The past few years have painted a grim picture of motorcycle safety in Missouri, with a stark increase in fatalities following the state’s decision to repeal its universal helmet law in 2020. Data from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has revealed that motorcycle fatalities have soared by 47% since the law change. The year 2023 has been marked as the deadliest on record with 174 motorcyclist deaths.
MoDOT’s alarming statistics were presented to the House Transportation Accountability Committee, highlighting a disturbing trend that seems to echo the consequences faced by other states that have relaxed their helmet requirements. Jon Nelson, an assistant to the State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer, noted, “We’ve seen that in other states. Whenever they’ve repealed a helmet law, (there are) similar increases.”
In a move that courted considerable controversy, Missouri’s legislature repealed the helmet mandate for riders over 26 in 2020, conditional on the provision of health insurance proof. Representative Don Mayhew acknowledged the clear impact of helmet laws on mortality rates, stating, “I don’t disagree that the helmet laws made a difference in the number of fatalities. I think that’s pretty obvious.”
The inquiry into these fatalities shed light on the profile of the victims, with Nelson indicating that approximately half of the motorcyclists killed while not wearing helmets were either unlicensed or improperly licensed. This raises questions about the adequacy of rider training and enforcement of licensing regulations.
Despite the data, the committee stopped short of discussing the reinstatement of the helmet law, leaving the issue of motorcyclist safety hanging in the balance. MoDOT’s report underscores the multi-faceted nature of road safety, highlighting that solutions should be layered, involving public awareness, education, and policy enforcement. Nelson added, “I don’t think any one area, including public policy, is the silver bullet to fix any of this. These are layers of protection to improve safety.”
Relevant articles:
– Missouri saw motorcycle deaths rise dramatically after legislature repealed universal helmet law
–Universal Motorcycle Helmet Laws | Transportation Safety | Injury Center | CDC