MICHIGAN - Gov. Snyder should veto misguided helmet law repeal

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http://www.freep.com/article/20111123/OPINION01/111230319/Editorial-Gov-Snyder-should-veto-misguided-helmet-law-repeal?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
Editorial: Gov. Snyder should veto misguided helmet law repeal

by JOEL PAGE/AP
  Rick Snyder A bill repealing Michigan's motorcycle helmet law passed the House early this month and will soon head for the governor's desk. A veto by Gov. Rick Snyder is now the only real hope for keeping the state's helmet requirement for motorcyclists in place.
Repealing the mandatory helmet law would mean more people dying in motorcycle accidents -- an estimated 30 or more each year in Michigan -- and dozens of more incapacitating injuries. Snyder should do the right thing and veto the bill, which would allow motorcyclists to ride without helmets if they were at least 21, licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least two years, and had completed a safety course.
Helmets are nearly 30% effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67% effective in preventing brain injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Riders without helmets are 40% more likely to suffer a fatal head injury.
Michigan is the only state to provide unlimited medical coverage for crash victims, requiring lifetime benefits for all reasonable and necessary care. The average motorcycle claim paid from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association is about $475,000.
Even now, with a mandatory helmet law, motorcyclists account for 5% of what's paid out of the MCCA, even though they make up only 2% of the assessment, according to the Insurance Institute of Michigan. Since 1978, the MCCA, funded by a statewide surcharge on all auto insurance policies, paid $421 million for 885 motorcycle claims -- and those are only claims that exceeded the MCCA threshold, currently at $480,000.
An amendment limiting payouts in motorcycle crashes to $250,000 would lower costs to other consumers, but it would not eliminate them, nor would it stop fatalities and other serious injuries to riders.
This is not just about personal choice. Everyone pays -- directly or indirectly -- through public assistance and higher insurance and medical outlays for injuries that can easily cost millions of dollars to treat. Moreover, there are ample precedents for limiting personal choice in the interest of public safety, including seat belt laws and speed limits.
More than 80% of likely voters support mandatory helmets, AAA Michigan found in a survey this spring. Still, a small but vocal minority of misguided motorists has worked with single-minded zeal to repeal the helmet law and reward politicians who side with them.
Snyder should tell them to hit the road.