For the past 42 years, motorcyclists in Michigan have been required to wear a helmet when riding. That may soon change, as separate bills have been introduced to the Michigan Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives to repeal that requirement.
Senate Bill 291 was introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair, and would allow motorcyclists over the age of 21 who have had a motorcyclist endorsement for more than two years to ride without a helmet. The bill was introduced in March and will go before a committee Tuesday to determine whether or not it will be voted on in the Senate. House Bill 4608 was introduced by Rep. Peter Pettalia, R-Presque Isle, in May and largely mirrors the bill introduced by Pavlov.
According to statistics from Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, there were 3,285 motorcycle accidents in the state last year. 127 were fatal accidents, a 21 percent increase from 2009.
Pavlov said his bill would allow motorcyclists the right to choose whether or not they want to wear a helmet.
“We believe very strongly that (motorcyclists) should have the opportunity to make that choice for themselves,” he said.
Both Pavlov and Pettalia said an attempt to improve tourism to the state was a reason for repealing the helmet law.
“A lot of tourists who are motorcyclists avoid our state because of our helmet laws,” Pettalia said.
The two legislators also agreed on the need for experience with a motorcycle in order to make the decision.
Pavlov said that by requiring individuals to have at least two years of a motorcycle endorsement on their license to ride without a helmet, riders would be experienced enough to make that decision.
“I think that training is the key to anything,” he said. “And providing information to the riders to make an informed decision should be part of the process.”
Pettalia cited statistics that showed about 50 percent of motorcycle crashes in Michigan occurred with a rider who had not taken proper training or followed Michigan guidelines to acquire the state endorsement.
Numbers from Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, showed that there are 553,756 Michigan drivers with motorcycle endorsements on their license and 241,310 motorcycles registered with the state.
Lansing motorcyclist Chuck Proper is among those with a motorcycle endorsement and also owns a bike registered with the state. He said the proposal to repeal the helmet requirement was a step in the right direction.
“I think it should be everybody’s own choice to wear what they want to,” Proper said.
Proper also said if a bill was passed allowing motorcyclists to ride without helmets, he would continue to wear one in certain situations.
“(Whether or not I wear a helmet) would depend on the weather conditions, or if it’s a holiday, when there’s heavier traffic,” he said
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Discussion
Share and discuss “Michigan Legislature examines helmet requirement bill” on social media.
