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Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2021—Overall Results
Use of DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets was 64.9 percent in 2021, not statistically different at the 0.05 level from 69.0 percent in 2020. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), the only survey that provides nationwide, probability-based, observed data on motorcycle helmet use in the United States. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis conducts the NOPUS every year. Throughout this Research Note the term helmet use refers to the use of DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets unless otherwise stated.
The 2021 data collection occurred during the usual timeframe of early June, immediately following the Click It or Ticket campaign. Due to the coronavirus pandemic the 2020 data collection occurred in August, which is 2 months later than usual, and without the Click It or Ticket campaign preceding it. The number of motorcyclists observed in 2021 survey rebounded by 21 percent following the decline in 2020.
Read the full Research Note here.