By Justin Stoltzfus

Some of America's top safety agencies have motorcycle accidents on their radar. In fact, the National Traffic Safety Board recently added motorcycle safety laws to its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.

The safety board's Most Wanted List acts as an indicator of what experts consider most effective in curbing accident injuries and related health care costs. Specifically, the board wants states to adopt universal helmet laws (which would require everyone on a motorcycle to wear a helmet) in hopes of limiting injuries -- and medical expenses.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, motorcycle helmet use decreases the average probability and extent of head injuries for riders, as well as the average length of a hospital stay for accident victims. According to the institute, helmet use also decreases the probability of long-term disability.

The serious and expensive nature of motorcycle accident injuries also has health insurance implications. Many cyclists don't have private health insurance, according to the highway safety institute, and the government often ends up picking up the tab for injury costs, specialized treatment and lengthy hospital stays. Institute data suggest that helmet laws have reduced total health care charges for motorcycle accidents in some states.

Currently, state motorcycle helmet laws are a patchwork of regulations that vary by the age and experience of the rider. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

  • Only three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) do not have any motorcycle helmet laws.
  • California, which has one of the strictest laws, requires helmets for all riders, even those on low-powered, cycle-type vehicles, such as mopeds.
  • Aside from California, New York, Georgia and Michigan are among the 20 states that require helmets for all motorcycle riders. The District of Columbia also requires all riders to wear helmets.
  • Texas lets motorcycle riders go without helmets if they can show proof of completing a safety course, or proof of a medical insurance policy.
  • Pennsylvania makes helmet use mandatory for all riders for the first two years of licensure, unless the driver has completed a state-approved safety course.
  • More than a dozen states, including Ohio and Connecticut, make helmets mandatory for riders age 17 and under.
Other states, like Florida, require riders to wear helmets only if they are under age 21. In Florida, riders 21 and up who want to ride without a helmet must show proof of medical insurance.