AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman called for the U.S. Department of Transportation to expedite a long-overdue federal study into the causes of motorcycle crashes in a meeting with the agency's head, Secretary Mary Peters, on Friday, October 3. Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) David Kelly, and AMA Vice President of Government Relations Ed Moreland also attended the meeting.>

"There are an estimated 10 million motorcyclists on the road today, more than at any time in America's history," said Dingman. "As a direct result of this growth and increased usage, we are experiencing more crashes, injuries and fatalities. Our meeting with Secretary Peters--a motorcyclist herself--was cordial yet frank. We believe she understands the sense of urgency to get this crash research underway."

According to NHTSA statistics released by Peter's office in September, the number of motorcycle riders or passengers killed on U.S. roads in 2007 increased 6.6 percent over 2006, while the overall number of traffic fatalities fell to the lowest number since 1994.

"Some time ago, Congress and the motorcycling community committed the necessary funds for this study," said Dingman. "For too long, NHTSA has simply focused on a strategy of advocating mandatory helmet use, while doing little to prevent crashes from occurring in the first place. With a new administration set to take office on January 20, we can't afford any more delays while motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities continue to mount. The time to begin the study is now."

Dingman stressed that while the AMA strongly supports voluntary helmet use as one element of a comprehensive approach to motorcycle safety, a higher priority must be given by NHTSA to crash prevention, which must include greater emphasis on motorist awareness programs to educate road users about motorcycles.

The crash study is being undertaken by the Oklahoma Transportation Center, an independent and well-respected research facility at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. The last major motorcycle crash study was completed in 1980, and it provided a wealth of data that has been used to develop training and strategies to help keep riders safer on the road. In the decades since, the traffic environment has changed enormously, prompting the AMA to begin campaigning for a new study several years ago.

"The idea behind the motorcycle crash causation study is to help us understand the causes of crashes so that effective countermeasures can be developed," said Dingman. "Absent this study, countermeasures will continue to be developed in a vacuum, with no way to know which measures will be effective."

In their meeting Friday, Dingman also urged Secretary Peters to reject New York City's request to ban motorcycles from high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Federal law stipulates that HOV lanes must allow motorcycles to use the lanes unless proven to pose a safety hazard.

"Secretary Peters was supportive of our desire to end New York City's illegal ticketing of motorcyclists in HOV lanes," said Dingman.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 122, Motorcycle Brake Systems, which applies to both two-wheeled and three-wheeled motorcycles.

The proposal will specify a more stringent dry-brake measure; provide new high-speed, wet-brake and heat-fade tests; specify tests and performance requirements for antilock brake systems; and add a new power-assisted-braking-system failure test. The rule would match a global technical regulation that has already been adopted.

The US Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters, recently announced a proposal for new safety rules governing motorcycle helmets. The press release issued by the secretary's office states that the new rules "Will improve motorcycle safety by making it easier for riders to identify and use effective helmets, instead of unsafe 'novelty helmets.' The proposal will also make it harder for riders to use novelty helmets in states that require DOT-certified helmets."

"Novelty helmets do little to protect riders during an accident," Secretary Peters said. "This proposal will make it easier for riders to know in advance whether the helmet they buy will keep them safe."

The proposal would amend the agency's current motorcycle helmet safety rules to require manufacturers to place a larger, tamper-proof DOT label on the back of certified helmets. The new labels will make it harder for vendors to remove the labels on safe helmets and affix them to the unsafe novelty helmets.

The proposed rule would also strengthen the tests helmets must go through to receive DOT certification, including updated tests on how the helmets hold up during impact, whether objects can penetrate the helmet and how well the helmet stays in place during a crash.

"As our testing has shown, 'novelty' helmets do not have the energy absorbing capacity to protect a rider in a highway crash," said David Kelly, Acting NHTSA Administrator. "A DOT-certified and labeled helmet, as proposed today, will help consumers make more knowledgeable decisions when purchasing a helmet."

Once published in the Federal Register, the agency will seek public comment for 60 days. To view the proposed rule, go to www.nhtsa.gov.

The US Senate may consider an omnibus public lands package (S. 3213) during a potential lame-duck session which would consist of more than 160 bills grouped together by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada).

According to Senator Reid's office, the legislation was combined after consulting Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Ken Salazar (D-Colorado); both are members of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and sit on the Subcommittee on Public Lands. While all three Senators have remained fairly neutral on the subject of off-highway vehicle use on public lands, the legislation would create over 1 million acres of new Wilderness.

Of primary concern to the motorized recreation community, is the inclusion of legislation to make the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) permanent. The NLCS would create an additional level of bureaucracy in the already muddled Travel Management Rule and remove much of the authority of the existing agencies in managing public lands. While the House of Representatives passed the NLCS measure earlier this year, the Senate is the last Congressional gatekeeper that would stop the bill from going to the president for signature.

The AMA is asking all members and outdoor recreation enthusiasts to contact their Senators and ask them block passage of S. 3213. The vote would be set for the week of November 17th and has been identified as Senator Reid's top priority legislatively. Everyone's help is required in communicating the message that we cannot afford to close any more lands to responsible motorized recreation through the unneeded creation of Wilderness designations and the piling on of bureaucratic red-tape.

For more information on S. 3213, contact the AMA through Sheila Andrews at sandrews@ama-cycle.org. Also, if you would like a fast and easy way to get the message to vote 'No' in November out to your Senators, the AMA has made an e-mail letter available at www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Just click on the "Rights" section, then go to "Issues & Legislation" and click the "Take Action" button.

New Hampshire - The City Council of Methuen has given the preliminary OK to change the ordinance governing the use of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on private property. The new law would impose a $100 fine on anyone operating OHVs on their property within 500 feet of a neighboring dwelling.

"You should be able to ride on your own property, but on the same token, you definitely have to be respectful of your neighbors," Bob Correa, vice president of the New England Motocross Association, said during an interview. "In a lot of towns, you're seeing a lot of stuff like this happening. I think it's unfortunate."

The council approved the measure in an initial read, but it will have to be voted on a second time in order to take effect.

ACEM, the Association des Constructeurs Europeens de Motocycles, or the Motorcycle Industry in Europe, has chosen a cartoon to help motorcycle and scooter riders avoiding the potential risks related to hazardous road conditions. The cartoon was launched at the European Road Safety Day organized by the European Commission in Paris on Monday, October 13th.

The objective of this safety campaign is to raise the riders' awareness about the potential risks coming from the roadway itself. The campaign was developed together with motorcycle instructors and will feature 13 episodes released on a monthly basis. Each issue will focus on a particular risk factor; offering tips and recommendations to riders on how to best tackle these different situations.

Accidents caused by road and highway conditions account for eight percent of all crashes in Europe. Poor conditions of many European roads and the fact that Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs) specific needs are still often neglected in road engineering are the main reasons for this situation. Therefore, rider behavior plays a major role in PTW safety. By providing more information on the road environment, this safety campaign will help riders to make better choices and contribute to improving personal safety.

The cartoon can be downloaded from www.acem.eu/cartoon. Following the first release on intersections, the next episodes will feature roadside hazards, dangerous road surfaces, diesel and liquid spills, damaged and badly repaired surfaces, badly designed traffic flow-control devices, night time hazards, winter and ice treatments, surface debris, badly designed medians, metal fixtures and paint markings, and badly designed curves.

With this safety campaign the Motorcycle Industry reaffirms its commitment toward safety. ACEM is a signatory of the European Road Safety Charter aiming at reducing road fatalities by 50 percent by 2010.

The 2008 AMA Congress gathered October 9-11 to consider numerous issues affecting amateur motorcycle competition and recreational riding in the United States. Rule changes passed by AMA Congress included the regulation of motorcycle sound levels at competitive events, motocross class advancement and new event types for road riders.

In all, AMA Congress considered 83 rule proposals at the 2008 annual meeting, 47 of which were passed or amended for possible ratification by the AMA Board of Directors. In deference to the needs of local AMA organizers, the AMA and original equipment manufacturers, most rules adopted by the 2008 AMA Congress will not take effect before 2010, at the earliest.

Most notably, the 2008 AMA Congress passed a 94 dBA standard for all amateur and Pro-Am motocross and off-road competition, effective in 2011. The new standard will not apply to land-speed racing, speed trials or drag-racing events.

The new level mirrors both the 2009 standard for professional motocross and Supercross racing in the United States, as well as the level mandated by the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme), which governs international motorcycle competition. Currently, sound limits for amateur motorcycle competition are 99 dBA for closed-course competition and 96 dBA for cross-country racing.

"Few issues contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively loud motorcycles, and this measure addresses the issue head-on," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "This standard is already in place for professional and international competition, making this one of the most cost-effective and easy-to-implement solutions to the sound problem. That said, AMA Congress understands that amateur competitors may need more time to adopt this new standard and wisely established a reasonable deadline for compliance."

Also at the meeting, AMA Congress passed revised advancement procedures for amateur motocross racers, which are designed to be more equitable to C-class riders poised to advance to the B level. On the road-riding side, the AMA Congress considered several proposals, including two that develop new types of events. One is the Bonus Hunt, which is part scavenger hunt and part road enduro. The other provides a more detailed procedure for the popular Vintage Motogiro event, which gives owners of vintage and antique motorcycles a chance to meet and show off their unique machines.