Michigan motorcycle fatalities rise

Deaths jump 18% in first year since state allowed bikers to ride without helmets, statistics show

Washington — Traffic deaths in Michigan rose 5.3 percent in 2012, while motorcycle deaths jumped 18 percent in the first year since Michigan allowed bikers to ride without a helmet, statistics show.

The number of riders killed without a helmet went from five in 2011 — less than 5 percent of all deaths — to 55, or just under 43 percent, in 2012, the Michigan State Police reported Monday. In April, Michigan became the 31st state to allow motorcycle riders the option of riding without a helmet if they met certain criteria.

Government officials and studies have repeatedly found that motorcycle deaths rise after a state allows riders to not wear helmets.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland said in an interview last year he hoped Michigan would still encourage riders to wear helmets. "Every state that has repealed their mandatory helmet law has unfortunately seen a requisite increase in fatalities in motorcycle crashes," Strickland said.

By David Shepardson
From The Detroit News:

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