Increase in Fatalities Makes Indiana Reopen Debate on Helmet Law

Fatal motorcycle accidents have become more common over the last decade as the vehicles become more popular, leading some to question whether it’s time for Indiana to consider a mandatory helmet law.

Twenty states have mandatory helmet laws, which are backed by the insurance industry and safety groups. But some motorcyclists say they don’t need the government telling them what to do.

At least 12 people have died in motorcycle crashes in central Indiana since April, and Indiana deaths have climbed 80 percent in the past decade, according to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Sen. Tom Wyss, a Republican from Fort Wayne, compared motorcycle helmets to vehicle seat-belts and child car seats, both of which have been shown to save lives.

“If those things work, why doesn’t it make sense that we go for a helmet law?” Wyss asked.

Wyss, who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Transportation and Veteran Affairs, said he would hold hearings if lawmakers propose a mandatory helmet law during the next legislative session.

Indiana’s mandatory helmet law was repealed in the 1970s. Current law requires only riders under 18 and people with a learner’s permit to wear helmets.

Some motorcycle enthusiasts, including the governor, oppose mandatory helmet laws.

Gov. Mitch Daniels chooses to wear a helmet when he rides but does not support mandatory helmet laws, said spokeswoman Jane Jankowski.

Members of the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education, or ABATE of Indiana, think that people should decide for themselves whether to wear a helmet.

“Simply mandating a helmet and sticking a hat on everybody’s head isn’t going to make them any safer,” said Jay Jackson, the group’s director. “You can’t legislate common sense.”

The Insurance Institute of Indiana would back a mandatory helmet law in Indiana.

“I think that this is probably going to be something that we will see in the near future as the two sides continue to debate,” said spokeswoman Suzanne Alexander. “I think it’s clear that wearing a helmet drastically reduces the fatalities.”

Indiana had 69 deaths involving motorcycle crashes in 1998, compared with 124 in 2007. During that time, the number of registered motorcycles on Indiana roads rose 88 percent, from 98,252 in 1998 to 185,048 in 2007.