Opinion
Argued April 14, 1969 —
Decided April 25, 1969.
Appeal from County Court, Somerset County, Law Division
Before Judges GAULKIN, COLLESTER and LABRECQUE.
Mr. Richard J. Schachter argued the cause for appellant ( Messrs. Halpern, Schachter Wohl, attorneys).
Mr. Raymond R. Trombadore, Assistant Prosecutor, argued the cause for respondent ( Mr. Michael R. Imbriani, County Prosecutor, attorney).
Defendant was convicted in the municipal court of violation of N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7, which requires the operator of a motorcycle to wear a protective helmet. Following a trial de novo in the County Court the conviction was affirmed and a fine of $10 was imposed. He appeals.
The sole ground of appeal is that N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7 is unconstitutional. Defendant argues that the purpose of the legislation is to protect the individual motorcyclist and not the general public, and the requirement that he must wear a protective helmet exceeds the police power of the State. He relies primarily on American Motorcycle Association v. Davids, 158 N.W.2d 72 ( Mich. Ct. App. 1968), which held unconstitutional a similar statute.
We do not find the Davids case to be persuasive. We conclude that the statute bears a real and substantial relationship to highway safety generally and does not constitute an improper exercise of the police power. See State v. Mele, 103 N.J. Super. 353 ( Cty. Ct. 1968); Commonwealth v. Howie, 238 N.E.2d 373 ( Mass. Sup. Jud. Ct. 1968), certiorari denied 393 U.S. 999, 89 S.Ct. 485, 21 L.Ed.2d 464 (1968); State ex rel. Colvin v. Lombardi, 241 A.2d 625 ( R.I. Sup. Ct. 1968); State v. Anderson, 3 N.C. App. 124, 164 S.E.2d 48 ( Ct. App. 1968); Everhardt v. City of New Orleans, 253 La. 285, 217 So.2d 400 ( Sup. Ct. 1968); People v. Carmichael, 56 Misc.2 d 388, 288 N.Y.S.2d 931 ( Cty. Ct. 1968); People v. Schmidt, 54 Misc.2 d 702, 283 N.Y.S.2d 290 ( Cty. Ct. 1967).
Affirmed.