Motorcycle Helmet Law Likely To Be Repealed In Michigan

An attempt to
repeal Michigan's 42-year-old motorcycle helmet law appears to be
on its way to approval, as it's expected to meet little opposition
in the state legislature.
There are currently two bills up for consideration right now, one
in the House and one in the Senate, according to the Detroit News.
The House proposal allows riders to skip the helmet if they have
$20,000 in medical coverage, while the Senate bill asks that they
pass a motorcycle safety course.
A recent survey released by AAA Michigan found that 84 percent of
respondents wanted the law to stay in effect. However, the decision
ultimately rests with the legislators, and eventually the governor.
In 2006 and 2008, similar bills were able to pass both the House
and Senate, but they were vetoed by the state's governor. Yet now
that Republicans have taken a majority of seats in the legislature
and installed a new governor, there appears to be little standing
in the way of the repeal.
Still, there is likely to be some opposition to both bills, as some
see it as leading to higher medical costs.
"It's just radically unbelievable that we would be even considering
repealing the helmet law," Dan Petterson, CEO of a motorcycle
safety group, told the news source. "No. 1, more motorcyclists will
die. No. 2, more motorcyclists will be severely injured. No. 3, it
will cost all of us - according to the Michigan Office of Highway
Safety Planning - $129 million a year in medical costs."