This is unacceptable. This comprehensive approach has contributed significantly to a dramatic improvement in motorcycle safety over the years. Such programs did not exist thirty years ago, when it was first determined that mandatory helmet use laws were the panacea for improving motorcycle safety. Society's role is not to mandate personal safety, but rather to provide the education and experience necessary to aid us in making these decisions for ourselves. Injured motorcyclists are uninsured and rely upon the public to pay for their injuries.
Motorcyclists are just as likely to be privately insured as any other road user.
If a motorcyclist's injuries are not covered by insurance, it is often because their employer has denied them these benefits. Many self-insured employer health plans simply deny medical payments for injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents. This is a policy adopted by the employer, not the motorcyclist. The costs associated with unhelmeted motorcyclist injuries and fatalities compel the enactment of mandatory helmet laws to save taxpayer dollars. Only a portion of these costs are attributable to unhelmeted motorcyclists, the majority of which are paid by private insurance.