To hear James “Doc” Reichenbach tell it, putting on a motorcycle helmet (or not) is an issue of freedom and personal choice. As he sees it, helmets are heavy, restrictive, and interfere with his vision and hearing. But most of all, they don't let him feel the wind blowing through his hair as he glides along the state's roads and highways. As for the prospect of an accident that could cause a severe head injury, Reichenbach takes a matter-of-fact point of view. “Helmets are no guarantee to help you in an accident,” he said.

Reichenbach, who has been riding motorcycles for decades, is the president of the most powerful motorcycle lobbying group in the state, the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education. By staging annual rallies at the Capitol that drew hundreds of bikers from around the state, ABATE was the driving force that lobbied for years to repeal the state's helmet law that mandated that all motorcycle riders must wear a safety helmet. After repeated efforts to pass a bill sponsored by Senator Nancy Argenziano (R-Crystal River), ABATE was in the forefront of the effort that successfully convinced lawmakers in 2000 to lift the restriction on wearing helmets. At the time, it represented a rare defeat for the state's insurance and health-care industries. Along with health and safety experts, carriers and health-care providers argued that the absence of helmets would lead to more deaths and head injuries, which would not be adequately covered by insurance. The state mandates that only motorcyclists that choose not to wear a helmet must carry $10,000 in personal injury protection, while studies show that the average cost of treating a head injury exceeds $45,000.

Based on the statistics, carriers and health-care providers have a point. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently conducted a study examining the use of helmets and motorcycle accidents that result in death or a severe head injury. The survey confirmed what many carriers, highway safety officials, and proponents of mandatory helmet laws have feared since Florida decided to allow motorcyclists to ride without helmets. Namely, that the number of motorcycle deaths has significantly increased since the law change. According to the survey, in the first three years since the helmet law's repeal, the number of overall motorcycle deaths has increased by more than 81 percent when compared to the previous three-year period in which the helmet law was in effect.