The Push for More Helmet Laws

Safety advocates and lawmakers in eight states are pushing for new motorcycle helmet laws due to rising motorcyclist fatalities and last year's crash of NFL player Ben Roethlisberger.

This effort is more controversial than past attempts of stressing education and rider training to increase motorcycle safety.

Rider groups like American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) are opposed to such laws saying that wearing a helmet should be the rider's choice. Such groups have worked to weaken helmet laws in 27 states since 1975 by applying them only to young riders.

But other organizations like the Governors Highway Safety Association support helmet laws citing the rising number of motorcycle deaths. In 1997 there were 2,116 motorcycle fatalities. The number increased to 4,553 in 2005 while other road deaths decreased.

Twenty states currently require helmets for all motorcyclists. And 27 states require them for some riders under a certain age, usually 18 or 21. Only three state have no helmet laws.

Deb at Debsweb halfheartedly offers this comment:

Helmet laws. Should people who are too stupid to protect their most valuable organ be forced to wear a helmet so society doesn't have to pay for their vegetative care? Not that I have an opinion on the matter. Let them ride free, there are many people on the transplant lists that will appreciate a second chance at life. They aren't called donorcycles for nothing.

With choices like the snappy helmet pictured above, who in the world would want to forgo the cranium defenders.

-Dippold

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