Photo: ADRIEN AUZANNEAU/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
North Carolina lawsrequire everyone in the state to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle.
In South Carolina, on the other hand, only those under the age of 21 must wear a helmet — a fact that has given researchers a comparison point on the effect of helmet laws.
Why it matters: A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons comparing crash data from the two states found that North Carolina riders were much more likely to be helmeted and that helmeted riders had significantly better outcomes.
By the numbers: The study looked at nearly 2,200 patients who were involved in motorcycle crashes between 2012 and 2022 at a trauma center that took patients from both states.
Patients from North Carolina were helmeted in 94% of cases while only 52% of South Carolina patients were.
Patients who wore helmets were more likely to be discharged from the emergency department (13% of patients) than those who didn't wear a helmet (10%.)
Those who wore a helmet were also less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (25% of patients) compared to those without a helmet (39%).
And patients who wore a helmet were less likely to die at the hospital (4%) of patients) compared to 7% of those who didn't wear a helmet.
What they're saying: "The two states' differing laws created a natural experiment," A. Britton Christmas, medical director of trauma at Carolinas Medical Center and an author of the study, said in a statement.
"The results are clear: helmets save lives, and universal laws ensure they're used."
