MINNESOTA:Motorcycle Riders Opposed to Helmet Requirement

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Motorcycle-Riders-Opposed-to-Helmet-Requirement/SitQ0rJ7mkG02zyuqTJRnw.cspxMotorcycle Riders Opposed to Helmet Requirement Reported by: Cole Mathisen Last Update: 11/16 10:55 pm
Print Story | ShareThis < PreviousNext >Play VideoVideo 1 of 1All Video Helmet Use Encouraged Helmet Use Encouraged
(Cole Mathisen, 2010) AUSTIN, Minn.- It isn't really the season for motorcycles, but there's a call for states to pass mandatory helmet laws for riders.
The National Transportation Safety Board says the number of motorcycle crashes has doubled from just a decade ago.
Riders we talked with in Albert Lea and Austin are pretty revved up about the possible regulation.
Right now, there are no helmet requirements in Iowa. In Minnesota they're required for those with beginner permits and those under the age of 18.
The NTSB can't make states pass any law, one longtime rider we talked with says people should have a choice.
Axel Hansen’s motorcycle's are parked and stored for the winter. He started riding at the age of 16, and crashed only once.
"The guy pulled out in front of me, and he didn't see me and I didn't see him until it was too late, and I caught the corner of his left front fender and did the Evil Kneivel routine over the top of his car," he said.
The wreck left Hansen with a broken toe and crushed foot, but a helmet saved him from a major head injury.
"There was a soft spot in the helmet just from the impact alone on his car, let alone the impact on the roadway," he said.
Despite his lifesaving experience, he still thinks wearing protective head gear should be up to the rider.
"When I'm riding in the state of Iowa and Minnesota and Wisconsin, typically I don't wear a helmet, but again it's my choice, and I hate to see it legislated back in," he said.
Other riders we talked with shared the same opinion on a possible mandatory helmet law.
The NTSB's recommendation is accompanied with statistics showing nearly 45 hundred riders died in the last year. Head injuries are the leading cause of death in those crashes.
But it doesn't mean states will follow through. Hansen says lawmakers should focus on education instead.
"What I think they should legislate, is they should legislate safety, have people take a safety course, that's the biggest lifesaver there is, any kind of beginner safety course," he said. Local state lawmakers say different safety groups call for regulations like this one every few years.
Iowa State Senator Merlin Bartz tells us he wouldn't support a helmet requirement. 20 states require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets.