Our Opinion: Keep the helmet requirement; save lives

Last year, we urged Gov. Mike Parson to veto a bill that would have allowed motorcyclists to ride without helmets, effectively erasing the state's helmet law.

He vetoed the bill, but only because he found something else in the bill distasteful.

This year, supporters are again pushing the perennial issue, which they describe as freedom of choice. So again, we renew our opposition to the measure.

The helmet exemption only would apply to riders ages 18 and older, and riders must have insurance.

Those are both important stipulations, but they're not enough to gain our support on the measure.

Why? Because we firmly believe that if this bill passes, two things will happen:

Riders will gain more freedom.

More lives will be lost.

In many cases, we support increased freedom and less government intrusion. In this case, the statistics are clear: Motorcycle helmets save lives.

Every day we are free to make decisions that could affect our lives, for better or worse. But this doesn't just affect the lives of motorcyclists. When a rider without a helmet gets a head injury in a wreck, his insurance will pick up the bill. But they'll also spread that increased cost among the rest of us through vehicle insurance premiums. Plus, our tax money will sometimes pick up the tab through Medicaid.

If a helmet-less rider gets a head injury and doesn't have insurance, hospitals may get stuck with the tab. They, too, will factor such expenses into their bills for the rest of us paying health care consumers.

We again urge lawmakers to spike this ill-conceived bill. We also hope Parson considers what he will do if they don't spike the bill. Lives are at stake.

News Tribune