Motorcycle fatalities among out-of-state riders and the role of universal helmet laws

Michael T. French, Gulcin Gumus and Jenny F. Homer

Social Science & Medicine, 2012, vol. 75, issue 10, 1855-1863

Abstract: Several studies have demonstrated that universal helmet laws (UHLs) and other motor vehicle policies are effective in reducing fatal and non-fatal motorcycle injuries. Although state policies can improve traffic safety overall, very little is known about how they affect different segments of motorcycle riders. In this paper, we investigate the differential effectiveness of such policies by license state of the rider (i.e., in-state versus out-of-state). From a policy perspective, this information gap is noteworthy because variations in state regulations may influence where individuals choose to ride. We use state-level longitudinal (1988–2008) data on motorcycle fatalities in the United States from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Our results reconfirm the effectiveness of UHLs and offer new evidence suggesting that states without such policies may attract more risky riders from out-of-state. In particular, not having a UHL increases out-of-state rider fatalities by 18 percent and this effect is more pronounced for out-of-state riders who reside in a UHL state. These findings have important implications regarding unintended spillover effects of state-specific motor vehicle policies.

Keywords: United States; Motorcycle fatalities; Helmet laws; Out-of-state riders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I18 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:10:p:1855-1863

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.06.022

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