Sadly, traffic fatalities in South Carolina rose last year for the first time since 2007. One major reason for that was an increase in motorcycle accidents.
That has prompted at least one state lawmaker to propose a bill that would require anyone riding a motorcycle to wear a helmet. While mandatory helmet laws are anathema to many riders, the requirement - like mandatory seat belt laws - undoubtedly would save lives.
At the end of the year, 810 people had been killed on state roads and highways, according to the state Department of Public Safety. That's up from 801 in 2010.
The most significant increase was in the number of pedestrians killed. The total increased by nearly 20 percent, with 110 pedestrians killed in 2011, compared to 89 in 2010.
But deaths of motorcyclists also spiked over the past year, with 102 deaths in 2011, compared to 82 in 2010.
Riding motorcycles is dangerous whether the rider is wearing a helmet or not. According to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2006 (the last year statistics were available) 13.1 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes.
For motorcycles, the figure was 72.34 per 100,000. And the trend appears to be rising.
Some observers speculate that part of the problem is that baby boomers are taking up motorcycle riding, and buying larger bikes. Motorcycle ownership for riders between the ages of 40 and 49 has increased by nearly 30 percent in recent years, and by 25 percent in the 50-and-over age group.
The number of older riders involved in accidents also has increased significantly. While that is attributable in part to the fact that more riders in the older age groups are on the road, lack of experience and slower reaction times also could be a factor. Safety experts advise that protective equipment, including a helmet, is crucial for any rider but especially for older riders, who are more susceptible to serious injuries.
Helmets are not a guaranteed lifesaver. Helmet use among fatally injured motorcycle riders has remained constant at just above 50 percent.
But that doesn't account for the riders whose lives were saved because they were wearing helmets.
South Carolina had a helmet law that covered all riders, which was enacted in 1967. But after a heated campaign by opponents of helmet laws, the law was amended in 1980 to apply only to those under age 21, which is where the law stands today.
The rationale of those who oppose mandatory helmet laws for all riders is that adults are entitled to risk their own lives if they choose. That essentially was the same argument against mandatory seat belt laws - which, by the way, are credited as a major factor in the overall decrease in highway fatalities in recent years.
The theory of individual risk falls apart when we take into account the increase in medical costs and insurance for all that result from injuries and accidents that might have been prevented by helmets. With last year's uptick in the number of highway fatalities, this looks like a good time to revisit the debate over helmet laws.
