SPRINGFIELD -- Legislation that would repeal much of Missouri's motorcycle helmet law is on its way to Gov. Jay Nixon.  Advocates for a repeal are a signature away from a victory in a decades-long fight.

This is legislation that's repeatedly been debated but hasn't gotten this far since 1999.   Even some who believe motorcyclists should have the right to choose aren't sure that 21 is the right age to begin allowing them to do it.

The bill, passed by both the House and Senate, would allow anyone 21 and over to ride without helmets on all Missouri roads, except the interstate highways.

"It's our choice; we're the ones who ride, so it should be our choice," said Rob Hail of El Dorado Springs.

Hail is a member of Freedom of Road Riders, a group that's heavily lobbied lawmakers for a repeal.  Hail argues that riding without a helmet forces cyclists to make smarter decisions that keep them safer.

"Once you don't don your helmet, you become more aware if your surrounding and everybody else. You become more of a defensive driver," Hail said.

Safety advocates would disagree, and say the helmet can be the only thing that protects a rider from severe injury or death.

"They want it to be their choice. My choice would be to wear one -- anytime I ride the bike," said Jerry Johnston of Springfield's J.J. Cycles.

He falls on the side of personal choice but thinks the age has been set too low.

"I know how I was in that 21 range and just feel we start maturing after 21," Johnston said. 

"You have 21-year-olds that act like 10-year-olds and you have 28-year-olds that act like mature adults," said Hail.

Picking an age is arbitrary but Johnston doesn't expect helmet sales to fall off.  He said the most experienced drivers have usually taken a fall, or know someone on a bike who has had a close call.  That, he said, makes the decision easy.

"I encourage everyone that buys a motorcycle to also have a good helmet," Johnston said.

Nixon has not said whether he will sign the bill into law.

"As he does with all bills that reach his desk, the governor will carefully review this particular piece of legislation once the session concludes before making a decision on whether or not to sign it into law," said Nixon's spokesman, Scott Holste.

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