In case the reference was a bit too arcane... "Bell" is a popular brand of helmet. It was a stretch, I know. But I hope it grabbed your attention. Here's the latest scoop when it comes to the government watching your top-knot for you.

The stats don't lie and they tell a compelling tale. Motorcycles comprise less than 1% of highway traffic-- but more than 10% of deaths on the road are bikers.

In the mid-70's, nearly all 50 states-- 47 to be exact-- required motorcyclists to don head gear. That number is down to 20 in 2007. As mentioned in our Car Insurance Accident Statistics article, things have gotten better over time with safety when you look at an overall snapshot. But with the mortality rate so high for motorcyclists in highway accidents, why in the world are there fewer states requiring a helmet today?

The latest stats seem to show that the risk of "death by motorcycle" is reduced by almost 40% when the biker wears an approved helmet. So in trying to explain the increase in deaths-- it's not hard to spot the perfect storm gathering energy over the state capitols.

In the last 10 years there has been a 100% increase in motorcycle highway deaths. This corresponds precisely with states repealing their helmet laws.

Fatality accidents don't do good things for insurance rates-- not to mention the families affected by lost loved ones. The smart thing to do is simply wear a helmet.

If the trend does not reverse direction through education, the helmet laws will come back. A helmet is a small investment. If everyone wears one, the positive financial and emotional benefits would be immediate and hugely beneficial. We could see a reduction in fatality motorcycle accidents, reduced opportunity for government to feel compelled to intervene, and lower insurance costs to boot.