AMA, grassroots motorcyclists in Ohio derail bill to change helmet law

The AMA, working with other motorcycle-rights organizations, and with the grassroots support of Ohio motorcyclists, has derailed proposed state legislation that would have required all motorcyclists under 25 in Ohio to wear helmets.

The helmet provision arose almost as an afterthought on legislation that was originally intended to raise funds for agencies that provide services to person who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The bill, originally introduced late last year by Ohio state Rep. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville), would have raised penalties for offenses such as driving with a suspended license. Some of the money raised by the higher fines would have gone to the agencies that treat traumatic brain injuries, including one in Patton's district.

However, tacked on to the end of the bill was a provision to change motorcycle helmet laws in Ohio. Currently, riders with less than one year of experience or under 18 years of age must wear helmets. Patton's original bill would have raised the age to 25.

Further, it would have increased penalties for not wearing a helmet, mandating a $500 fine and either a weekend jail sentence or mandatory safety training.

When the AMA and other organizations spread word about the proposal, grassroots motorcyclists responded. The ensuing flood of e-mails and phone calls to Patton's office convinced him to reconsider. Patton filed substitute legislation removing the change in the age requirement, and the AMA Government Relations Department is continuing to monitor the pending legislation to ensure that the provision raising penalties for failure to wear a helmet is also removed. That change, if allowed to stand, would essentially make failure to wear a helmet a criminal offense instead of a minor misdemeanor, like most traffic infractions.

"In the discussions I've had with many of my friends who are motorcyclists, I can see where people might think it was an infringement of their personal choice," Patton said of his original bill. "It's my feeling that it's in the best interest of the folks in the motorcycle community to maintain the current law."

Patton emphasized that his primary intent was to raise money for agencies helping people with traumatic brain injuries.

An even better outcome of Patton's discussions with motorcyclists was that he agreed to co-sponsor another pending bill in the Ohio legislature that would increase penalties for drivers who violate right-of-way laws and injure or kill another person.

That measure, House Bill 388, was introduced by Representative Jon Peterson (R-Delaware) and resulted from the Ohio Right-of-Way Working Group's efforts. The bill fits in with the AMA's Justice for All campaign.

"It's my firm belief that motorcyclists aren't the cause of accidents," Patton said. "They just don't get the same respect from a group of people who for some reason are just anti-motorcyclist. I don't belong in that category."

AMA Legislative Affairs Specialist Imre Szauter, who worked on this issue, says the real benefit has been the education of another lawmaker.

"This is a real win for the motorcycling community," said Szauter. "Through the grassroots efforts of Ohio motorcyclists, Rep. Patton has learned more about the issues of importance to riders and is now supporting more constructive ways, such as House Bill 388, to make the state's roadways safer."