variable Framework AbstractThis article evaluates the effectiveness of motorcycle helmets in accident situations. A latent variable model is developed and estimated. It is concluded that (1) motorcycle helmets have no statistically significant effect on the probability of fatality; (2) helmets reduce the severity of head injuries; and (3) past a critical impact speed, helmets increase the severity of neck injuries. Further analysis establishes the qualitative and quantitative nature of the head-neck injury trade-off. Adams, J.G.U. () "." Environment and Planning C 1: -. American Association for Automotive Medicine ( ) The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS. : .

Baker, S.P. and R.S. Fisher () "." Amer. J. of Public Health 67: -. Champion, H.R., S.P. Baker, C. Benner, R. Fisher, Y.H. Caplan, W.B. Long, R.A. Cowley, and W. Gill () "." harley for sale saskatoon Chang, C. () "." motorcycle repair nanaimo bcInstitute of Transportation Engineers J. 51: -. heated motorcycle jackets gerbings Dare, C.E., J.C. Owens, and S. Krane () "." 1000cc bike for sale in saInstitute of Transportation Engineers J. 49: 9-. motorcycle dealers wangara Forester, T.H., R.F. McNown, and L.D. Singell () " ." harley fatboy for sale in nj

Southern Economic J. 50: -. Hart, D.N.J., P.W. Cotter, and W.A.A.G. MacBeth () "." New Zealand Medical J. 81: -. Hartunian, N.S., C.N. Smart, T.R. Willemain, and P.L. Zador () "." red wing boots barringtonJ. of Health Politics, Policy and Law 8: -. Heilman, D.R., J.B. Weisbuch, R.W. Blair, and L.L. Graf () "." Annuals of Emergency Medicine 11: -. Hurt, H. H. Jr., J.V. Ouellet, and D.R. Thom (, January) Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume I: Technical Report, Contract DOT HS-5-01160. Koshal, R.K. () "." J. of Transport Economics and Policy 10: -. Kraus, J.F., R.S. Riggins, and C.E. Franti () "." Amer. J. of Epidemiology 102: -. Luna, G.K., M.K. Copass, M.R. Oreskovich, and C.J. Carrico () "" Western J. of Medicine 135: -. McSwain, N.E. and M. Lummis () "." Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics 151: -. Motorcycle Industry Council () Motorcycle Statistical Annual.

Mueller, A. () "." Amer. J. of Public Health 70: -. Peltzman, S. () "." J. of Political Economy 83: -. Prinzinger, J.M. () "." Russo, P.K. ( ) " ."New England J. of Medicine 299: -. Scott, R.E. () Motorcycle Accidents and Motorcycle Injuries—A Review. Snively, G.G. () "Head injury protection," in C. L. Ewing et al. (eds.). Impact Injury of the Head and Spine. U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (, April) A Report to Congress on the Effect of Motorcycle Helmet Use Law Repeal-A Case for Helmet Use. Wilde, G.J.S. () "." Risk Analysis 2: -. If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click on download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu. RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager)EndNoteBibTexMedlarsRefWorks The Effect of Motorcycle Helmet Use On the Probability of Fatality and the Severity of Head and Neck Injuries