Oklahoma's lack of helmet laws for adult motorcyclists still gets debate

“You can certainly be killed on a motorcycle wearing a helmet, but your chances of surviving a crash are greater if you wear one,” Mai said.

Pierce, a retired airplane pilot who has been riding motorcycles for more than 50 years, said he will wear a helmet if it is cold or rainy or there are a lot of bugs in the air. He said he works year-round as an advocate for motorcycle safety issues.

“We are protective of our rights,” Pierce said.

Paul Brinker, 56, of Tulsa, a machinist and motorcycle rider who has been the ABATE group's safety officer, said in many impact accidents, the survival chances are not good whether the rider wears a helmet or not. He supports freedom of choice.

“We're not anti-helmet; we're anti-helmet law,” Brinker said.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol encourages all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, trooper Betsy Randolph said.

“We're an enforcement agency and if the Legislature passes a helmet law we will enforce it, but we respect the Legislatures' right not to pass one,” Randolph said.

She said troopers all too frequently respond to fatal motorcycle crashes. Troopers on motorcycles are required to wear helmets.

Randolph, who rides motorcycles as a hobby, says she always wears one.

“We do believe it's important to wear a helmet and we strongly encourage people to wear one,” she said.

State law requires all motorcycle riders to wear eye protection, whether it is sunglasses or goggles, Randolph said.

“A person can't ride if you can't see,” she said.