Since July 2000, motorcycle riders have not had to abide by a universal helmet law, demanding all riders, regardless of age, to put on a helmet when operating their motorbikes. Currently, Florida helmet laws stipulate that riders over the age of 21 that have a minimum of $10,000 in medical coverage could legally ride their motorbikes without putting on a helmet, a move which was considered a victory by many riders disappointed with universal helmet laws that were in effect until that time.
Regardless of whether the move signifies a clear victory or not is a matter of interpretation. While riders can enjoy the road unencumbered by motorcycle helmets that are generally weighty and hot, a study by the Florida Department of Transportation shows that motorcycle accidental injuries and also deaths have risen following repeal of the universal laws, prompting certain state authorities to revisit the law.
The discussion over universal helmet laws is not confined to Florida. Across the nation, universal helmet requirements have met with active opposition, and in recent years, several state governments have eliminated universal helmet regulations entirely, while other enforce specific age or insurance guidelines that govern who should put on a helmet, and who may prefer not to put on a helmet.
Before 1966, there were no motorcycle helmet regulations in any state. But the Highway Safety Act of that same year put an end to that, requiring the establishment of uniform safety programs for bikers countrywide. Under this act, all states were instructed to develop and implement regulations which mandated the use of helmets by all motorcycle riders. States that turned down to enact such laws faced losing s portion of federal highway construction funds.
In 1975, with fines pending against three states, Congress reconsidered the Highway Safety Act, and eradicated the helmet law mandate, as well as disallowing a suspension of federal funds from states without universal helmet laws. The result: by 1978, 25 states had repealed their legal guidelines, or amended them to incorporate only specific groups, mostly individuals under the age of 18.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, many states began reenacting helmet laws in order to reduce injuries and fatalities, and lower insurance and medical costs. In 1989, Oregon and Texas yet again enforced universal helmet laws, and Washington and Maryland followed suit in 1990 and 1992. Even California, which had never before enacted a helmet law, passed a universal helmet law in 1992 after much hype. Florida also enacted a helmet regulation, but in 1996 as mentioned, the law was amended to include only riders under 21 and those without adequate insurance coverage.
The repeal immediately observed a marked change in helmet use in the country. As observational helmet use studies conducted by the state DOT in 1998 shown 99.5 percent of motorcycle bikers wore helmets. A similar survey conducted in 2002, two years after the repeal of the universal helmet law, indicated that rate had dropped to 52.7 percent.
Another study conducted by the Florida DOT also discovered that although the overall number of crashes lowered 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 motorcycle riders increased by roughly 43 percent after Florida helmet legal guidelines were revised, 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 increased by about 16 percent in the same period. Even the numbers of under-age riders elevated after repeal of the law, from 7 percent to 11 percent.
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FL Motorcycle Helmet Law - Since July 2000, motorcycle riders have not had to adhere to a universal helmet law, requiring all riders, regardless of age, to wear a helmet when operating their motorcycles.
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