In the past, state legislators have said increased tourism is the reason for wanting to change this law.

All of the states surrounding Michigan allow for most riders to ride helmet-free, but the increase of visitors and influx of money is not worth the lives that might be lost because of this law.

According to statistics on the Michigan State Police website, helmets are estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcyclists. It’s clear that riders are safer with helmets than without, and there’s no disputing that.

This new law is a dangerous change to make, and one that likely will result in the motorcyclist death count rising.

The state now will require riders to have a certain amount of experience before being allowed to take off the helmet, but how much time could one person possibly get on a bike in two years? Taking into consideration the months of poor weather when motorcycles shouldn’t be on the road, riders probably only have about seven to nine months where they can actually get on the road during those two years.

Although the decision to wear or not wear a helmet ultimately is up to the rider, the motorcycle helmet law is strikingly similar to the seat belt law.

Wearing a seat belt doesn’t prevent accidents, just as wearing a helmet doesn’t guarantee complete safety on the road. But people still wear a seat belt because there’s the chance something could go wrong, and most of the time, wearing a seat belt is safer than not having it during an accident.

The seat belt law never would be tossed, so there’s no reason to allow motorcyclists to ride without a helmet, especially given the statistics. The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that a motorcyclist without a helmet is 40 percent more likely to die of a head injury than one who wears a helmet.

No one can predict what other drivers are going to do. One truck cutting a motorcycle off on the highway could be the last drive someone takes, just as someone in a car can get unlucky and get hit by another car running a red light.

Motorcyclists should take the precaution of putting on a helmet, no matter how uncomfortable or irritating it might be.

Although the state has left the decision of whether or not to wear a helmet up to the rider, Michigan lawmakers should have considered how many more deaths will result from this new law before passing it.