You can make your own conclusions about safety gear here:
The Hurt Report and regarding the 25% that are only bike wrecks:
Per the NHTSA:
Report Conclusions: Findings from the FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) data illustrate reasons for motorcyclist fatalities in single vehicle motorcycle crashes:
Helmet use among fatally injured motorcyclists below 50 percent
More motorcyclist fatalities are occurring on rural roads
High blood alcohol levels are a major problem among motorcycle operators
Half of the fatalities are related to negotiating a curve prior to the crash
Over 80 percent of the fatalities occur off roadway
Undivided roadways account for a majority of the fatalities
Almost two thirds of the fatalities were associated with speeding as an operator contributing factor in the crash
Almost 60 percent of motorcyclist fatalities occur at night
Collision with a fixed object is a significant factor in over half of the fatalities
Braking and steering maneuvers possibly contribute for almost 25 percent of the fatalities
More riders age 40 and over are getting killed
Almost one third of the fatally injured operators did not have a proper license
The real problem is that the Hurt report is over a decade old and the NHTSA finding is over 5 years old. There have been significant changes to our population and the AMA is right to pursue this.
