Florida Bikers May Be Required to Buy Expensive Insurance
30 March 2000
Florida Bikers May Be Required to Buy Expensive Insurance PICKERINGTON, Ohio--Florida motorcyclists who want to ride without helmets would be forced to carry at least $100,000 in personal injury insurance under a bill recently approved by a state Senate committee, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports. Some Florida rider groups have been supporting bills--SB 126 and HB 117-- that would allow motorcyclist 21 or older to ride without helmets if they carry $10,000 in insurance to cover their own injuries. But the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee rewrote SB 126 on March 14, upping the insurance requirement to at least $100,000 in a legislative twist that shocked the Florida rider groups. "It's obvious that many Florida lawmakers subscribe to the faulty 'social burden' theory that motorcyclists use more taxpayer dollars than other members of society to pay their medical bills," said Robert Rasor, the AMA's vice president of government relations. "Unfortunately, once these bills were introduced in the Florida Legislature, they provided the perfect vehicle for legislators to impose new, and now very expensive , requirements on motorcyclists," Rasor said. "These $100,000 insurance requirements set a very bad precedent, and are an example of why the AMA has opposed economic trade-offs for helmetless riding. The AMA urges all Florida motorcyclists to contact their state senators and representatives immediately and urge the removal of these insurance requirements from SB 126 and HB 117." Senate bill 126 now goes to the full Senate for a vote. Its House companion bill, HB 117, is currently in the House Transportation and Economic Development Committee awaiting consideration. The AMA supports voluntary helmet uses, believing riders should be able to choose whether to wear a helmet. The AMA opposes placing economic conditions in legislation in exchange for a voluntary helmet-use law. Such conditions promote the "social burden" theory and could open the door for unwarranted regulation of motorcyclists. Contact: Bill Kresnak Phone: (614) 856-1900