Bikers Battle Helmet Laws, Cite Freedom

To wear a helmet or not to wear a helmet, that is the question. While these aren’t quite the words Shakespeare wrote for Hamlet, it is a question that anti-helmet motorcycle advocates hope remains in the hands of bikers.

So far, anti-helmet motorcycle advocates have successfully lobbied for the elimination or weakening of helmet laws in 29 states, including Pennsylvania. Citing complaints that helmets make it harder to see and hear and that they are too hot in the summer, the bikers argue that the decision not to wear a helmet is their choice to make.

But before hitting the open road without a helmet, every motorcycle rider should consider these eye-opening statistics.

• Federal statistics show that, on average, the years after helmet law changes, the usage of helmets dropped while motorcycle deaths increased.
• In the states that repealed mandatory helmet laws, motorcycle deaths more than doubled, sometimes in as little as three years.
• The national fatality rate for motorcycle deaths is four-and-a-half times as high as the auto fatality rate.

Regardless of helmet statistics, many bikers believe the best way to reduce fatalities is to provide new riders with training and make automobile drivers more aware of motorcycles.

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