TN: Motorcycle helmet law could be changed soon!!

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http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/feb/14/motorcycle-helmet-law-could-be-changed-soon-ar-1689087/
Motorcycle helmet law could be changed soon..
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- If you ride a motorcycle in Tennessee current law requires you to wear a helmet, but that may soon change.
House Bill 26-61 would make helmet-wearing optional for bikers 21 or older if the bill is passed.
"If you want to wear a helmet wear a helmet, and if you don't you know it should be your choice,” said motorcyclist Billy Gosnell.
"People seem to really know the importance of a helmet, but they really want to be able to choose if they wear or don't,” said Jason Smith, owner of Smith Brothers Harley Davidson in Johnson City.
Choice is what this controversy over the Tennessee helmet law boils down to for motorcycle owners, and on the side of the helmet issue is AAA of Tennessee.
"In state where they have already relaxed those laws, the percentage of head injuries that resulted in a fatality has actually increased,” said Donna Ottinger, AAA brand manager in Johnson City.
AAA says that 92% of Tennesseans want the helmet law left as is because of the lives that could be saved, and because of the financial cost of treating head injuries where helmets are not worn.
"You know it is one of those things that we"ll save lives and we'll save money in medical costs in the long run,” said Ottinger.
However, for motorcycle owners it's still a matter of personal rights.
"We all work the right to be able to choose,” said Smith. “I believe that's what the citizens and the enthusiasts of motorcycling are really concerned about that they have to or they choose to."
Discussion on the bill to change the helmet law in Nashville has been put off for another week to give both sides of the issue time to prepare for further debate.
This isn’t the first time a change in the helmet law has come up in Nashville. It has come up numerous times over the years, sometimes as a standalone bill or attached to another piece of legislation. Each time the helmet law has remained in place, but this time both sides of this issue have lobbyists in place to debate it before lawmakers.
There are some other things to consider when talking about helmet laws. Studies show the risk of brain injury is twice as high for non-helmeted bikers compared to those who do wear a helmet. AAA said in states where helmet laws are repealed helmet use plummets from around 99% to about 50%.