Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
NHTSA Cracks Down on Counterfeit Motorcycle Helmets
New motorcycle helmet safety requirements have been announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in order to crack down on counterfeit motorcycle helmet labeling. NHTSA announced the modifications in order to help reduce injuries and deaths that resulted from motorcycle accidents, in which a motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet certified and approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Motorcycle helmets that fail to satisfy the federal safety standards put a biker at an increased risk of suffering a serious—if not fatal—head injury.
New Standards for Helmet Labeling
The modifications announced by the NHTSA will focus on cracking down on novelty helmets that many motorcyclists wear while out on the roadways. These types of helmets, however, do not meet the federal DOT safety standards and place riders at risk.
Novelty helmets typically have labels on them that are comparable to older versions of DOT labels, which were found to be too easy to produce counterfeit labels. Because the labels were easy to recreate, some bikers could make it seem as though they were wearing a federally approved helmet when they really weren't. DOT reported that out of the novelty helmets they conducted testing on, the majority of the helmets did not meet their safety standards.
The changes will require that bikers place a new sticker on their helmets that reads: "DOT FMVSS No. 218 Certified," which will also include the manufacturer's name and the helmet's model name. The NHTSA is hopeful that these modifications to the helmet labeling will encourage riders to wear the right type of helmet, which will then help to reduce the risk of sustaining a severe or even deadly head injury. Additionally, the changes will help police and other authorities to step up enforcement of Massachusetts helmet laws.
Preventing Injury in a Motorcycle Crash
The NHTSA conducted a study that showed that deaths stemming from motorcycle collisions could decrease by about 40% if all motorcyclists simply put a federally certified helmet on before hitting the road.
Approximately 55% of bikers wore a certified helmet in 2010, which dropped from about 70% of motorcyclists who wore federally approved helmets in 2009. Additionally, use of counterfeit helmets increased from 9% in 2009 to 14% in 2010. The remaining motorcyclists studied chose not to wear a helmet at all while riding.
Have You Been Injured in a Boston Motorcycle Accident?
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident because of a reckless driver, call the Boston motorcycle accident lawyers with Kiley Law Group for a free case evaluation at (888) 208-1695.
Also, order your free copy of Thomas Kiley's Massachusetts motorcycle book today!
