JEFFERSON CITY,
Mo. – Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill that would have repealed the
Missouri helmet law.
In a statement released from the Governor’s office, Nixon said he had two primary concerns: public safety and increased health care costs to taxpayers. “By keeping Missouri’s helmet law intact, we will save numerous lives, while also saving taxpayers millions of dollars in increased health care costs,” Nixon said.
Universal helmet laws, such as the legislation Missouri enacted in 1967, require all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet at all times while riding.
When Florida repealed its universal helmet law in 2002, the cost to treat patients who suffered head injuries in motorcycle accidents doubled, reaching a total of $44 million, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In other states where universal helmet laws have been repealed, the trend seems similar. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fatalities increased by 31 per cent in the year after the repeal of the Texas helmet law in 1997.
One academic study estimated that the total cost to treat a motorcycle accident victim who wasn't wearing a helmet is $250,321 more a year than the cost of treating a cycle accident victim who wore a helmet.
The law vetoed by Nixon allwed any person 21-years of age or older to operate or ride a motorcycle without protective headgear on any road in Missouri except for interstate highways. The law imposed a $25 find for those who would ride on an interstate without a helmet.
Three states - Illinois, Iowa and New Hampsre - have no helmet laws, 27 states require only certain riders to wear helmets, and 20 states plus the District of Columbia require all motorcycle operators and riders to wear helmets on all roadways.
