Residents of Florida-

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a proponent of universal helmet laws, estimates that 1,387 lives were saved in 2004 because those crash victims were wearing helmets. It also estimates that 670 more lives could have been saved if all riders had worn helmets. Thousands more may have been spared brain injury or spinal injury by wearing protection. Ever since Florida repealed its universal helmet law in 2000, fatality rates increased 25\% in the first two years and have steadily increased since then. In addition, the $10,000 health insurance requirement does not usually cover the costs of motorcyclists in accidents whose injuries are more likely to be permanent, catastrophic, or fatal.

It is then our duty to safeguard our society by mandating that those who chose to ride motorcycles must wear a helmet. In addition, we propose that along with mandating the use of helmets for anyone riding a motorcycle, all safety gear sold in Florida should be tax exempt to help with the cost of safety gear.

Some have argued that the mandate of safety gear goes against the fourteenth amendment of the constitution, an amendment that states that No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States. As a nation, we have already made it clear that safety gear is not a choice with mandatory seat belt laws. Why should safety head wear on a motorcycle be any different? Does this precedent not tell us that by not making the safety gear laws equal we are, in fact, going against the fourteenth amendment? Because those who chose to not wear safety gear are likely not to receive all the damages necessary due to the fact that they did not mitigate or lessen their damages by choosing to wear safety gear. Those individuals are then a burden to themselves, their families and the state to fund their recovery.

We have the right to require that all who enter our roadways be as safe as possible. You can make that happen by singing our petition. Thank you for listening.