Since July 2000, motorcycle riders have not had to adhere to a universal helmet law, demanding all riders, regardless of age, to put on a helmet when riding their motorcycles. Currently, Florida helmet regulations stipulate that riders over the age of 21 who have a minimum of $10,000 in medical coverage could lawfully ride their bikes without wearing a helmet, a move that was considered a victory by many bikers disappointed with universal helmet laws that were in effect until that period.

Whether or not the move signifies a clear victory or not is reliant on interpretation. While riders can enjoy the road unencumbered by motorcycle helmets that are often weighty and hot, a study by the Florida Department of Transportation shows that motorbike injuries and even fatalities have risen following repeal of the universal laws, prompting some state authorities to revisit the law.

The discussion over universal helmet regulations has not been restricted to Florida. Throughout the nation, universal helmet requirements have met with active opposition, and in recent years, many state governments have eliminated universal helmet regulations completely, while other impose certain age or insurance rules that govern who must put on a helmet, and who may prefer to not wear a helmet.

Before 1966, there were no motorcycle helmet laws in any country. But the Highway Safety Act of that same year put an end to that, requiring the establishment of uniform safety programs for motorcyclists countrywide. Under this act, all states were instructed to formulate and implement laws that mandated the use of helmets by all bike riders. States that refused to enact such laws faced losing s portion of federal highway construction funds.

In 1975, with fines impending against three states, Congress revisited the Highway Safety Act, and eliminated the helmet law mandate, and also disallowing a suspension of federal funds from states without universal helmet laws. The result: by 1978, 25 states had repealed their laws, or amended them to incorporate only specific groups, mostly people under the age of 18.

The 1980s was, overall, a period of stasis for helmet laws. But in the late 1980s and 1990s, several states began reenacting helmet laws in an effort to reduce injuries and fatalities, and lower insurance and medical expenses. In 1989, Oregon and Texas once again implemented universal helmet regulations, and Washington and Maryland followed suit in 1990 and 1992. Even California, which had never before enacted a helmet law, enacted a universal helmet law in 1992 after much hype. Florida also enacted a helmet regulation, however in 1996 as noted, the law was revised that include only riders under 21 and those without adequate insurance coverage.

The repeal immediately saw a marked change in helmet use in the country. As observational helmet use studies conducted by the state DOT in 1998 shown 99.5 percent of motorbike riders wore helmets. A similar study conducted in 2002, two years following the repeal of the universal helmet law, indicated that rate had dropped to 52.7 percent.

A second study conducted by the Florida DOT also discovered that although the overall number of crashes lowered during the 18-month period after the law was repealed when compared with the 19-month period prior to repeal, fatal crashes among the state's motorbike riders increased by roughly 43 percent after Florida helmet laws were revised, from 284 fatalities in the 18-month period prior to repeal, to 404 deaths in the 18-month period following repeal. Non-fatal injuries elevated by about 16 percent in the same period. Even the numbers of under-age riders increased after repeal of the law, from 7 percent to 11 percent.

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