A Berks County lawmaker says Pennsylvania must reinstate its motorcycle helmet requirement

Most motorcyclists in Pennsylvania have had the choice of whether or not to wear a helmet for 22 years, but a Berks County lawmaker said Monday that it’s time to make helmet use mandatory again.

State Rep. Manuel Guzman (D-Berks) said he plans to introduce a bill that would require all motorcycle riders and passengers to wear protective headgear, regardless of their age or riding experience.

State law gives riders the choice to ride helmetless unless they are younger than 21 or have less than two years of experience. The experience requirement is waived for riders who have completed a PennDOT-approved motorcycle safety course.

“Data continues to show that partial helmet laws do not provide sufficient protection to the riding public,” Guzman said in a memo seeking co-sponsors for the proposal.

Pennsylvania repealed its helmet requirement in 2003 after 35 years, in response to pressure from motorcycle riders groups who said it should be a matter of personal preference. Groups including the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Pennsylvania (ABATE Pa.) maintain that helmet requirements infringe on personal freedom to choose their lifestyle and attire.

The American Motorcyclist Association “strongly encourages” the use of helmets and other protective gear. But it asserts that helmets alone are insufficient to ensure motorcyclists’ safety and that other measures to improve the skill of riders and awareness of other motorists should play a role.

The National Institutes for Health, meanwhile, cites data that shows helmet use reduces the severity of injuries, disability, length of hospital stays and costs for motorcycle riders. In one study of emergency medical service reports in Hawaii, researchers found unhelmeted riders were three to four times more likely to die.

Other research focuses on the cost of injuries sustained by motorcycle riders, finding unhelmeted riders were less likely to be insured, suffered more serious injuries and placed a large financial burden on society.

Since 2003, there have been efforts to reinstate the motorcycle helmet requirement. State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) introduced bills to restore the requirement in 2007 and 2011.

“The increase in death and injuries on our roads and the shattered lives of victims and their families ought to be enough to admit the 2003 repeal was a mistake and we should fix it,” Frankel said in a statement.

Guzman noted 19 states and the District of Columbia have universal helmet laws. All of Pennsylvania’s neighbors except Delaware and Ohio require all riders to wear a helmet.

“Motorcycle helmets save lives. It’s time Pennsylvania joins the majority of states that protect all riders equally,” Guzman’s memo says.