Helmet Laws
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Know The Helmet Laws In Kansas City

Missouri’s helmet law requirements are quite straightforward: Anyone operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle is required to wear protective headgear when the vehicle is in motion. In addition to this, the helmet must meet the standards and specifications imposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to the Motorcycle Operator Manual by Missouri’s Department of Revenue.

Wearing a helmet is always a safer option than going without one, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that helmet use reduces the risk of death by about 37%.

Fact: According to the CDC, the U.S. could save over $1 billion in economic costs if all motorcycle riders wore helmets.

Should You Wear A Helmet In Missouri?

Absolutely yes. Although opponents of mandatory helmet use are pushing lawmakers to repeal the helmet law, not wearing a helmet while operating a motorcycle increases the risk of death or serious injury such as brain injuries.

It is true that many motorcyclists in Missouri believe that the government should not dictate what risks a biker may assume if he or she is the only person who might suffer from not wearing a helmet. However, choosing to operate a bike without protective headgear is an assumption of a fatal risk.

Wearing a helmet while operating a bike is so critical because motorcycles offer little to no protection. Unlike traditional car accidents, in which a driver may not suffer serious injuries when his vehicle collides with another vehicle due to his vehicle absorbing the brunt of the impact, a motorcycle accident can cause devastating consequences because the bike itself does not offer any protection in a crash.

Fact: According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), motorcycle helmets prevent thousands of deaths and serious injuries every year.

Could Missouri Repeal The Mandatory Helmet Law?

Despite safety organizations praising helmet use for saving thousands of lives each year, motorcyclists in Missouri are pushing for change. An increasing number of bikers in our state have demanded lawmakers to repeal the mandatory helmet law.

In July 2019, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson vetoed a bill that would repeal the state’s mandatory rule to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. However, some legal experts are confident that the bill could be signed into law when the anti-helmet law supporters reach a consensus with Gov. Parson.

The proposed law would have allowed motorcyclists 18 and older with proper health insurance coverage to operate a bike without protective headgear.

What Penalties Does Missouri Law Impose For Not Wearing A Helmet?

While it seems inevitable that the mandatory helmet law in Missouri will be repealed someday, state law currently imposes penalties and fines for a motorcyclist’s failure to wear a helmet.

However, the fines do not do much to prevent thousands of bikers in Missouri from operating a motorcycle without a helmet. The fine for one’s failure to wear a helmet is only $25 while getting caught operating a bike without a helmet does not affect insurance in most cases.

Contrary to popular belief, you, as a motorcyclist in Missouri, have a right to seek compensation for your damages if you did not wear a helmet at the time of the collision.

Talk to our well-versed motorcycle accident lawyer in Kansas City at Mayer & Associates, P.C., if you are being blamed for your injury simply because you did not have a helmet at the time of the accident.
Schedule a free consultation by completing this contact form or calling 816-692-2877.