Photo by Jessica Stewart

Rick Shaginaw puts on his helmet before taking off on his motorcycle Thursday afternoon. Mr. Shaginaw has been riding since 1974 and says he will always wear his helmet. He totaled a bike a few years ago. ‘I’m glad I had that helmet on,’ he said.

Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a measure to repeal portions of Missouri’s mandatory motorcycle helmet law Thursday.

“In terms of lives and of dollars, the cost of repealing Missouri’s helmet law simply would have been too high,” Mr. Nixon said in a news release. “Keeping our helmet law in place was the safe and cost-effective choice for Missouri.”

The governor vetoed legislation that would have allowed people 21 and older to ride without helmets on all roads except interstate highways.

Federal requirements would have made the repeal confusing, said Rob Eidmann, owner of St. Joe Honda.

“It’s almost as if he had to, because of the way the bill was written,” Mr. Eidmann said.

Driving on Pear Street, for example, would have required a helmet because it’s part of an interstate business route. Technically, someone could have been pulled over on Frederick Avenue, but on almost any other street it would have been legal not to have a helmet, Mr. Eidmann said.

“It all boils down to a matter of personal choice,” he said.

Two local motorcycle riders think that a helmet is the only way to go.

“I have a helmet and I wear my helmet, even in Colorado and Wyoming, where they don’t require it,” said Bill Hanlan.

A veteran motorcycle rider, Mr. Hanlan said he didn’t care what others decided, but he’d been in a wreck and wearing a helmet made good sense.

The head of the St. Joseph Police Department’s traffic unit, Sgt. Bill McCammon, said he was glad the governor issued the veto.

“There was a good chance we would have seen a 50 percent increase in motorcycle fatalities,” Mr. McCammon said.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the economic consequences of repealing such a law are clear. The safety administration recorded a sharp increase in Florida motorcycle fatalities for the 30 months after the helmet law there was repealed. The cost to treat patients diagnosed with head injuries as a result of motorcycle accidents doubled, reaching a total of $44 million.

One local motorcycle rider said he didn’t care if the law was repealed.

“I think everybody should wear them,” said Delmar Wehr. “I was going to anyway.”

Mr. Wehr also thinks the law should be improved to include moped riders, who he’s seen traveling at 45 mph — without a helmet.

Marshall White can be reached

at marshall@npgco.com.