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SALT LAKE CITY — A bill proposing changes to motorcycle helmet laws quickly sparked a broader discussion Monday about safety measures needed for motorcyclists.
SB159, sponsored by Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, proposes raising the legal age to operate a motorcycle on a highway without a helmet from 18 to 21.
Shiozawa, an emergency room doctor, detailed some of his personal experiences treating injured motorcyclists to the Senate Transportation Committee.
"There is a particularly high rate of head injury and death among this particular cohort of motorcycle riders," he said.
Shiozawa attributed some of this trend to relative inexperience and impulsiveness associated with a still developing brain.
The proposed age change, he said, would both help to protect the lives of those within the 18- to 21-year-old range, as well as encourage the habit for those over 21.
"I also asked my son, who is a West Point graduate serving as a captain and a flight surgeon in the United States Army, what he thought about this," he said.
Shiozawa said his son's response was that even soldiers would not go into battle without their body armor.
Saving lives and money
Michelle McOmber, the CEO of the Utah Medical Association, said that the measure would save lives, as well as costs associated with treatment for injured motorcyclists.
"When they get into these serious accidents, they get into the hospital and they very quickly run out of coverage from insurance companies," McOmber said. "Then they end up on Medicaid and so you have the state paying for them."
Harassment concerns
Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, expressed reservations from his "libertarian side" about trying to resolve motorcycle safety through helmet laws.
"Ninety-nine percent of this is enforcement, and I think it’s going to lead to a police officer pulling someone over thinking they’re misrepresenting their age and they’re not that age, and they’ll end up being harassed," Anderegg said. "We can try with our best intentions all we want, but I don’t see that this is actually going to save lives."
More education needed?
The measure received support from members of the Utah Medical Association, Utah Department of Transportation and AAA, but it drew some concern from the Davis County chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.
"There are some states that have a motorcycle rider safety foundation class that is required before riders can obtain a license," said Colette Hadlock, legislative liaison for the group.
Hadlock encouraged lawmakers to consider having a similar requirement in Utah.
"Where is the education about rider safety, about rider awareness? It’s minimal,” added Greg Douglas, of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.
Douglas, a motorcycle safety instructor, joined Hadlock in promoting safety training over helmet laws. He also suggested heightened penalties for unsafe driving around motorcyclists.
The measure received a favorable recommendation from the committee on a 5-2 vote, with dissenting votes from Anderegg and Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville. Email: rmorgan@deseretnews.com
