Gov. Jay Nixon says helmets will still be required in Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Jay Nixon said today that he will veto a bill that would have repealed Missouri’s helmet law for motorcyclists, keeping in place a law safety advocates say saves lives.
Motorcycle enthusiasts have been trying to repeal the mandatory helmet law for a couple of decades, and this is the second time the Legislature agreed with them. In 1993, then-Gov. Mel Carnahan vetoed a similar repeal.
Lawmakers argued that it was a freedom issue, siding with cyclists who find the helmets stifling and unnecessary.
Pete Rahn, Missouri’s director of the department of transportation, had been lobbying Nixon hard to veto the bill. In a news conference last month, Rahn pointed to a survey that said Missourians overwhelmingly want motorcyclists to wear helmets. Rahn said repealing the law will lead to deaths, based on highway statistics that show riders without helmets are more likely to die.
Until today, Nixon had been mostly silent on the issue. He disagreed with advocates for the law who said that the governor had given them assurances he would sign it. And he chided Rahn for spending public money on a lobbying effort. Rahn’s actions caused Nixon to veto $33,000 in MoDOT’s budget, the same amount of federal money the transportation department had spent on the survey.
In the end, though, Nixon ended up on Rahn’s side.
“In terms of lives and of dollars, the cost of repealing Missouri’s helmet law simply would have been too high,” Gov. Nixon said. “By keeping Missouri’s helmet law intact, we will save numerous lives, while also saving Missouri taxpayers millions of dollars in increased health care costs. Keeping our helmet law in place was the safe and cost-effective choice for Missouri.”
“If I have an accident and become a vegetable, it won’t be the state (or the U.S. government) who pays for my hospitalization. And it won’t be you, or any of your family. It’s none oif your damn business what I do. Stay out of my life and I’ll stay out of yours.” — Ray 5:26 pm July 2nd, 2009
Well said Ray… but you know, if that happens you’ll have to become a Democrat and (likely) write for the Post
God save us from those who try to protect us by taking away our rights! The riders will always have the right to decide. Gov Nixon, you’ve taken away our right to be free but not our right to vote. We will be heard on election day!
Pete 2:47 pm July 2 - quit Harley bashing and stereotyping. Wear your helmet if you choose, but that’s what it should be, a choice! I would wear my helmet regardless, AND I ride a Harley. Not all Harley riders are only concerned with looking cool. . . We look cool even WITH helmets. Now go buy a Harley; it’ll help with your stereotyping.
I will go along with this law when they pass a law that NO public funds will be used to provide healthcare or long term healthcare for these idiots who don’t take every safety precaution. If you want to endanger your life and health, go right ahead. Just don’t expect me to back you up because you become disabled for the next 40 years.
I want to know when they are going to make condoms mandatory?! Look how much money the state would save in abortions, childcare, welfare, healthcare, courts, etc. Oh wait…even the legislators would be required to wear one so I guess that means it’s not going to happen…(unless of course we get a majority of women in the house and senate) LET THE RIDER DECIDE!
Wonder how much money this cost Bell helmets and other helmets manufactors?? Also a state survey shows that only 37percent of riders wearing helmets in an accident end up with no head injuries. Let me have my freedom. Why do we have to wear seat belts in cars and helmets on motorcycles but you dont have to wear a seat belt in a boat? Its a motorized vechile isnt it? Why dont you have to wear a helment on a jet ski? its a motorized vechile isnt it? And the best for last why do i have to have a helment, insurance, and a drivers licence that also has to have a M on it for motorcycles but you dont have to have them on a 49cc toy????
that is what you get for voting in a Dem.
As a trauma nurse, I support common sense. As an American, I also support freedom of choice. Educating the public on safety issues such as smoking, seat belts, helmets, and diving into shallow water is my job, not the government’s. The government needs to stop micromanaging the public and let the people make a choice.
Anyone who wants to ride without a helmet should be allowed to. They should also be prepared to pay higher insurance rates in support of their behavior, and the insurance companies should be allowed to charge them higher rates. In addition, in the event they are have an accident and suffer a head injury while riding they should not have any of their healthcare or rehab cost paid for with state or federal funds. As a tax payer I don’t want to pay for anyone’s irresponsible behavior — in this case something as simple as wearing or not wearing a helmet.
Compare helment expences to the money that is spent on HIV infected people and the lives are taken from AIDS but condoms are still a choice….