Personal safety and rising insurance rates have caused some concern with the introduction of a bill that could repeal Michigan's motorcycle helmet law.

Michigan law requires riders to wear helmets, but that could be changed by the bill, allowing motorcyclists to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. Riders would have to be 21 years old, have at least two years of experience riding a motorcycle and take a course on motorcycle safety before they would be allowed to ride without a helmet, according to the bill.

Even though the bill passed the House, Gov. Granholm still has to approve it. Many speculate that she will veto the bill.

"I already felt the law would be vetoed by the governor," said Rep. Ed Gaffney, R-Grosse Pointe Farms, who voted against the bill. "With (Ben) Roethlisberger getting hurt, it only makes this issue more poignant and adds more pressure for it to get vetoed."

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not wearing his helmet when he crashed his motorcycle Monday morning, suffering multiple injuries, including a 9-inch laceration to the back of his head. Roethlisberger was in Pennsylvania where state law does not require riders to wear helmets.

The law itself has been an issue since the late 1960s, said Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, who sponsored the repeal of the bill. In the 1960s the federal government made states require motorcyclists to wear a helmet when riding, Cropsey said, adding that some states didn't agree with the decision.

"States didn't like that they were being forced to do this," he said. "People should have the right to choose, and they're allowed (to vote) here."

Cropsey said when it comes to a problem with health insurance, it should not go up.

"Other states that have passed or repealed this law show that there has not been a rise in health insurance because of it," Cropsey said.

An affidavit from a trial that was passed around the House stated that after certain speeds, a helmet does not help when a person is involved in a crash, he said.

"Motorcycle manufacturers said that after 14 or 15 mph, a helmet will not protect you," Crospey said.

But Matt Roth, the vice president of the MSU Motorcycle Club, said it's not a very smart idea to ride without a helmet.

"Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is the dumbest thing in the world," Roth said. "Riding without a helmet would be comparable to a person riding on the front of your car bumper."

Roth said people can be hurt in crashes even while wearing helmets, but added that wearing a helmet is much more beneficial than riding without one.

"Sure, people get injured when they have a helmet on, too," Roth said. "Just look at Ben Roethlisberger; if he had been wearing his helmet, a lot of those injuries probably could have been prevented."

Roy I. Pierce II, a member of the club, said if the law was passed, he would still wear his helmet when riding, but he should be able to decide whether or not he wears it. "It should be (the bikers') choice to decide whether they wear a helmet or not," Pierce said. "The problem is that it probably will raise our insurance."

Rep. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, who also worked as a law enforcement officer for more than 30 years, voted for the bill as well. Jones said the decision should be a person's choice, but added that after seeing what happens to people who have been in major motorcycle accidents, a helmet would not matter in these situations.

"I saw thousands of motorcycle accidents over the years as a law enforcement official," Jones said. "After a certain speed, a helmet does not save your life from what I had seen."