MI's OHSP reveals facts for the first four months of 2012 and 2013

[Momz]

Very revealing how much the early riding season affected Michigan last year.

2012 in the first 4 months had 15 fatals with 13 wearing helmets, and 77 Incapacitating injuries with 67 wearing helmets.

2013 in the first 4 months had 1 fatal with 0 wearing helmets, and 11 Incapacitating injuries with 6 wearing helmets.

So how can the insurance companies (in MI) justify increases in premiums due to "Freedom of Choice"?

[Hooter]

  And "NOT" wearing a helmet has absolutely nothing to do with an accident. It MAY contribute to personal injury, but they always make it sound like the helmet is the cause. The other thing that isn't stated is, WHO IS AT FAULT?  The biker or someone else? Gee, lets see who wasn't wearing seatbelt when they crashed.

[tank_post142]

the % of helmet less  Incapacitating injuries has skyrocketed

[Momz]

Percentages?
67 incapacities in 2012 versus 6 in 2013 within the first four months.
I'd say those are pretty good odds.

Riding a motorcycle has it's share of unique risks. And if you ride with or without a helmet, you'd better accept that fact.

[Hooter]

the % of helmet less  Incapacitating injuries has skyrocketed

Of course it has but, my point being is that our news twerps make it sound like not wearing a helmet causes the accidents. without a helmet head trauma will increase to a point. After a certain point blunt trauma is the biggest problem. At speed even with full face helmet on, it doesn't stop a torn aeorta or a lacerated liver, you have problems. Everybody focuses on the head and not the body equally.
Back before the law changed I covered a ton of bike accidents and all had helmets on and there were fatals. I attended autopsy's as well and as I mentioned above blunt trauma was the cause. Not on all but a good share.  There were also instances where a helmet was the contributing factor in a broken neck. I covered some without helmets where there was no head trauma and the victim was deceased due to blunt trauma. Can be argued any way one wants to but like Moms said if you don't wear one be ready to accept the consequences if you are involved in an accident. I believe that fully.

[cookiedough]

Insurance companies can blame the higher increases to whatever they would like to lie about to make it seem o.k. to raise insurance premiums.  Although relatively still cheap,  my 2 cycles are going up 20 bucks per year.  When asked why,  the lady at my insurance company just stated 'rates go up every single year' which is NOT true at all.

Glad I dropped them for homeowners a few years ago they gave me a quote for autos was decent priced but the home was like 350 per year 3 years ago when I had them and now the quote for home was 582 bucks.  I emailed back and questioned why over a 200 dollar increase (a 65% increase in rates).  She yet again made an excuse they were a ton of insurance claims on homes with their company in the midwest thus the huge rate increase. 

[Momz]

We need to spin it this way: deaths from 1/1 to 6/7 went down from 35 in 2012 to 21 in 2013, which is positive for us.

Or we could say that the rate in 2013 (again from 1/1 to 6/7) was the same as 2011 and lower than 2009 and 2010.

[Momz]

Instead of simply accepting what we are hearing as truth, let's look at the actual relevant data provided by the Michigan State Police/Criminal Justice Information Center.  The information was requested and obtained by our good friends at ABATE of Michigan and I thank them for their hard work and vigilance.

The relevant data identifies motorcycle fatalities and incapacitating injuries from January 1 to June 7 in the years 2009 to 2013.  In no particular order and in no way corresponding by year those numbers are as follows:

                                   Fatalities                      Incapacitating Injuries
                                   25                                158
                                   21                                228
                                   35                                186
                                   21                                107
                                   28                                193  

If I asked you to take those numbers and play a matching game, placing each number with the correct year, do you think you could do it?  After reading the recent articles you might think that they would look like this:

Year                Fatalities                      Incapacitating Injuries                                  
2009                21                                107
2010                21                                158
2011                25                                186
2012                28                                193
2013                35                                228  

That would be a good guess given what you were working with, but it would be incorrect.  Here is the correct breakdown:    
           
Year                Fatalities                      Incapacitating Injuries                                  
2009                28                                228
2010                25                                186
2011                21                                158
2012                35                                193
2013                21                                107  

Those who oppose individual choice have focused on the elevated numbers in 2012 and concluded that allowing adult choice is causing serious injuries and death.  However that conclusion begs several questions.  Why are the 2013 fatalities down to 2011 levels?  Why are the 2013 injury numbers the lowest in five years?  If the 193 incapacitating injuries in 2012 are due in large part to Michigan's modified helmet law, why is that number still less than the 228 in 2009?  Michigan had a mandatory helmet law in 2009.

There is one last bit of information provided by the Michigan State Police/Criminal information Center that helps shed light on these numbers and Michigan's helmet law.  Of the thirty-five fatalities in 2012, twenty-four (68.57%) were wearing a helmet. Ten (28.57%) were not wearing a helmet.  It could not be determined whether the remaining fatality was or was not wearing a helmet.  Of the one hundred ninety-three incapacitating injuries in 2012, one hundred forty-six (75.65%) were wearing a helmet.  Forty-one (21.24%) were not wearing a helmet.  Nothing could be determined as to the remaining six.    

Once again, when we look at the actual data as opposed to the interpretation of the data we get a more accurate picture.  Finally, I want to be clear.  No one is arguing that riders should or should not wear a helmet.  Each person needs to make that decision for his or herself.  The argument is that there is simply no justification for taking that decision away from the individual.   Michigan lawmakers certainly did not think so, and there is no objective data to indicate that they were wrong.    

[tank_post142]

did you guys have a warm winter in 11-12 ? or an early spring?  that would explain the jump in accidents. Momz im with you, i grew up in Mt.Clemens and wore a helmet for many years.

[Momz]

did you guys have a warm winter in 11-12 ? or an early spring?  that would explain the jump in accidents. Momz im with you, i grew up in Mt.Clemens and wore a helmet for many years.

2011 was a fairly normal, albeit somewhat wet spring.
Yet in 2012 we had extremely hot weather (80's in March), so their were far more motorcycles on MI's roads.

Yeah, wearing helmets don't prevent accidents, as our insurance companies would lead you to believe.

[fudgie]

After a certain point blunt trauma is the biggest problem. At speed even with full face helmet on, it doesn't stop a torn aeorta or a lacerated liver, you have problems. Everybody focuses on the head and not the body equally.

[musclehead]

it's always been my view that whats under the helmet will either keep you safer or put you in a body bag

[Jack]

Global warming!

[Michvalk]

And how many fatal accidents were caused by riding impared/ too fast for conditions. I'd be willing to bet on that one.

[Hooter]

did you guys have a warm winter in 11-12 ? or an early spring?  that would explain the jump in accidents. Momz im with you, i grew up in Mt.Clemens and wore a helmet for many years.

2011 was a fairly normal, albeit somewhat wet spring.
Yet in 2012 we had extremely hot weather (80's in March), so their were far more motorcycles on MI's roads.

Yeah, wearing helmets don't prevent accidents, as our insurance companies would lead you to believe.

Thats what I'm talking about Momz. Are we riding more careful without helmets? Dunno, but I would sure like to see the "at fault" part of this report. Know what I mean? It doesn't bring anyone back or change the stats, but I would like to see how many times we as bikers were at fault?

[Patrick]

I'd like to see some stats on the extent of head/brain injury with or without helmet. I haven't read any that made sense to me. I do agree that helmets could contribute to neck injury, but, believe they can help lessen head injury.
To me its kinda like the seatbelt/ shoulder harness issue.

[Momz]

As an I am an "Awareness Instructor" and my wife is a "Rider Coach" we are obligated to let both potential drivers and potential riders know that nearly 60% of M/C versus car crashes occur at intersections.
Also most M/C riders involved in those crashes have less than two years of real/true riding experience,....then factor in those riders that have not been formally trained, and the very thought of what has happened or may happen is one scary scenario.

[Momz]

did you guys have a warm winter in 11-12 ? or an early spring?  that would explain the jump in accidents. Momz im with you, i grew up in Mt.Clemens and wore a helmet for many years.

2011 was a fairly normal, albeit somewhat wet spring.
Yet in 2012 we had extremely hot weather (80's in March), so their were far more motorcycles on MI's roads.

Yeah, wearing helmets don't prevent accidents, as our insurance companies would lead you to believe.

Thats what I'm talking about Momz. Are we riding more careful without helmets? Dunno, but I would sure like to see the "at fault" part of this report. Know what I mean? It doesn't bring anyone back or change the stats, but I would like to see how many times we as bikers were at fault?

MI is a "no fault" state, that means if a ticket is issued, it must be quite clear as to who is at fault in a M/C versus auto incident. In the case of auto versus auto, tickets are usually given.