Letter in response to Proposed National Helmet Law.

ABATE of Michigan’s comments to DOT Amendments to Highway Safety
Program Guidelines

Ref: Docket No. NHTSA–2005–23090

ABATE of Michigan would like to comment on the statement on page 6831:

“II. Motorcycle Personal Protective Equipment
Each State should support passage and enforcement of mandatory all-rider motorcycle helmet use laws.”

ABATE of Michigan feels that this statement is
1. Inappropriate
2. In violation with previous agreements with NHTSA
3. In conflict with recent US Senate decisions

1. The main tenet of the Highway Safety Program is “to achieve a significant
reduction in traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries on public roads. The highway safety program should include a comprehensive motorcycle safety program that aims to reduce motorcycle

crashes and related deaths and injuries”. A mandatory motorcycle helmet law does nothing to prevent crashes and, according to NHTSA’s own statistics compiled by National Center for Statistics & Analysis, does not reduce related deaths and injuries. As such this statement is inappropriate and is to be removed.

2. According to US Code Title 49, Subtitle VI, Part A, Chapter 301, Subchapter 1, § 30105:
“No funds appropriated to the Secretary for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall be available for any activity specifically designed to urge a State or local legislator to favor or oppose the adoption of any specific legislative proposal pending before any State or local legislative body”.

The above-mentioned statement from page 6831 violates this rule.

3. The Lautenberg Amendment, which was defeated just last May, further demonstrates that a national mandatory helmet law is unjustified and unwanted.

A.B.A.T.E. Of Michigan Inc.
P.O. Box 309 Milford, MI. 48381-030