Debate over whether a helmet law would lower motorcycle fatalities

High-risk highways and how to deal with them

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 2012 was the deadliest year for motorcyclists in Wisconsin since 1980. A longer riding season and more bikes on the road are all possible factors. But government officials say one solution might be riders "using their heads."

Despite losing his leg and nearly his life in a motorcycle accident two years ago, Dave Zien still believes helmets are not the answer to reducing motorcycle fatalities.

"Helmets restrict, vision, hearing mobility of the head. I feel strongly, I'll go to the grave. That helmets cause accidents," said Zien.

Wisconsin's highways have become a high risk for riders. 116 people died in motorcycle accidents in 2012; up from 85 in 2011.

Greg Patzer is the motorcycle safety manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. He says one in four riders killed in crashes was wearing a helmet.

"If we look at the overall average with regard to helmet use over a 10 year period, it's about 72 percent of those involved in fatalities don't wear a motorcycle helmet," said Patzer.

Tony Sanfelipo is the founder of ABATE, a motorcycle rights group. He says mandatory helmet laws are an attack on personal liberty. Sanfelipo says the government's study is skewed to push a helmet-use agenda.

"When you just throw out raw numbers, it looks good on paper. If you dig deeper, you find out there's a lot more to it. That might be true, I don't know what the statistics are," said Sanfelipo.

Dave Zien says he'll continue to rider without a helmet. He believes it's safer for everyone.

"When I ride along somebody who has got a totally enclosed helmet I just... So, I'm afraid of them. I'm almost as afraid of them as I am with somebody in a cage for heaven's sakes," said Zien.

The state of Wisconsin requires anyone driving a motorcycle to carry a motorcycle license (Class M). More than 500,000 Wisconsin have that license. But here's one more startling statistic -- 40 percent of our motorcycle fatalities involve riders that are improperly licensed.