A change in Florida's helmet law?

Monday, January 16, 2006

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The amount of fatal motorcycle accidents has gone up since the helmet law was repealed.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Six years after Florida repealed its mandatory motorcycle helmet law, one state lawmaker is calling for a complete review of the issue.

State Senator Jim Sebesta is pointing to the dramatic increase in the number of motorcycle fatalities in Florida since the state repealed its mandatory helmet law in calling for the review.

Florida recorded an 81 percent increase in motorcycle deaths in the three years after state lawmakers repealed the helmet law in 2000.

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More than 900 bikers were killed on Florida roads during that time.

Now, state highway safety officials are proposing legislation that would require all new motorcyclists to take safety courses. Right now, only bikers under the age of 21 must take the course.

Sebesta says allowing motorcycle drivers to ride without helmets is a bad idea because taxpayers often end up paying the medical bills of injured bikers who don't have enough health coverage.

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