SOS Owning a Vehicle Vehicle Safety Motorcycle Helmet Use in Michigan What the Law Says Michigan law now allows motorcyclists to decide for themselves, if certain conditions are met, whether or not to wear a helmet. To legally not wear a helmet, a motorcycle operator must: Be at least 21 years old. Have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits. Have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, or have passed an approved motorcycle safety course. The law also allows for motorcycle passengers to not wear a helmet. Passengers also may not wear a helmet as long as they: Are at least 21 years old. Have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits insurance in addition to the insurance that is required of the motorcycle operator. A person younger than 21 years old still must wear a helmet approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation when operating or riding on a motorcycle. The requirement that an individual younger than 19 years old must wear a helmet if operating a moped on a public roadway is unchanged.

Learn More About Using a Helmet To read more about properly using a motorcycle helmet, please see the video linked to above or this informational article from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which recommends wearing an approved helmet as well as over-the-ankle footwear, long pants, a long-sleeved jacket and full-fingered motorcycle gloves. According to the article, "Since head injuries account for a majority of motorcycle fatalities, protection is vital.  Even the best helmet is no guarantee against injury. However, without a helmet you are more likely to have serious head injuries than a rider who is wearing one." The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, a nationally recognized group devoted to safe riding, has produced an informative video about helmet use.Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutTwitterGoogle+LinkedInPinterestPosted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. A Michigan motorcyclist advocacy group is touting a drop in motorcycle fatalities last year as evidence that concerns about helmetless riding are overblown.

Statistics from the Michigan Traffic Crash Reporting System show that there were 107 fatalities reported in 2014. bc motorcycle helmet lawsThat total is the second lowest number of fatalities in the last 10 years, despite "the doom and gloom that was predicted when the helmet law was modified in 2012," according to a news release Tuesday from American Bikers Aiming Toward Education (ABATE) of Michigan.The 2014 total represents a drop from 128 motorcycle fatalities in 2013, 129 in 2012 and 105 in 2009motorcycles for sale saratoga ny, the group said.motorcycle nos parts abMotorcyclists who are 21 or older have been allowed to ride without a helmet under certain conditions in Michigan since 2012.ABATE's president, Vince Consiglio, noted that "helmets don't prevent accidents ... in Michigan, there's more people killed wearing helmets than without."motorcycle dealers hollister ca

In 2014, 50 motorcyclists died while wearing helmets, 48 died without helmets and it's unknown if the nine other motorcyclists who died were wearing helmets, according to the state's data.There were also more injuries reported in 2014 for those wearing helmets (1,559) compared to those not wearing helmets (633). For 99 of those injured, helmet use is unknown.Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, dismissed suggestions that helmet use is not an effective means of boosting safety."Wearing a helmet is the most important thing a motorcyclist can do to reduce their risk of serious injury," Rader said.He cited data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that unhelmeted motorcyclists are three times more likely than helmeted motorcyclists to suffer brain injuries, and the risk of being killed in a crash is 37% lower for motorcyclists who are helmeted.Rader said that the average insurance payment for injuries to motorcyclists increased by 22% in the wake of the change in the law.

Kara Macek, spokeswoman for the Governors Highway Safety Association, said that numerous factors, including the weather and the number of motorcyclists on the road, would affect the year-to-year number of motorcycle fatalities."It's wonderful that there's fewer fatalities but that doesn't ... change the fact that we still encourage motorcyclists to protect themselves by wearing helmets," Macek said.Consiglio, who said helmets might be appropriate in some circumstances but not in others, said one of the main issues is actually unendorsed motorcyclists. The state requires that motorcyclists carry a cycle endorsement on their license, which they obtain through a written and road test."For the past 25 years ... close to 40% of all motorcycle fatalities involved riders who did not have a valid motorcycle license," Consiglio noted in the release.He also encouraged riders to take a motorcycle safety course, which many community colleges offer for $25. To access the study go to http://michigan.gov/msp/.A motorcycle operator who wants to ride without a helmet in Michigan must:■ Be at least 21 years old.■ Have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits.■ Have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, or have passed an approved motorcycle safety course.

Passengers may not wear a helmet as long as they:■ Are 21 years old or older.■ Have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits insurance in addition to the insurance that is required of the motorcycle operator.A person younger than 21 must wear a helmet approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation when operating or riding on a motorcycle.Source: Michigan Secretary of StateA Grand Rapids doctor generated national headlines with his study that claimed motorcyclist head injuries and deaths have increased sharply since the state repealed a mandatory helmet law in 2012. Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, the author of the study, said that he noticed a spike in injuries and deaths while working in the trauma unit at Spectrum Health Hospital. "Injuries soar after Michigan stops requiring motorcycle helmets," is what the Reuters news service said in a headline. But statistics compiled by the Michigan State Police don’t support a claim of a large increase in motorcycle-related injuries or deaths since the helmet law was lifted.

“We are reporting what we are finding (at Spectrum Health Hospital)," Rodriguez said. "That's the only thing we can report." His study looked at 345 individuals treated at the West Michigan hospital for motorcycle crashes during the months of April through October during the years 2011 through 2014. The helmet law was repealed in April 2012. The state police data on motorcycle accident deaths and injuries don't show an increase in the first two years after the helmet law was lifted. In 2012, 129 people were killed in Michigan motorcycle accidents and 2,870 injured. Those numbers dropped to 128 and 2,497 respectively in 2013. In 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, 107 people were killed and 2,309 injured. Between 2005 to 2011, while the helmet mandate was still in effect, an average of 114.2 people were killed each year in Michigan motorcycle accidents and 2,757.6 injured. The state police data shows no clear trend. Sierra Medrano, a spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police, said all traffic crashes are reported to the state police.