According to the American Motorcyclist Association and insurance industry spokesmen, there have been no insurance companies who have increased their rates because that state has repealed their mandatory helmet law. The Governor initiated a requirement, after the repeal of that states mandatory helmet law in 1978, to investigate all motorcycle accidents. This serves to reinforce the fact that mandatory helmet laws have little, if anything to reduce accidents and produce a safer motorcycle rider. Yes, fatality rates for motorcyclists DID increase from 1976 through 1981 in ALL states that repealed their mandatory helmet laws. There was also a corresponding increase in fatality rates among drivers of compact vehicles and light trucks.
Motorcyclists are just as likely to be privately insured as any other road user.
As a matter of fact, motorcyclists are slightly LESS dependent upon public funds to pay their hospital bills than the general public. This analysis refutes any suggestions that motorcyclists disproportionately rely on public health-care funds to pay for their hospitalization. The economic value of motorcycling in the U.S. is 5.9 billion dollars a year. Those states that have enacted mandatory helmet laws have experienced a decrease in tourism and dollars from motorcyclists. There are over 770,000 registered motorcycles in the states surrounding Michigan.