As the weather warms up, motorcyclists are heading outside. Every year around this time the debate heats up over whether motorcyclists should be required to wear helmets in Connecticut.

Twenty states require motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but in Connecticut the right to choose remains the rule of the road. Legislation requiring helmets has been proposed at least 10 times in the past 25 years, but it rarely makes it to the floor of the state Legislature for a vote.

Statistics show helmets save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a motorcycle helmet reduces the likelihood of a fatality in a crash by 37 percent.

?I feel it should be law that you should have to wear a helmet in the state of Connecticut,? Westport resident Barry Goldstein said.

?I think at a certain age you?re entitled to make your own decision,? motorcyclist Peter Benedict said. Benedict adds that he usually wears a helmet when on his bike.

The law requires anyone under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle.