Although a few courts in the late 1960's and early 1970's held motorcycle helmet laws unconstitutional, each of these cases has been reversed or overruled. Courts in subsequent cases have uniformly upheld the provisions. Indeed, various constitutional challenges to Florida's statute have been rejected both by Florida courts, see Hamm v. State, 387 So.2d 946 (Fla. 1980); Cesin v. State, 288 So.2d 473 (Fla. 1974); State v. Eitel, 227 So.2d 489 (1969), and by a three-judge federal district court, see Bogue v. Faircloth, 316 F. Supp. 486 (S.D.Fla. 1970). See People v. Fries, 42 Ill.2d 446, 250 N.E.2d 149 (1969), overruled, People v. Kohrig, 113 Ill.2d 384, 101 Ill.Dec. 650, 498 N.E.2d 1158 (1986) (per curiam), appeal dismissed sub nom. Kohrig v. Illinois, 479 U.S. 1073, 107 S.Ct. 1264, 94 L.Ed.2d 126 (1987); American Motorcycle Association v. Davids, 11 Mich. App. 351, 158 N.W.2d 72 (1968), overruled, People v. Poucher, 67 Mich. App. 133, 240 N.W.2d 298, aff'd, 398 Mich. 316, 247 N.W.2d 798 (1976); Everhardt v. City of New Orleans, 208 So.2d 423 (La.App. 1968), rev'd, 253 La. 285, 217 So.2d 400 (La. 1968), appeal dismissed, 395 U.S. 212, 89 S.Ct. 1775, 23 L.Ed.2d 214 (1969).
As MVA points out, vagueness arguments of the kind asserted by appellee have been made in a number of cases, usually, but not always, without success. See Benning v. State, supra, 641 A.2d 757; Kingery v. Chapple, 504 P.2d 831 (Alaska 1972); State v. Eitel, 227 So.2d 489 (Fla. 1969); Hamm v. State, 387 So.2d 946 (Fla. 1980); State v. Lee, 51 Haw. 516, 465 P.2d 573 (1970); State v. Albertson, 93 Idaho 640, 470 P.2d 300 (1970); City of Albuquerque v. Jones, 87 N.M. 486, 535 P.2d 1337 (1975); Ex Parte Smith, 441 S.W.2d 544 (Tex.Cr.App. 1969); Buhl v. Hannigan, 16 Cal.App.4th 1612, 20 Cal.Rptr.2d 740 (Cal.Ct.App. 1993); Bianco v. California Highway Patrol, 24 Cal.App.4th 1113, 29 Cal.Rptr.2d 711 (Cal.Ct.App. 1994); Easyriders Freedom F.I.G.H.T. v. Hannigan, supra, 92 F.3d 1486; compare State v. Maxwell, 74 Wn. App. 688, 878 P.2d 1220 (1994). In each of those cases, the court looked to see if, indeed, there was a practical way for citizens to ascertain which helmets were lawful for use.
It correctly notes that at present Fries stands alone in holding that a motorcycle helmet law is unconstitutional. The overwhelming weight of authority is that motorcycle-helmet laws are a valid exercise of the State's police power. (See Kingery v. Chapple (Alaska 1972), 504 P.2d 831; State v. Beeman (1975), 25 Ariz. App. 83, 541 P.2d 409; Penney v. City of North Little Rock (1970), 248 Ark. 1158, 455 S.W.2d 132; Love v. Bell (1970), 171 Colo. 27, 465 P.2d 118; State v. Brady (Del.Super. 1972), 290 A.2d 322; Hamm v. State (Fla. 1980), 387 So.2d 946; State v. Cotton (1973), 55 Haw. Hawaii, 516 P.2d 709; State v. Albertson (1970), 93 Idaho 640, 470 P.2d 300; City of Wichita v. White (1970), 205 Kan. 408, 469 P.2d 287; Everhardt v. City of New Orleans (1968), 253 La. 285, 217 So.2d 400, appeal dismissed and cert. denied (1969), 395 U.S. 212, 23 L.Ed.2d 214, 89 S.Ct. 1775; State v. Quinnam (Me. 1977), 367 A.2d 1032; Simon v. Sargent (D. Mass. 1972), 346 F. Supp. 277, aff'd (1972), 409 U.S. 1020, 34 L.Ed.2d 312, 93 S.Ct. 463; Commonwealth v. Howie (1968), 354 Mass. 769, 238 N.E.2d 373, cert. denied (1968), 393 U.S. 999, 21 L.Ed.2d 464, 89 S.Ct. 485; City of Adrian v. Poucher (1976), 398 Mich. 316, 247 N.W.2d 798; State v. Edwards (1970), 287 Minn. 83, 177 N.W.2d 40; State v. Cushman (Mo. 1970), 451 S.W.2d 17; State v. Eighth Judicial District Court (1985), 101 Nev. 658, 708 P.2d 1022; State v. Merski (1973), 113 N.H. 323, 307 A.2d 825; State v. Krammes (1969), 105 N.J. Super. 345, 252 A.2d 223; City of Albuquerque v. Jones (1975), 87
Notwithstanding constitutional challenges based on the right to privacy, the helmet laws were uniformly upheld. See Picou v. Gillum , 874 F.2d 1519, 1520 (11th Cir. 1989) ; Hamm v. State , 387 So. 2d 946, 947 (Fla. 1980) ; Cesin v. State , 288 So. 2d 473, 474–75 (Fla. 1974) ; State v. Eitel , 227 So. 2d 489, 490–91 (Fla. 1969). There is no indication that any of the litigants or the courts in these cases understood the mandatory motorcycle helmet laws as imposing "medical treatment" on the motorcycle operators and riders.
As aptly noted in Picou v. Gillum, supra, 874 F.2d 1519, 1522: "`[In] a society unwilling to abandon bleeding bodies on the highway, the motorcyclist or driver who endangers himself [or herself] plainly imposes costs on others.'" See Picou v. Gillum, supra, 874 F.2d 1519; Simon v. Sargent (D.Mass. 1972) 346 F. Supp. 277; Kingery v. Chapple (Alaska 1972) 504 P.2d 831; State v. Beeman (1975) 25 Ariz. App. 83 [ 541 P.2d 409]; Penney v. City of North Little Rock (1970) 248 Ark. 1158 [ 455 S.W.2d 132]; Love v. Bell (1970) 171 Colo. 27 [ 465 P.2d 118]; State v. Brady (Del. 1972) 290 A.2d 322; Hamm v. State (Fla. 1980) 387 So.2d 946; State v. Cotton (1973) 55 Haw. 138 [ 516 P.2d 709]; State v. Albertson (1970) 93 Idaho 640 [ 470 P.2d 300]; City of Wichita v. White (1970) 205 Kan. 408 [ 469 P.2d 287]; Commonwealth v. Coffman (Ky. 1970) 453 S.W.2d 759; Everhardt v. City of New Orleans (1968) 253 La. 285 [ 217 So.2d 400]; State v. Quinnam, supra, 367 A.2d 1032; Commonwealth v. Guest (1981) 12 Mass. App. 941 [ 425 N.E.2d 779]; State v. Edwards (1970) 287 Minn. 83 [ 177 N.W.2d 40]; People v. Poucher (1976) 398 Mich. 316 [ 247 N.W.2d 798]; Jackson v. Lee (Miss. 1971) 252 So.2d 897; State v. Cushman (Mo. 1970) 451 S.W.2d 17; Robotham v. State (1992) 241 Neb. 379 [ 488 N.W.2d 533]; State v. Eighth Judicial District Court (1985) 101 Nev. 658 [ 708 P.2d 1022]; State v. Merski (1973) 113 N.H. 323 [ 307 A.2d 825]; City of Albuquerque v. Jones (1975) 87 N.M. 486 [ 535 P.2d 1337]; People v. Bielmeyer (1967) 54 Misc.2d 466 [282 N.Y.S.2d 797]; People v. Bennett (1977) 89 Misc.2d 382 [391 N.Y.S.2d 506]; State v. Anderson (1969) 2