Motorcycle Helmet Law Essay
Hello, I am here today to talk to you about the Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law. -This law permits anyone that is 21 years of age or older that has at least 20,000 dollars in heath insurance and has passed a safety course in the past 2 years to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. I am also here to persuade you that this law doesn’t have a person’s safety as the top priority. Just recently I have witnessed a motorcycle crash happen right before my eyes. My stepmother was taking a turn at only 30 mph when she locked up her breaks and crashed over the handle bars.
She has been in the hospital for a little over two weeks and it is a miracle that she is in the condition that she is in, recovering from a skull fracture and bruising on the brain, She has been riding for twelve years, no other vehicles were involved, and she was wearing a helmet, if she was not wearing her helmet, I know that we wouldn’t have her with us anymore. We were hoping she would be home for the forth of July, but the medical staff still haven’t given us a go home date as of today.
Studies from the National Highway administration in 2008 showed that motorcyclists who do not use helmets are three times more likely to suffer a disturbing brain injury in a crash than those who are wearing helmets. The regulations to this law are also very insufficient. 21 years of age is when adults are just allowed to start drinking. Many people that turn 21 haven’t quite learned yet how to handle alcohol or how much is too much when it comes to drinking and driving, or in this case drinking and riding.
Also 20,000 dollars worth of health insurance is not nearly enough to cover medical bills caused by accidents with a helmet, let alone to be able to cover the costs of the injuries sustained without a helmet, I can’t help but think this is going to raise everyone’s insurance premiums eventually. Even if you still think not wearing a helmet is cool, take a minute to think of this, the only way for over worked understaffed police have to check if you have the proper health insurance coverage is to pull you over, this gives the police probable cause, which in turn takes up your time and the cops time.
With this law in effect, death rates and injury rates have skyrocketed up to a new high. The Michigan helmet law is more about ‘freedom’ than about safety. If you want to feel the wind in your hair stand in front of a fan. If you want to get home safe wear a helmet. All in all the Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law has caused far more bad than good. In the end, I hope that what I have told you today will persuade you to tell a friend, family member, stranger, or even to tell yourself that it is far safer to wear a helmet, than it is to go without one. Please think twice before you decide to ride without a helmet. Guarino, M. (2012, April 13).
