Nixon should veto repeal of helmet law

by J Scott Christianson, Columbia Daily Tribune Columnist

Senate Bill 202 is awaiting signature on Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk. Introduced by our local senator, Kurt Schaefer, the original intent of the bill was to prevent insurance companies from assigning blame to motorcycle riders involved in an accident simply because they were riding a motorcycle. SB202 started out as a good measure to provide more equitable settlements after an accident occurs.

However, during its travels through the General Assembly, Sen. Schaefer’s bill was amended so that it would also repeal Missouri’s law requiring all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet while on public roads; only those under 21 or riding interstate highways would still have to wear a helmet if SB 202 is signed into law.

For those concerned with public safety, this bill has caused much ado. The public safety reasons for the governor to veto this bill are numerous and compelling. Here are just a few statistics about helmet use:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently found that in 10 of the states where helmet requirements were lifted, helmet-use rates dropped from 99 percent to 50 percent and motorcycle accident fatalities dramatically increased. For example, within two years of Florida rolling back its helmet requirement, motorcycle fatalities increased by 81 percent and hospital admissions for riders with head injuries increased by 82 percent. And the cost for treating motorcycle injuries in Florida has…