A Research On Motorcycle Helmets Regulations

A Research On Motorcycle Helmets Regulations

Since July 2000, motorcycle riders have not needed to adhere to a universal helmet law, requiring all riders, regardless of age, to put on a helmet when operating their motorbikes. Now, Florida helmet laws and regulations stipulate that riders older than 21 who have at least $10,000 in medical coverage could legally ride their motorbikes without putting on a helmet, a move that was considered a victory by several bikers unhappy with universal helmet laws that were in effect until that time.

Regardless of whether the move implies a clear victory or not is reliant on interpretation. While riders can enjoy the road unencumbered by motorcycle helmets which are often heavy and hot, a study by the Florida Department of Transportation shows that motorcycle accidental injuries and also fatalities have risen following repeal of the universal laws, forcing some state officials to revisit the law.

The discussion over universal helmet laws is not confined to Florida. Throughout the nation, universal helmet requirements have met with active opposition, and recently, many states have eliminated universal helmet regulations entirely, while other enforce specific age or insurance rules that control who must wear a helmet, and who may prefer not to put on a helmet.

Before 1966, there were no motorcycle helmet regulations in any country. But the Highway Safety Act of that same year put an end to that, demanding the establishment of uniform safety programs for motorcyclists nationwide. Under this act, all states were instructed to develop and implement regulations which mandated the use of helmets by all motorbike riders. States which refused to enact such legislation faced losing s portion of federal highway construction funds.

In 1975, with fees and penalties pending against three states, Congress reconsidered the Highway Safety Act, and eradicated the helmet law mandate, and also disallowing a suspension of federal funds from states without universal helmet laws. The result: by 1978, 25 countries had repealed their laws, or amended them to include only specific groups, mostly individuals under the age of 18.

The 1980s was, overall, a period of stasis for helmet legal guidelines. However in the late 1980s and 1990s, several states started reenacting helmet laws in an effort to decrease injuries and fatalities, and decrease insurance and medical costs. In 1989, Oregon and Texas yet again enforced universal helmet regulations, and Washington and Maryland followed suit in 1990 and 1992. Even California, which had never before enforced a helmet law, enacted a universal helmet law in 1992 after much publicity. Florida also enacted a helmet regulation, but in 1996 as mentioned, the law was amended that include only riders under 21 and those without enough insurance coverage.

The repeal immediately saw a marked change in helmet use in the state. As observational helmet use studies conducted by the state DOT in 1998 discovered 99.5 percent of motorcycle bikers wore helmets. A similar survey conducted in 2002, two years following the repeal of the universal helmet law, indicated that rate had lowered to 52.7 percent.

A second study conducted by the Florida DOT also revealed that although the overall number of crashes reduced during the 18-month period after the law was repealed as compared to the 19-month period before repeal, deadly crashes among the state's motorbike riders increased by approximately 43 percent after Florida helmet laws were amended, from 284 fatalities in the 18-month period prior to repeal, to 404 fatalities in the 18-month period after repeal. Non-fatal accidental injuries elevated by about 16 percent in the same period. Even the numbers of under-age bikers increased following repeal of the law, from 7 percent to 11 percent.

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