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Florida Bikers May Be Required to Buy Expensive Insurance

30 March 2000

Florida Bikers May Be Required to Buy Expensive Insurance

PICKERINGTON, Ohio--Florida motorcyclists who want to ride without helmets
would be forced to carry at least $100,000 in personal injury insurance
under a bill recently approved by a state Senate committee, the American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
	Some Florida rider groups have been supporting bills--SB 126 and HB 117--
that would allow motorcyclist 21 or older to ride without helmets if they
carry $10,000 in insurance to cover their own injuries.  But the Senate
Banking and Insurance Committee rewrote SB 126 on March 14, upping the
insurance requirement to at least $100,000 in a legislative twist that
shocked the Florida rider groups.
	"It's obvious that many Florida lawmakers subscribe to the faulty 'social
burden' theory that motorcyclists use more taxpayer dollars than other
members of society to pay their medical bills," said Robert Rasor, the AMA's
vice president of government relations.
	"Unfortunately, once these bills were introduced in the Florida
Legislature, they provided the perfect vehicle for legislators to impose
new, and now very expensive , requirements on motorcyclists," Rasor said.
"These $100,000 insurance requirements set a very bad precedent, and are an
example of why the AMA has opposed economic trade-offs for helmetless
riding.  The AMA urges all Florida motorcyclists to contact their state
senators and representatives immediately and urge the removal of these
insurance requirements from SB 126 and HB 117."
	Senate bill 126 now goes to the full Senate for a vote.  Its House
companion bill, HB 117, is currently in the House Transportation and
Economic Development Committee awaiting consideration.
	The AMA supports voluntary helmet uses, believing riders should be able to
choose whether to wear a helmet.  The AMA opposes placing economic
conditions in legislation in exchange for a voluntary helmet-use law.  Such
conditions promote the "social burden" theory  and could open the door for
unwarranted regulation of motorcyclists.

Contact: Bill Kresnak
Phone: (614) 856-1900