Advocates has urged members of the Alabama Senate to reject Senate Bill (SB) 302 which would repeal the all-rider motorcycle helmet use law.
Motorcycles are the most hazardous form of motor vehicle transportation. Motorcycle riders are nearly 22 times more likely to die in a crash than passenger vehicle occupants. In 2023, 94 motorcyclists lost their lives in Alabama, a 45 percent increase since 2014.
Annually, motorcycle rider crashes cost nearly $17 billion in economic impacts and $107 billion in societal harm as measured by comprehensive costs based on 2019 data. Helmet use lessens the cost of medical treatment, length of hospital stay and probability of long-term disability for motorcyclists injured in a crash. In states with an all-rider helmet use law, use of a helmet resulted in economic costs saved to society of $725 per registered motorcycle, compared with $198 per registered motorcycle in states without such a law.
Repeal of all-rider helmet use laws has tragic consequences. After repeal of their state’s universal helmet requirement, the motorcyclist fatality rate increased 35 percent in Florida, 50 percent in Kentucky and 100 percent in Louisiana.
With motorcyclist fatalities at record levels nationally and rising in Alabama, we urge you to oppose SB 302. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Read the full letter here.