A Tucson lawmaker wants to make it illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. But there’s a twist.
Democrat Randall Friese will face an uphill battle to get HB 2046 passed, which is why he added language that says anyone who wants to ride a motorcycle without a helmet has to pay an annual fee.
Arizona repealed its helmet law for adults in 1976. But Friese, a trauma surgeon, said such a law would save hundreds of millions of dollars.
"If you're 20 years old and get a lifetime head injury, you're institutionalized for decades," Friese said. "It costs tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars.''
His bill doesn’t say what the actual fee would be. Rather it would be up to ADOT to determine that figure.
Friese said the money collected would go into a special fund to provide rehabilitation, transitional living and equipment for people suffering from head injuries.