Interactive Maps Track Helmet, Camera Laws
Anyone who's followed the legislative developments concerning motorcycle helmet laws in the United States knows the safety community isn't happy that some state legislatures repealed or weakened their mandates. Now, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers interactive online maps that tell us how far we are from universal laws for motorcyclists and helmet laws for bicyclists. If you're scoring at home, only 21 states have universal motorcyclist laws that cover all riders. Iowa, Illinois, and New Hampshire are the three states with no laws on their books covering either group.
"Universal motorcycle helmet laws are effective in reducing rates of deaths and serious injuries, and states that have repealed or weakened their laws have experienced increases in both. Bicycle helmets laws are similarly effective in reducing injuries and fatalities among children and teenagers, but more than half of US states still do not have laws on the books," IIHS says in its message that included links to the helmet laws map and a second map showing states' automated red light or speed camera laws. "Automated enforcement technology substantially reduces red light violations and speeding on high-risk roads, and national and local surveys indicate public support," the organization says.
IIHS says some jurisdictions treat camera citations like parking tickets, making the registered owner of the vehicle liable. Many jurisdictions do not assess point or keep a record of automated enforcement citations, according to the organization.