Ride CT & Ride New England Serving New England, NYC and The Hudson Valley!
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law a bill that allows any rider who is 21 and older and who has $20,000 in medical insurance to go without a helmet. Snyder signed the bill on Friday and it went into effect immediately. Other requirements are that a rider must have either passed a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course or have had a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years.
The “Detroit Free Press” has a story here. Michigan Radio, which carries NPR programming, has a story here on the governor’s reason for making Michigan the 31st state to allow riders to go without lids. Michigan has had a helmet law for more than three decades. AAA Michigan expressed disappointment with the governor’s decision saying that it will increase motorcycle fatalities and injuries.
After being hit by a truck while wearing all the gear, and walking away with little more than a very minor shoulder separation and a dislocated pinky? I’m an ATGATT person, and so is my wife. We just bought mesh armored jackets for the heat, and she has armored touring pants too. I’m on the lookout for something for the lower half as well. We bought thin gloves with lots of holes, but full-fingered with armored knuckles. We have a variety of helmets suited for every heat/wind/sun/rain condition imaginable. And I always keep a spare set of clear goggles on the bike in case I get caught at night or something happens to my favorite polarized amber ones.
All The Gear. All The Time. I like that the law doesn’t force me to do it. I choose to do it because I like my parts all where they are and in relatively good working order.