JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Transportation said Thursday that there is a correlation between the rise in motorcycle fatalities and the repeal of the universal helmet law in 2020.
Since 2020, motorcycle fatalities have increased 47% and 2023 was the deadliest year on record for motorcycle fatalities with 174 deaths, according to MoDOT.
MoDOT presented its report on motorcycle fatalities to the House Transportation Accountability Committee, detailing an increase in motorcycle fatalities since 2018.
“We’ve seen that in other states,” said Jon Nelson, assistant to the State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer at MoDOT. “Whenever they’ve repealed a helmet law, (there are) similar increases.”
In 2020, Missouri legislature repealed a law that required all motorcyclists over 26 to wear a helmet, so long as the rider could provide proof of health insurance.
“I don't disagree that the helmet laws made a difference in the number of fatalities,” said Committee Chairman Don Mayhew, R-Crocker. “I think that's pretty obvious.”
Mayhew asked if there were other factors that influenced the increase in fatalities. Traffic volumes on highways have returned to pre-pandemic levels, but other vehicle fatalities are declining in Missouri, according to MoDOT.
Nelson said that of the motorcyclists killed while not wearing helmets, about 50% were unlicensed or improperly licensed.
“I don't think any one area, including public policy, is the silver bullet to fix any of this,” Nelson said. “These are layers of protection to improve safety.”
“That begins with public awareness, education, certainly public policy has a role to play in that enforcement of that public policy,” he added.
The committee listened to the report but did not discuss reversing the repeal of the universal helmet law.
