Cost effectiveness of wearing a motorcycle helmet in preventing death or serious injury

In 2010, motorcycles comprised only 3% of the registered motor vehicles in the United States yet motorcyclists represented 14% of all traffic fatalities and 4% of all traffic injuries. Past studies have examined the benefits of wearing a helmet, but with the results and associated conversation primarily involving other public health practitioners. I attempt to place the relevant information in the hands of those who can best make use of it: motorcyclists. This paper discusses a series of cost effectiveness analysis of wearing a helmet using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The results include the probability of a motorcyclist dying and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) between the reference (not wearing a helmet) and the treatment (wearing a helmet). I found that riders not wearing a helmet have a 2.7% chance of dying when involved in a motorcycle crash whereas those wearing a helmet face a 1.3% chance. Regarding the cost effectiveness analysis, wearing a helmet adds 31.7 quality adjusted life years (QALY) and saves $6,420,434 (2010 $US) while costing approximately $850, resulting in an ICER of $198,740/QALY gained. Policy makers may utilize the information in regulating helmet use, but certain groups of motorcyclists have successfully opposed such regulations. Instead, directly providing motorcycle riders with this information may encourage more motorcyclists to purchase and use helmets while riding.