What is the history of helmet use laws in the United States?
Before 1967, only three states had motorcycle helmet use laws. The federal government in 1967 began requiring states to enact motorcycle helmet use laws in order to qualify for certain federal safety program and highway construction funds. Thirty-seven states enacted helmet use laws between 1967 and 1969. By 1975, all but three states mandated helmets for all motorcyclists. As the Department of Transportation in 1976 moved to assess financial penalties on states without helmet laws, Congress responded to state pressure by revoking the department’s authority to assess penalties for noncompliance. Between 1976 and 1978, 19 states weakened their helmet use laws to apply only to young riders, usually under age 18. Seven states repealed helmet use requirements for all motorcyclists. Then, in the 1980s and early 1990s, several states reinstated laws applying to all riders. Congress in the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act created incentives for states to enact helmet use
