'Yes' Vote on Helmet Repeal Will Cost State of Michigan $140 Million, Reports AAA

DEARBORN, Mich., May 28 -- A proposed state law that would allow motorcyclists to ride without helmets would also come with a hefty annual price tag: 22 fatalities, 132 incapacitating injuries, 610 other injuries and $140 million in economic costs to Michigan citizens, according to a study released yesterday (May 27, 2004) by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).

HB 4325, sponsored by Rep. Leon C. Drolet (R-Clinton Township), 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.

Members of the House Transportation Committee voted yesterday (May 27) to move the bill to the full House for consideration. The committee did not take testimony from traffic safety and public health organizations opposed to the bill.

"In every state that has enacted motorcycle helmet law repeals, helmet use has plummeted by an average of 42 percent," said Richard J. Miller, manager of Community Safety Services for AAA Michigan. "A repeal in Michigan would have similar effects, with a 41-percent reduction in the number of lives saved over a six-year period."

According to OHSP -- which projected motorcycle crash outcomes for Michigan based on data from states that had enacted repeals -- the number of registered and unregistered motorcycles in Michigan is increasing, which means more riders on the road and even more injuries and deaths in the future.

"From AAA Michigan's perspective, it makes absolutely no sense for our legislature to make optional the only significant piece of safety equipment now available to motorcycle riders," Miller said.

                          State Helmet Use Rates

                              With helmet law    After repeal
   Arkansas                         97%               52%
   Kentucky                         96%               56%
   Louisiana                       100%               52%
   Texas                            97%               66%
   Average                        97.5%             56.5%

   Source: Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP)

In 2003, there were 3,261 motorcycle-involved crashes in Michigan (compared with 3,030 in 2002) in which 80 riders were killed and 2,811 injured. According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), motorcycle helmet use in Michigan is currently at 97 percent.

MORE STUDY FINDINGS

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

* Michigan also experienced a 20-percent increase in motorcycle crashes during the same time period.

* Approximately 44 percent of motorcyclists involved in a crash were not legally licensed to operate a motorcycle. Crash-involved motorcyclists below age 19 were more likely than older crash-involved motorcyclists to be unlicensed.

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

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