Eric D. Lawrence

Detroit Free Press

A Michigan motorcyclist advocacy group is touting a drop in motorcycle fatalities last year as evidence that concerns about helmetless riding are overblown.

Statistics from the Michigan Traffic Crash Reporting System show that there were 107 fatalities reported in 2014. That total is the second lowest number of fatalities in the last 10 years, despite "the doom and gloom that was predicted when the helmet law was modified in 2012," according to a news release Tuesday from American Bikers Aiming Toward Education (ABATE) of Michigan.

The 2014 total represents a drop from 128 motorcycle fatalities in 2013, 129 in 2012 and 105 in 2009, the group said.

Motorcyclists who are 21 or older have been allowed to ride without a helmet under certain conditions in Michigan since 2012.

ABATE's president, Vince Consiglio, noted that "helmets don't prevent accidents ... in Michigan, there's more people killed wearing helmets than without."

In 2014, 50 motorcyclists died while wearing helmets, 48 died without helmets and it's unknown if the nine other motorcyclists who died were wearing helmets, according to the state's data.

There were also more injuries reported in 2014 for those wearing helmets (1,559) compared to those not wearing helmets (633). For 99 of those injured, helmet use is unknown.

Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, dismissed suggestions that helmet use is not an effective means of boosting safety.

"Wearing a helmet is the most important thing a motorcyclist can do to reduce their risk of serious injury," Rader said.

He cited data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that unhelmeted motorcyclists are three times more likely than helmeted motorcyclists to suffer brain injuries, and the risk of being killed in a crash is 37% lower for motorcyclists who are helmeted.

Rader said that the average insurance payment for injuries to motorcyclists increased by 22% in the wake of the change in the law.

Kara Macek, spokeswoman for the Governors Highway Safety Association, said that numerous factors, including the weather and the number of motorcyclists on the road, would affect the year-to-year number of motorcycle fatalities.

"It's wonderful that there's fewer fatalities but that doesn't ... change the fact that we still encourage motorcyclists to protect themselves by wearing helmets," Macek said.

Consiglio, who said helmets might be appropriate in some circumstances but not in others, said one of the main issues is actually unendorsed motorcyclists. The state requires that motorcyclists carry a cycle endorsement on their license, which they obtain through a written and road test.

"For the past 25 years ... close to 40% of all motorcycle fatalities involved riders who did not have a valid motorcycle license," Consiglio noted in the release.

He also encouraged riders to take a motorcycle safety course, which many community colleges offer for $25. To access the study go to http://michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1645_3501_4626---,00.html.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.

A motorcycle operator who wants to ride without a helmet in Michigan must:

■ Be at least 21 years old.

■ Have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits.

■ Have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, or have passed an approved motorcycle safety course.

Passengers may not wear a helmet as long as they:

■ Are 21 years old or older.

■ Have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits insurance in addition to the insurance that is required of the motorcycle operator.

A person younger than 21 must wear a helmet approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation when operating or riding on a motorcycle.

Source: Michigan Secretary of State