April 2008

    US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is urging Congress to allow states to divert federal money now used for motorcycle training and awareness to instead promote the use of motorcycle helmets.
    Peters sent letters to House and Senate leaders in February asking for the change.
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and many others, expressed concern that diverting federal motorcycle safety funds to promote helmet use could harm rider training courses and motorcycle awareness programs that are already underfunded in many states.
AMA also expressed concern that Peters' proposal could contradict sections of transportation bills passed in 1998 and 2005 that ban the use of federal motorcycle safety funds to lobby state legislatures in favor of mandatory helmet laws and could effectively reverse those bans.
    The AMA strongly advocates the voluntary use of helmets by adults, along with other appropriate safety gear, and does not oppose laws requiring helmet use by minors. But the Association believes adults should be allowed to make their own decisions about when to wear a helmet.

    The United Nations General Assembly debate on global road safety will be held on 31st March in New York.
    The Make Roads Safe campaign is now gearing up for a final push to
secure support for its key demand: a first ever UN Ministerial Conference on global road safety.
    Members of the public and politicians in dozens of countries are being urged to support the call for a UN conference to begin to tackle the rising toll of road deaths and injuries. UN member governments will decide on the proposal in the UN debate on 31st March.

    The British Motorcyclists Federation, an influential UK rider lobby group, has added a 'Know Your Rights' guide to its handy, pocket-sized series of 'Fast Facts' cards.
    Designed as a quick guide to a rider's rights, the latest BMF card sets out the procedure that should be followed in various instances from reporting an accident to how to respond to a police stop check. It also explains the procedure that is applied in safety camera offences.

     The cards tackle questions regularly asked on such topics as the correct legal markings for exhaust systems; the current standard for helmets and the current limit for tinted visors, typical enquiries this year have covered who should have reported what and to whom in a accident situation; the law regarding personal injury or property damage and the rules applying in the increasingly common practice of police stop checks. For further information contact http://www.bmf.co.uk/pages/bmf_main_pages.php?main_page_id=179.

    Oklahoma House Bill 3241, sponsored by Rep. Skye McNiel (R-29), would require detectors for certain traffic-actuated signals to recognize the presence of motorcycles. For years, riders have complained of being stranded at intersections controlled by traffic-actuated signals that don't detect their motorcycles. Contact your state representative in support of HB 3241 by using the AMA Rapid Response Center at www.AMADirectlink.com.

    Tennessee Senate bill 3585, introduced by Sen. Reginald Tate (D-Memphis), would strengthen requirements for parents to ensure that young OHV riders wear helmets. Under the proposed bill, a parent commits an offense if the parent knew or should have known that a child would be operating or riding as a passenger on an OHV without wearing a helmet. The text of the bill is available in the Rapid Response Center of www.AMADirectLink.com.

    Rhode Island public buildings would be required to provide one designated motorcycle parking space for each thirty automobile parking spaces. Senate Bill 2017, sponsored by Sen. John J. Tassoni (D-Smithfield), would also require motorcycle designated parking spaces to be located adjacent to, or within the sight, of the building.

    Virginia House bill 460, introduced by Del. Donald Merricks (R-Danville), would restrict riders between the ages of 12 and 16 to dirtbikes that don't exceed 90cc displacement. Youngsters under 12 would be restricted to machines displacing 70cc or less. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation. More information is available in the Rapid Response Center on www.AMADirectLink.com. 

    Washington House bill 2919 and its companion bill Senate bill 6643 would allow a motorcyclist to proceed through a "stuck" intersection turn arrow after waiting for a full cycle of the light. The bills are being supported by the AMA and the Washington Road Riders Association (WRRA). See WRRA's website www.roadriders.org for the latest on these bills.

    West Virginia House Bill 2834, sponsored by Del. Kenneth Tucker (D-Moundsville), would permit motorcycle helmet choice for adults who have a motorcycle license or endorsement for at least two years. The legislation would also increase the motorcycle safety and education committee to eight members.

    The Tulsa Trail Riders have opened new trails in Scipio, OK near McAlister. The Scipio Recreational Trail Area is open to the public and is Oklahoma's newest multiuse off-road recreational riding and hiking area. The Trail Area consists of 1720 acres of varying terrain with about 300 feet of elevation changes over the whole property. There are 25 miles of established trails. Daily or Annual Riding Permits are available from the Scipio Grocery Store, located 1/2 mile south of the Scipio Baptist Church. For further information see www.scipiotrails.com.  

    Illinois SB2801 was introduced so that a person may not transport a child under 16 years of age as a passenger on a motorcycle, motor driven cycle, or motorized pedalcycle unless: the child is wearing protective headgear and the chin strap is properly fastened; or the person is the child's parent or legal guardian and the person is carrying a Child Passenger Permit. Provides that a parent or legal guardian of a child under 16 years of age may apply to the Secretary of State for a Child Passenger Permit to allow the child named in the Child Passenger Permit to be a passenger of that parent or legal guardian on a motorcycle without wearing protective headgear. The price of the permit is $100 per child.
    ABATE of Illinois and the American Motorcyclist Association opposes this bill which has been sent to the Senate Rules Committee further action. More information is available in the Rapid Response Center on www.AMADirectLink.com.  

    American Trails 19th National Trails Symposium will be in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 15-18, 2008. The theme for the 2008 Symposium is Innovative Trails: Transforming the American Way of Life.
    To help develop an exciting and motivating program for the Symposium, American Trails invites you to submit ideas for presentations in support of the Symposium's theme. They expect to offer 40 concurrent sessions, each lasting 75 minutes.
    Another opportunity, in a smaller scale format, to display information about your project or issue to a wide audience is creating a poster. Posters will be displayed in a common area throughout the Symposium. Individuals displaying posters will also have an opportunity to share their "story" and to meet with interested attendees at designated times during the Symposium.
    Deadline for submitting proposals is April 18, 2008.
    The Program Committee is particularly seeking presentations that introduce new ideas, convey useful strategies, identify lessons learned, and strengthen participants' existing skills and knowledge - in the spirit of the Symposium theme.
    For additional information about the program, contact the Program Committee Co-Chair: Rory Robinson, Outdoor Recreation Planner, National Park Service, Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance, via phone (330) 657-2951 or fax (330) 657-2955; or e-mail rory_robinson@nps.gov.  

    Indiana legislation regarding motorcycle registration fees is on the move. In 2007 a $10.00 spinal cord and brain injury trust fund fee that was added to Hoosier riders' motorcycle registration. Legislation to repeal that $10.00 fee is moving through the Indiana General Assembly and could use your help. Visit the Indiana StateWatch area of the AMA Rapid Response Center for the Action Alert that explains House Bill 1318 and how you can help get it passed.

    Colorado House Bill 1104, which would strengthen the penalty structure for motorists committing rights-of-way violations resulting in bodily injury or death, is headed to the full House for consideration. Take a minute to review the Action Alert and make your voice heard on this important legislation by visiting the Colorado StateWatch area of the AMA Rapid Response Center on www.AMADirectlink.com. 

    Glendale, AZ Motorcycle riders wrote more than 70 letters to Cactus district councilmember Phil Lieberman saying they would like to see the city implement a motorcycle safety awareness sign campaign.
    During a recent council workshop, Transportation Director Jamsheed Mehta said that the fatality rate of motorcycle crashes continued to rise for the ninth year in a row.
    Information presented to council stated that studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attribute these alarming statistics to several factors including an all-time high number of registered motorcycles, lack of rider experience or training, lax helmet laws in several states including Arizona, more congested roadways, high blood-alcohol content among a vast majority of riders involved in crashes and inexperienced an inattentive motorists.
    They went on to recognize that the single highest cause of motorcycle related crashes is the inattentive motor vehicle driver and that nearly two-thirds of all vehicle-motorcycle crashes are caused by the vehicle driver.
    A request will now be given to the Glendale Citizen's Transportation Oversight Committee (CTOC) for their consideration on funding and placement of the new signs.
    These steps, along with many others are in the spirit of the AMA's ongoing Justice for All campaign to increase motorist awareness of motorcycles and punish those drivers who violate the right of way of others. More information on Justice for All can be found at http://www.amadirectlink.com/justice/index.asp.  

    Citing an effort to hold down costs, health insurance giant Blue Cross wants doctors in California to report conditions it could use to cancel new patients' medical coverage.
    The state's largest for-profit health insurer is sending physicians copies of health insurance applications filled out by new patients, along with a letter advising them that the company has a right to drop members who fail to disclose "material medical history," the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site.
    WellPoint Inc., the Indianapolis-based company that operates Blue Cross of California, said it was sending out the letters in an effort to keep costs at a minimum.
    Blue Cross is one of several California insurers that have been criticized for issuing policies without checking applications and then canceling coverage after individuals incur major medical costs. The practice of canceling coverage is under scrutiny by state regulators, lawmakers and the courts.
    This type of arbitrary discrimination is exactly what the AMA and others are fighting through the introduction of the HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act (HR1076). For more information on this and to find out what you can do to help see the Action Alert in the Rapid Response section of www.AMADirectlink.com.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a report on Effects of Alcohol on Motorcycle Riding Skills. It has been posted to NHTSA's website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.3d62007aac5298598fcb6010dba046a0/. The report is located under the category Pedestrians/Bicycles/Motorcycles. Printed versions of the report will be available in about two months.

AMA Government Relations News & Notes is a monthly service compiled and edited by the AMA
Government Relations Staff to keep motorcyclists informed of happenings around the world. We welcome
your news & views. Please submit all material to Terry Lee Cook, Grassroots Manager,
13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147; fax 614-856-1920 or e-mail to tcook@ama-cycle.org.