Motorcyclist deaths in Florida have rapidly increased since Gov. Jeb Bush signed a law in 2000 repealing the state's mandatory motorcycle helmet law.
The number of fatal motorcycle accidents increased more than 81 percent in the three years after the repeal took effect according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Throughout the country fatal motorcycle accidents increased 48 percent, in large part because of the growing number of aging baby boomers riding powerful motorcycles.
Deaths among Florida riders 21 and under nearly tripled after 2000. Riders younger than 21 are still required by state law to wear helmets.
''The numbers are pretty compelling that Florida has paid a high price,'' said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for the federal agency. ``There is enough here for any state contemplating a repeal to realize there are serious consequences.''
While the report suggests that some of the increase in motorcycle deaths can be attributed to increased ridership in the state, critics of the Florida helmet law repeal point out that the non-helmeted fatality rate per 10,000 registered motorcyclists increased from 0.7 fatalities in 1998 to 6.1 in 2002.
Medical costs for motorcycle riders involved in accidents in Florida followed the increase in fatalities. In 1998 and 1999, the acute care hospital charges for head-brain-skull principal injury cases per 10,000 registered motorcycles were $311,549 and $428,347 respectively.
The comparable figures for 2001 and 2002 were $605,854 and $610,386, adjusted for inflation.
The motorcycle group that successfully lobbied legislators in 2000 to lift the helmet requirement contends that NHTSA is biased against riders who do not use helmets. The group argues that the increase in deaths can be largely attributed to the increasing popularity of motorcycle riding.
The lengthy study was conducted for NHTSA by Preusser Research Group, a Connecticut research firm that specializes in transportation and highway safety issues.
The study does not fully blame the increase in deaths on riders without helmets, noting that alcohol use and speed also likely played a role.
