Motorcycle helmets have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of head injury and death. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 69 percent and reduce the risk of death by 42 percent. In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, helmets saved the lives of 1,870 motorcyclists, and 750 more lives could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets.
The effectiveness of helmet laws is also evident. According to a 2012 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, "laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets are the only strategy proved to be effective in reducing motorcyclist fatalities." There were 8.7 times as many unhelmeted fatalities (1,670 fatalities) in states without a universal helmet law compared to states with a universal helmet law (192 fatalities).