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Utah Senator considering mandatory helmet bill

Posted at 8:40 PM, Dec 05, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-06 11:09:31-05

SALT LAKE CITY – There may be another attempt in the Utah Legislature to require motorcyclists to wear helmets.

State Senator Todd Weiler plans to see if there is support for his bill in the Senate.

The CDC says using a helmet reduces the risk of death by 37 percent and brain injury by 69 percent. But some bikers resist required helmet use, saying helmets don’t prevent crashes.

“I’m concerned about the rising cost of Medicaid and if someone crashes on a motorcycle without a helmet, we know they’re more likely to have a head injury which means they’re more likely to lose a job, or not be able to support their family which means they’re much more likely to end up on state assistance,” said Sen. Weiler, Davis County.

Over the past decade, 61 percent of people killed in motorcycle crashes in Utah were not wearing helmets.