PA. LOOKS AT MOTORCYCLE INJURIES:

Nearly a year after Pennsylvania’s motorcycle helmet law was repealed, experts say it is too soon to tell definitively whether the repeal has caused a spike in motorcycle injuries and deaths. In the first four months that helmets became optional for riders 21 and older, deaths among helmetless riders more than doubled, from six to 15, compared with the year-ago period. Fatalities among riders wearing helmets dropped 28 percent, from 25 to 18. But state and federal transportation officials say it’s still too early to tie repeal of the law to deaths caused by a lack of head protection. “No one here will be able to draw any conclusions,” said Ed Myslewicz, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. State Sen. John Wozniak, a Cambria County Democrat and motorcyclist who helped shepherd the bill through the Legislature, said he expected a “small spike” in injuries among helmetless riders, but predicts it will be temporary as riders adjust to their new freedom. Studies to collect more data are in the works. Conemaugh Medical Center in western Pennsylvania is planning a statewide study that would track motorcycle injuries through community hospitals, coroner and police reports, and trauma centers. The study would also examine the financial impact on Pennsylvania’s taxpayers.