Alex Warzecha 12/3/10

Persuasive Speech

Wear a Helmet When Riding a Motorcycle

Specific Purpose: to persuade my audience to only ride motorcycles wearing a helmet

Introduction I. Attention getting remarks: This is a picture of a man who crashed his motorcycle in Florida. It was Christmas Day, and he was on his way to his familys house, when he lost control going into a turn. He went into the ditch and crashed. He hit a fence with his face, and was scarred and bruised, as you can see here. He is holding the helmet that he had that day, but decided not to wear. Had he worn it, he would not have needed the stitches on his head. I want to persuade you to wear a helmet anytime you ride. II. Need for listening: As some of you already know, I ride motorcycles. It gives you a feeling of freedom that can never be experienced in a cager, that is, a car. I know how important it is to wear a helmet. III. Proposition: You should wear a helmet at all times when riding a motorcycle, because: A. Motorcycles are dangerous, and B. Helmets can save lives. Body I. First, I must point out that motorcycles are dangerous. A. Motorcycles are more difficult to see than a car. 1. Most accidents involve another car a) Study by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that nearly three fourths of motorcycle accidents in 2006 involved a collision with another vehicle 2. Motorcycles are smaller than cars 3. They fit into blind spots more easily (VIDEO) 4. Drivers arent necessarily looking for them. B. Motorcycle Accidents are more fatal 1. According to Danny Workman, an Insurance Industry Examiner, motorcycles represent 3% of all registered vehicles in the U.S., and they accounted for 13% of total traffic fatalities in 2007 2. Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to die in a crash than people traveling in passenger cars.

II. Even though this is proof that motorcycles are dangerous, helmets can reduce the danger and save lives. A. Motorcycle helmets have a safety design 1. Face shield 2. Rigid outer shell 3. Impact absorbing liner 4. Comfort fit padding 5. Retention System 6. Chin protection B. People who used helmets were more likely to survive accidents 1. In Florida, there was an all-rider helmet law that was repealed in the year 2000. a) This means that before the year 2000, all motorcycle riders had to wear helmets. b) 515 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes in the three years before the repealing, and of those 9% were unhelmeted. c) In the three years following the repealing, 933 were killed, with 61 percent being unhelmeted. 2. The NHTSA has made statements regarding helmet use a) helmets saved 1,829 motorcyclists lives in 2008, and that 823 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. b) Helmets are estimated to be 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle riders. Conclusion I. Summary: It is obvious by the information above that motorcycle riders should wear helmets. Riding a motorcycle can be dangerous, because of their small size. But because of how they are designed, helmets can and do save lives. II. Clincher: There is a quote that goes, What do you call a cyclist who doesnt wear a helmet? An organ donor. I agree with this quote, and I believe that if you want to be safe on a motorcycle you will wear a helmet every time you ride.

Bibliography

"Evaluation of the Repeal of the All-Rider Motorcycle Helmet Law in Florida." NHTSA. U.S. Department of Transportation, Aug 2005. Web. 3 Dec 2010. <http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/motorcycles/pdf/809849.pdf>. "Traffic Safety Facts." NHTSA. NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2008. Web. 3 Dec 2010. <http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/811159.pdf>. White, Bob. "Motorcycle Accident Statistics Suggest High Rate of Personal Injury." Articlesbase. Articlesbase.com, 29 Sep 2010. Web. 3 Dec 2010. <http://www.articlesbase.com/personalinjury-articles/motorcycle-accident-statistics-suggest-high-rate-of-personal-injury3372366.html>. Workman, Danny. "Deadly Motorcycle Accident Statistics." Examiner. Examiner.com, 28 May 2009. Web. 3 Dec 2010. <http://www.examiner.com/insurance-industry-in-national/deadlymotorcycle-accident-statistics>.