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2011 Senate Bill 291: Allow helmetless motorcycle operation

Public Act 291 of 2012

  1. Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on March 24, 2011, to repeal the mandatory motorcycle helmet requirement for a motorcycle operator who is age 21 or older, and has been riding for at least two years or passes a safety test.
    • Referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on March 24, 2011.
      • Reported in the Senate on June 8, 2011, with the recommendation that the bill pass.
    • Substitute offered by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on June 28, 2011, to adopt a version of the bill with more restrictions on helmetless riding. The substitute failed 10 to 27 in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered by Sen. Bert Johnson (D) on June 28, 2011, to make helmetless riding without the mandated insurance a “secondary” violation, meaning that a driver can't not be stopped just for this, but if stopped for some other violation this one could be tacked on. The amendment failed 11 to 27 in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on June 28, 2011, to require a helmetless motorcycle operator to have $500,000 worth of personal injury insurance. The amendment failed by voice vote in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on June 28, 2011, to require the Secretary of State to provide and helmetless motorcycle operators to display a license plate sticker indicating that the operator has bought the insurance mandated by the bill. The amendment failed 18 to 20 in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on June 28, 2011, to require motorcycle operators and passengers to wear shatter-resistant glasses or goggles, or else have a windshield on the vehicle or on a helmet. The amendment failed 16 to 22 in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered by Sen. Roger Kahn (R) on June 28, 2011, to place a three-year "sunset" on the repeal of the helmetless riding ban, and then do a study to determine "the cost to this state" of helmetless motorcycle rider injuries. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Sen. Roger Kahn (R) on June 28, 2011, to require a helmetless motorcycle operator to have $250,000 worth of personal injury insurance. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
    • Substitute offered by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R) on June 28, 2011, to adopt a version of the bill that mandates a $100,000 insurance policy and inserts a five year sunset on the helmet mandate repeal. The substitute passed by voice vote in the Senate on June 28, 2011.
  2. Passed 24 to 14 in the Senate on June 28, 2011, to repeal the mandatory helmet requirement for a motorcycle operator who is age 21 or older, has been riding for at least two years or passes a safety test, and has a personal injury insurance policy providing at least $100,000 in benefits. A sunset provision would cause the ban on helmetless riding to resume in five years.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  3. Received in the House on June 28, 2011.
    • Referred to the House Transportation Committee on June 28, 2011.
      • Reported in the House on October 26, 2011, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
    • Substitute offered in the House on November 1, 2011, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance as previously described. See House-passed version for details. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on November 1, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Timothy Bledsoe (D) on November 1, 2011, to require helmetless operators to register with a national organ donor organization. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on November 1, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Joan Bauer (D) on November 1, 2011, to tie-bar the bill to Senate Bill 720, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. SB 720 would require motorcyclists who don’t wear a helmet to have more insurance than specified in this bill. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on November 1, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Joan Bauer (D) on November 1, 2011, to require the State Police to conduct a study of motorcycle accident injuries depending on helmet use or non-use. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on November 1, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Peter Pettalia (R) on November 1, 2011, to revise technical details of the insurance mandate and other requirements for helmetless riders. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on November 1, 2011.
  4. Passed 69 to 39 in the House on November 2, 2011, to repeal the mandatory helmet requirement for a motorcycle operator who is age 21 or older, has been riding for at least two years or passes a safety test, and has a personal injury insurance policy providing at least $20,000 in benefits.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  5. Received in the Senate on November 3, 2011.
    • Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on March 28, 2012, to make helmetless riding without the mandated insurance a “secondary” violation, meaning that a driver can't not be stopped just for this, but if stopped for some other violation this one could be tacked on. The amendment failed 11 to 26 in the Senate on March 28, 2012.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood, III (D) on March 28, 2012, to increase the amount of extra insurance a person would have to buy to not be subject to the helmet mandate. After this vote the Senate reconsidered the amendment, and removed it in an 18-19 vote. The amendment passed 22 to 15 in the Senate on March 28, 2012.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D) on March 28, 2012, to place a four-year "sunset" on the repeal of the helmetless riding ban, and then do a study to determine "the cost to this state" of helmetless motorcycle rider injuries. The amendment failed 17 to 20 in the Senate on March 28, 2012.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered in the Senate on March 28, 2012, to reconsider the previous vote on the second Hood amendment, which would increase the amount of mandated insurance for helmetless riders. The amendment passed 19 to 18 in the Senate on March 28, 2012.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Moved to reconsider by Sen. Arlan Meekhof (R) on March 28, 2012, the vote by which the second Hood amendment was adopted. The motion passed 26 to 11 in the Senate on March 28, 2012.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

    • Amendment offered in the Senate on March 28, 2012, to increase the amount of extra insurance a person would have to buy to not be subject to the helmet mandate. The amendment failed 18 to 19 in the Senate on March 28, 2012.
      Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  6. Passed 24 to 14 in the Senate on March 28, 2012, to repeal the mandatory helmet requirement for a motorcycle operator who is age 21 or older, has been riding for at least two years or passes a safety test, and has a personal injury insurance policy providing at least $20,000 in benefits.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"

  7. Signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on April 12, 2012.

Comments

Re: 2011 Senate Bill 291  by Freerider on October 13, 2012 

The numbers are virtually the same over the last 3 years. There hasn't been any dramatic increase as a result of the law change. That's the point. I have no reason to believe that the death toll would have been dramatically lower if the law DIDN'T change going by the previous years numbers. But there is no satisfying you. That's fine, you are entitled to your opinion. The best part of the law change that rarely is mentioned is that if you want to wear a helmet, you still have the right to CHOOSE to do so. The question that should be asked is how many lives could have been saved if the driver of the car was paying attention!



Re: 2011 Senate Bill 291  by albaby2 on October 12, 2012 

 How many of those 40 deaths could have been prevented if helmets were worn? Did you really expect the insurance rates to increase so soon?



Re: 2011 Senate Bill 291  by Freerider on October 12, 2012 

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I've been busy working and enjoying the last 6 MONTHS OF FREEDOM!! I believe that was from a Det News article. According to the OHSP the stats are in for 2010, 11 & 12 from 1-1 thru 8-31. In 2010 there were 97 fatalities during that time frame. In 2011, there were 89 fatalities. This year there were 91. 47 were wearing helmets, 40 were not and 4 are listed as unknown. What is not listed is that motorcycle registrations have increased this year as they have in EVERY state that has loosened their helmet requirements. Also, insurance rates have NOT increased as a result of passage of this law. Everything ABATE has been saying for years, decades in fact, has come true. There has not been a dramatic increase of dead bikers on our roads. Turns out that actually was just fear mongoring, scare-tactic rhetoric. 



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