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SB 297 REPEALS MANDATORY HELMET LAW Nationwide, US motorcycle fatality rates have been rising. The total number of fatalities is up 73 percent between 1997 (2,116 deaths) and 2003 (3,661 deaths). In addition, the fatality rate per 100,000 registered motorcycles is up -- from 55.3 in 1997 to 65.3 in 2002. SB 297 could move to the Senate floor for a vote as early as this week. House passage and the governor''s signature are necessary before the bill becomes law. AAA will be actively opposing this legislation that would lead to unnecessary deaths and injuries on our highways at a cost that would be mostly borne by the citizens of Michigan. MOTORCYCLE FACTS * The number of motorcycles registered in the state over a six-year period has increased by 45 percent. The largest increase in licensed motorcyclists was among those aged 45-64. * Michigan also experienced a 20-percent increase in the number of motorcycle crashes during the same timeframe. * Approximately 44 percent of motorcyclists involved in a crash were not legally licensed to operate a motorcycle. In Michigan, where a valid license is required to purchase insurance coverage, that means the vast majority of this number are also uninsured. * The largest increase in crash rates was among motorcyclists age 30-44, which increased by 52 percent. * Nearly 80 percent of motorcycle crashes result in death or injury.
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