Senate votes to relax helmet law, vehicle inspections

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has passed legislation doing away with vehicle safety inspections for thousands of Missourians and letting adult motorcyclists cruise the highways without helmets. The legislation passed Thursday by the Senate now needs only a final House vote to go to Gov. Mike Parson.

It would do away with the helmet requirement for adults age 18 and older who have health insurance.

It also would exempt vehicles with fewer than than 150,000 miles and no more than 10 years old from needing safety inspections when renewing their registrations. Safety inspections currently are required for all vehicles more than five years old.

Legislative staff estimate almost 1.2 million vehicles could become exempt from inspections as a result of the bill.