Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Effect Of No Helmet Laws On Motorcycle Insurance Rates
2010-10-07
Motorcycle insurance quotes are naturally higher than those for car insurance but they can be even more expensive in states with no helmet laws. The main reason for this stems from the risk that insurance companies associate with this law.
Insurance companies base their premium rates on how much risk is associated with the driver. If they feel that the driver is at a high risk of being involved in an expensive accident, that driver's rates will be particularly high. For car drivers, things such as speeding tickets or DUI convictions will cause a driver to pose more of a risk to a carrier. But in the eyes of an insurance company, a motorcycle driver is immediately more of a risk because of the inherent safety concerns that come with driving an unenclosed vehicle. The cost that an insurance company would have to pay for an accident involving a motorcycle injury is bound to be higher than a car wreck due to the increased risk of an expensive injury involving extensive medical costs.
But in states with no helmet laws, insurance companies perceive an even higher risk due to the fact that the driver is at an even greater risk of being involved in an expensive accident. Because studies have found that helmet use reduces consequences such as severe head trauma, fatalities, cost and length of medical treatment as well as long-term disability, all things that the insurance company would have to cover, motorcycle insurance quotes are much higher in states with no helmet laws. Even a good driving record is rarely enough to avoid raised rates in a state with no helmet laws because even if the motorcycle driver is not at fault, they still stand to sustain a severe injury. It has even been observed that when states implement no helmet laws, more people will register motorcycles because it becomes easier to find affordable motorcycle insurance quotes.
Many states have laws that require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. One alternative to this universal helmet law is based around how much insurance coverage you have. For example, you may only be required to wear a helmet if you do not have at least $10,000 in medical insurance coverage. However, since helmet use tends to drop substantially in these states as well, that $10,000 of coverage will probably still be relatively expensive.
While many riders disagree with helmet laws, there is no denying the fact that states that implement them will have lower motorcycle insurance quotes. The fact remains that they are at a greater risk for injury and insurance companies will continue to view them as high risk.