Editor’s Note: Repealing mandatory helmet law-not a wise choice

Another national holiday, Memorial Day, has just come and gone. The great memories of picnics, long bike rides, parades and afternoons at the beach are positive snapshots of the holiday. Unfortunately, vehicle accidents, injuries and deaths are also in the memory bank of this holiday for many. Buckling up when you drive a car or wearing a helmet when you are on a motorcycle or bicycle should be just a “given” in 2006. But the reality is that even today, many motorcycle riders still don’t wear helmets, some citing “personal liberty” as the reason. Evidently some state officials have decided that maybe those people are right.

The state of Michigan is poised and ready to repeal the state’s 37-year-old mandatory motorcycle helmet law.

Incredible as it seems, the Michigan House of Representatives right now has the number of votes needed to repeal their law, which will result in 22 additional fatalities each year, along with 132 more incapacitating injuries, 610 other injuries and $140 million in added economic costs to Michigan citizens, according to AAA Michigan.

SB 297 would remove the mandatory helmet requirement for all riders and passengers 21 years of age or older, but does not require motorcycle riders to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage.

Nationwide and in Michigan, motorcycle deaths continue to rise. In 2004, more than 4,000 people died on motorcycles in the United States—an increase of 8 percent from the previous year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

SB 297 is expected to move out of the House Transportation Committee for a full House vote in the coming weeks. SB 297 was approved by the Senate in March 2005. In every state that has enacted motorcycle helmet law repeals, helmet use has plummeted by an average 42 percent. In Michigan, if helmet use decreased similarly, research indicates that there would be a 41-percent reduction in the number of lives saved over a six-year period.

Here are some other facts to ponder provided by AAA:

* The number of motorcycles registered in Michigan over a six-year period has increased by 45 percent. The largest increase in licensed motorcyclists was among those aged 45-64.

* Michigan experienced a 20 percent increase in the number of motorcycle crashes during the same timeframe.

* The largest increase in crash rates was among motorcyclists age 30-44, which increased by 52 percent.

* Nearly 80 percent of motorcycle crashes result in death or injury.

Whether the Michigan legislature decides to repeal a law that has protected motorcycle riders in that state for years—remains to be seen. AAA Michigan vows to fight repeal efforts. But you have to wonder about the kind of thought process that would make a governmental body consider “going back in time,” rather than continue down the path for the safety and well being of its residents … as it has done for the last 37 years.