Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Motorcycle helmet law repeal trend leading to higher death rates]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/08/motorcycle-helmet-law-repeal-trend-leading-to-higher-death-rates/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/08/motorcycle-helmet-law-repeal-trend-leading-to-higher-death-rates/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/08/motorcycle-helmet-law-repeal-trend-leading-to-higher-death-rates/#commentsFiled under: ,



The more states allow people to ride motorcycles without helmets, the more people die, according to a study discussed in TheDetroitBureau.com today.

The report, released by FairWarning.org, outlines how for the past 30 years, states have begun to loosen helmet restrictions on bikers and deaths have climbed, even as automotive deaths have dropped to historic lows. In 1972, 47 states required riders to wear helmets. In 2012, only 19 states have laws requiring every rider don protective headgear.

Meanwhile, deaths on motorcycles has more than doubled from 1997 to 2010, from 2,116 to 4,502, according to NHTSA.

"We call it the organ donor enhancement act," a doctor told TheDetroitBureau.com. "We've always had a shortage of donors but expect to see the numbers go way up. "

Motorcycle helmet law repeal trend leading to higher death rates originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>helmetlawmotorcyclemotorcycle deathsmotorcycle helmet lawsafetyFri, 08 Jun 2012 11:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20253659/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/06/08/motorcycle-helmet-law-repeal-trend-leading-to-higher-death-rates/20253659/article-detail.xml 20253659 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/motorcycle-helmet-law-deaths-001-06072012_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/motorcycle-helmet-law-deaths-001-06072012.jpg <![CDATA[Put out of its Missouri: State Legislature considers repealing motorcycle helmet law]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/17/put-out-of-its-missouri-state-legislature-considers-repealing-m/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/17/put-out-of-its-missouri-state-legislature-considers-repealing-m/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/17/put-out-of-its-missouri-state-legislature-considers-repealing-m/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Few issues out on the open road are as divisive as helmet laws for motorcycle riders. On the one hand, you have individual liberty advocates - many motorcyclists among them - insisting that the government can't tell riders what's best for them. On the other are safety advocates, armed with evidence of increased fatalities where helmets aren't mandatory. Now the Missouri state legislature has sent a bill to the governor that would, if signed into law, repeal the state's mandatory helmet regulations.

Many states caved to federal government pressure, in the form of withheld highway funding, to institute helmet laws. Of the 50 states in the Union, 20 currently mandate helmets for all riders, 27 require them only for riders under a certain age, while the remaining three have no laws regarding helmet use whatsoever. The Missouri bill would take the state out of the first category and place it into the middle (not the last), mandating that riders under 21 wear helmets and that all riders wear helmets when traveling on the interstate, leaving adult riders free to ride unprotected on local streets. This revision to the law would expire on August 28, 2014, requiring state lawmakers to review the situation afresh, otherwise the mandate would automatically go back into effect.

While it should come as no surprise that Missouri's highway safety director is vehemently opposed to the bill, the governor has yet to voice an opinion on the matter, pledging to review the bill once the legislative session has ended. Do you think motorcycle riders should be forced by law to wear helmets? Voice your opinion in the comments section below, and if you live in Missouri, who knows, maybe the governor will take your thoughts to heart.

[Source: 1st5ive.com | Image: Joseph Lago/AFP/Getty]

Put out of its Missouri: State Legislature considers repealing motorcycle helmet law originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 May 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to view the IIHS Helmet Law maps

If you plan on interstate travel, it's probably a good idea to understand the many differences in state traffic laws. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety is creating a series of color-coded US maps to point out the differences in state regs, beginning with motorcycle and bicycle helmet laws.

The motorcycle helmet law map shows which states mandate helmet usage, have a partial helmet law, or no helmet law. Bikers wanting to ride with the wind in their hair can head over to Illinois, Iowa, or New Hampshire. Be warned, though, that the IIHS has found that states repealing or weakening their helmet laws have seen an increase in motorcycle crash deaths.

The bicycle helmet law map shows the different laws governing helmet usage on bikes. Bicycle helmet legislation varies greatly between states. There are seven different types, ranging from mandatory helmets for bicyclists 11 and younger to no laws on the books whatsoever. In California and New Mexico, all riders under 18 must wear a helmet.


Gallery: IIHS Helmet Law Maps


[Source: IIHS via Kicking Tires]

IIHS launches maps to compare traffic laws between states originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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