As a Sarasota personal injury attorney and Sarasota motorcycle injury attorney, I have truly seen the devastating impact from automobile and motorcycle accidents. In motorcycle accidents, there is nothing more devastating than handling an accident where the motorcycle rider is not wearing a motorcycle helmet. I have experienced it in litigation and have the seen the devastating effects of these accidents with clients and my own family.

There has been much debate on a universal helmet law in Florida; however, such a law has still not been established in Florida. On June 14, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a finding that cost savings in states with universal motorcycle helmet laws are nearly four times greater than in other states when measured in terms of the number of motorcycles per state. (Source: cdc.gov) The study also showed that in states with universal helmet laws, 12 percent of the riders involved in fatal crashes had insisted on going bare-headed, but in the three states without a law (which Florida is one), the number was 79 percent. That is correct, in 79 percent of the fatal motorcycle accidents in those states the motorcycle riders did not wear a helmet.

It is clear that wearing a motorcycle helmet when riding a motorcycle in Florida is of paramount safety for the riders. Helmets prevent 37 percent of crash deaths among riders and 41 percent among passengers. They also prevent 13 percent of serious injuries and 8 percent of minor injuries to riders and passengers. As stated by the CDC, some rules motorcycle riders should adhere to are:

1. always wear a helmet;
2. never ride a motorcycle after drinking;
3. wear protective clothing that provides some level of injury protection;
4. avoid tailgating;
5. maintain a safe speed and exercise caution when traveling over slippery surfaces or gravel.

If you are involved in a Sarasota motorcycle accident, please feel free to give the undersigned a call for a free consultation. (941) 365-7171 .

F. Scott Westheimer