Louisiana Senate committee blocks motorcycle helmet
amendment
The Staff of Clutch and Chrome
June 13th 2008
Bikers will
need to wear
motorcycle helmets for the foreseeable future
when they ride in Louisiana.
On Wednesday
a Senate committee blocked a bill proposed by Rep. Mert Smiley's proposing a change to the State's mandatory
helmet law. House Bill 1295 died despite support from Gov.
Bobby Jindal, who argued that bikers ought to have the
freedom to decide whether to wear head protection.
However, the
Senate's health committee blocked the proposal after hearing
testimony from Jim Champagne, the state's former highway
safety chief, who said the mandatory helmet law saves lives
and prevents debilitating crashes that leave bikers "wards
of the state." He said helmets are often the only chance
motorcyclists have to avoid massive head trauma in a crash.
Louisiana's
helmet amendment was even more political than is usually
seen when states consider this type of
legislation. Jim
Champagne worked Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who signed the helmet
requirement into law, but was was dismissed from his post
when Jindal's administration. Champagne has testified
he was fired because he refused to go along with Jindal's
position on motorcycle helmets.
Louisiana is
one of 20 states that require all motorcyclists to wear a
helmet.
Smiley's package of two bills would have required that
motorcyclists under 18 wear head protection, and created a
requirement for new motorcyclists to undergo a training
course run by the Department of Public Safety. It was hoped
the proposed training course would produce better-trained
and more knowledgeable bikers. |
