FIRST ON 3: SC Supreme Court strikes down Myrtle Beach helmet law

South Carolina’s highest court has ruled that motorcycle riders at one of the East Coast’s favorite coastal vacation spots can once again ride without helmets.

In a decision issued Tuesday, the court ruled that Myrtle Beach can’t require bikers to wear helmets because there’s no state law requiring them.

Myrtle Beach passed the local law in 2008 to try to curb two popular biker rallies that had drawn complaints from residents.

Both rallies reported double-digit drops in attendance following the ordinance.

The court says individual cities can not write different rules on motorcycle helmets.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)