May 9, 2005
Federal helmet-law blackmail
A federal lawmaker wants all states to impose mandatory helmet laws or risk losing federal money for their highway and trail projects.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey plans to introduce the proposal as early as today as an amendment to a federal highway bill that authorizes funds for highways, safety programs, transit programs, and other purposes. Under Lautenberg's proposal, states without mandatory helmet laws would lose 1.5 percent of their overall federal transportation dollars.
The AMA is urging Congress to reject this amendment. While the AMA encourages helmet use by all motorcyclists, the Association believes that Congress should leave it up to the states to decide whether to enact mandatory helmet laws.
Let your federal lawmakers know that you oppose the Lautenberg amendment. An easy way to do this is by sending a message through the AMA Rapid Response Center.
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