EVERY HISBAH OFFICER IS A PEACE AND SECURITY AMBASSADOR IN HIS COMMUNITY.(PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE
A Berks County lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require all motorcycle riders in Pennsylvania to wear helmets.
Representative Manuel Guzman (D) proposed the Universal Motorcycle Helmet Safety Act, sparking mixed reactions from lifelong bikers. Kenneth Slippey, a veteran rider, said he always wears a helmet and considers it essential for safety. “I would never ride without a helmet,” he explained.
The statewide helmet mandate was repealed in 2003, largely due to efforts by the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Towards Education (ABATE), which opposes the new proposal. ABATE emphasized personal choice, stating, “Pennsylvania motorcyclists fought hard for the freedom of choice. We won back in 2003, and we will not sit back quietly while that right is threatened. We are not anti-helmet. We are pro-choice. Helmets should be a decision made by the rider – not by politicians.”
Currently, Pennsylvania law requires riders under 21 or with less than two years of experience to wear helmets. Personal injury lawyer Richard Freeburn, who rides with a helmet, said it should be an individual decision. “At what point do those rights and freedoms to make those choices as an adult become limited by some government mandate?” he asked.
Slippey cited his experience as a firefighter as a reason for supporting helmets. “I understand. I have seen the results of not having a helmet,” he said.
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