PIFC WANTS HELMET LAW TO REMAIN

A bill that would permit motorcyclists 18 and older to discard their helmets will do nothing but increase the number of motorcycle-related injury accidents and deaths in California, according to the Personal Insurance Federation of California (PIFC). According to Michael Gunning, senior legislative advocate for PIFC, while SB 1057 (Morrow) mandates individuals who discard their helmets to have medical insurance, there is nothing in the bill to enforce this requirement. The current law requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets was enacted on Jan. 1, 1992. Overall, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports motorcycle fatalities and injuries have decreased by over 50 percent since the helmet law that enactment. According to a study released Jan. 8, 2002, by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the repeal of helmet use laws in some states and the weakening of the laws in others are contributing factors to an increase in motorcyclist deaths.