Many Pittsburgh area residents love to feel the wind in their hair as they ride their motorcycles. For riders in Pennsylvania who meet certain requirements, such as being 21-years-old, this is a possibility as there is not currently a helmet law that makes it illegal to do so.

Pennsylvania riders who like to take to the road without wearing a helmet may want to reconsider however. This is because, based on are recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, biker deaths due to fatal accidents where the riders are not wearing helmets are approximately five times more common than in states that have strict helmet laws.

The study took into account fatal accidents that occurred throughout the nation from 2008 to 2010. Of the total 14,283 motorcyclists who died, 6,057 were not wearing helmets. About 88 percent of the deaths that occurred to individuals not wearing helmets took place in states that do not have restrictive helmet laws.

In addition to saving lives, the study indicates the use of helmets saves money as well. The director of the CDC indicated that in 2010 alone, the use of helmets saved more than $3 billion. That amount could have reportedly increased by an additional $1.4 billion had all of those on motorcycles donned helmets.

Individuals who want to preserve the ability to ride motorcycles without wearing helmets likely feel that the reward is worth the risk. For those people, we can all hope that they manage to avoid being involved in any motor vehicle accidents.

Source: The Associated Press, "CDC: Motorcycle helmet laws reduce deaths," June 14, 2012