CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Efforts to ease West Virginia's motorcycle helmet law have been stopped short by the bill's advocate, who pledges to fight for legislation making helmets optional next year.
Delegate Greg Butcher asked the Senate Transportation committee Monday to pull language from a motorcycle bill that would have deleted one of three helmet performance standards in current law.
Butcher says the change would force riders with a U.S. Department of Transportation-standard helmet to buy a more expensive helmet to comply with the other two standards. The language also would likely have doomed the original bill, which would allow auxiliary lighting on motorcycles.
He sponsored the helmet change in the House to give riders more flexibility and because of enforcement problems.
Instead, Butcher says he will fight to make helmets optional next session.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
