The Independent Florida Alligator reports that a study done at the University of Florida shows that only 12% of students who use scooters wear helmets.
Megan Johnson, a 22-year-old graduate student studying health administration at the UF said that a study conducted by the UF Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program revealed that only 12% of those riding scooters on campus wear helmets.
She also reported that Scooters 4 Less, a shop in Gainesville, Florida said that only about 50% of those who purchased scooters also purchased helmets.
According to the Helmet Safety Campaign, helmets reduce the risk of serious injury by 70% and the risk of death by 40%.
University Police said that they provide bike and scooter helmets to students for free. They also offer free bike lights and registration. Gainesville Police data shows that 37.2% of scooter accidents occur within a 1-mile radius of campus.
In Florida, those who drive or ride on a motorcycle who are under the age of 21 are required to wear a helmet. Those over the age of 21 can ride a motorcycle without a helmet if they can prove that they have at least a $10,000 insurance policy to cover injuries that may arise as a result of a crash. According to the NHTSA, nearly 100% of motorcycle drivers and riders wear helmets in states that have mandatory helmet laws. In states that do not have mandatory helmet laws, only about 50% wear a helmet. The NHTSA found that of those involved in fatal motorcycle accidents during 2011 in Florida, 56% were not wearing helmets.