Florida Motorcycle Helmet lawThe Florida motorcycle helmet law was amended in 2000 to permit some riders to choose not to wear a motorcycle helmet. Under the modified law, a rider may forgo wearing a helmet if he or she is twenty-one or older and demonstrates insurance coverage of at least $10,000 in advantages for motorcycle accident-related wounds. Passengers of bikes may also choose not to wear a helmet so long as they're twenty-one or older and have the baseline $10,000 coverage. Passengers don't need to be separately insured if they're covered under the driver's policy - as with family policies - but they do need coverage.
Law Enforcement Needs
health insurance plans may already include this in coverage, but because the law mandates a level of coverage, motorcycle drivers need to hold with them evidence of that coverage amount. If the dollar amount isn't noted on one's explanation of insurance, insurance corporations can supply a Certificate of Coverage to motorcycle riders who wish not to wear helmets. If a rider is stopped by law enforcement and his or her explanation of insurance doesn't show the minimum $10,000 coverage, the rider could be ticketed. The ticket is regarded as a noncriminal traffic infraction.
Not all bike helmets are valid. The Florida dept of road Safety and Motor cars keeps a list of helmets that have met their wants.
Effect of the Change in Law
the nation's highway Traffic Safety Administration completed a study comparing motorcycle injuries from before and after the Florida bike helmet law took effect in 2000. The report noted that between 2001 and 2003, motorcyclist deaths increased 81%. The particular number of deaths was significantly higher than the expected number of deaths. The NHTSA report further said that,'Florida crash reports also indicated that helmet use dropped noticeably among riders under age twenty-one, who were still covered by the law. Deaths in this age group nearly tripled in the three years after the law change.' A causal connection cannot be stated for certain, but the numbers are certainly stark.
Crash-related head injuries are the premiere cause of death among riders who don't wear helmets. The NHTSA guesses that helmets scale back the chance of death by 37%. Other research has shown similar results. Approved helmets also defend against dire brain injuries, another of the leading wounds suffered by motorcyclists. The opposition to universal helmet laws frequently state that helmets increase head mass and lead to more neck and spinal injuries. More than a dozen studies have refuted this claim, showing that helmet use doesn't lead to an increase in spinal wounds.
private liberty
The issue boils down to private choice. A universal bike helmet law, requiring 100% of riders to wear helmets at every point, may save lives and decrease injury, but many people still view it as a violation on their liberties. A law providing exemptions for those over twenty-one and given a specific quantity of coverage is a halfway measure that addresses this concern, though there may be further-reaching ramifications. Should Florida protect its citizens from themselves by mandating helmet use, even against citizens' will? Ultimately, that's the philosophical root of the controversy.
