AUGUSTA – A strong majority of a legislative committee voted Thursday to kill a bill to make motorcycle helmets mandatory in Maine, decreasing its chances of passage after it reaches the House and Senate.

Nine members of the Transportation Committee voted to reject the bill, LD 172, while three voted to recommend its passage. One member went with a third alternative, to make helmets mandatory until a motorcyclist turns 21.

Organized motorcyclists have helped to keep Maine a no-helmet state for years.

The current bill is the first of its kind in the state since 1989.

State law does require helmets for passengers under 15 and motorcyclists with only a learner’s permit or operators who have had their motorcycle license for less than a year, according to the Bureau of Highway Safety.

Proponents cite a rising number of motorcycle deaths in recent years as justification for a helmet law.