NHTSA has published two interesting bits of 2008 data: the Motorcycle Helmet Use and Head and Facial Injuries analysis and the 2008 Motorcycle Traffic Safety Facts data. Some of the more sobering facts from the Motorcycle Traffic Safety Facts analysis was "NHTSA estimates that helmets saved 1,829 motorcyclists’ lives in 2008, and that 823 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets" and "Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists are about 37 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash." Motorcylists are more likely to die drunk than any other vehicle operator and the state with the highest percentage of drunk motorcyclists deaths is Deleware. New Mexico riders are the least likely to be wearing helmets, at 4%.
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In WW I British authorities decided that the provision of parachutes might make their pilots less inclined to bring their damaged-but-repairable machines home.
A British study conducted during WW II revealed that many Lancaster bomber aircrew failed to get out of their damaged machines simply because the hatch was too small for a man wearing a parachute. No action was taken on this study. During every raid German night-fighters would carefully position themselves ideally, under the left wing of a Lanc, then fire just a few rounds from their "schrage musik" upward-firing cannon, setting the bomber's fuel tanks afire. They did it this way, they explained, because they wanted to give the crew some chance of saving themselves. So the enemy cared more for British bomber crew than did the British Air Minstry
The British offered to provide beach assault tractors to US forces but US commanders said "Our boys don't need any help". US commanders were comfortably billeted aboard Navy ships offshore as the Higgins boats made their way to the Pacific island beaches.
There is no public opinion - only fads that come and go, some with careful management.
KC
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