June 2009

News & Notes is a monthly publication compiled and edited by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Government Relations Department. Designed to inform motorcyclists of rights-related issues and events around the world, News & Notes welcomes your input. Suggestions and contributions can be sent to Sheila Andrews, AMA Legislative Assistant, by e-mail at sandrews@ama-cycle.org.  


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The Vote is in! U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stays enforcement of law banning sale of youth-model motorcycles and ATVs. The CPSC has voted to stay enforcement of a lead law that currently bans the sale of youth-model motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The stay, which extends through May 1, 2011, follows a unanimous vote by Acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore. The AMA Government Relations Department is currently examining the 25-page Stay of Enforcement document and will issue more details shortly.
The law in question is the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Designed to protect children from lead in toys that might easily end up in children's mouths, the language of the legislation has ensnared a number of products that have little exposure risk, including youth-model motorcycles and ATVs. Despite the stay, it is unclear whether state attorneys general will also decline to enforce the CPSIA. The sale of youth-model motorcycles and ATVs is still technically illegal. Even though a stay means that dealers would not be subject to fines or penalties imposed by the CPSC, state attorneys general would still be able to prosecute violators if they chose to do so.
Source: www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=839  


KTM and FMF Racing declare May as "Protect Your Right to Ride" month. KTM North America and FMF Racing have partnered together, along with support from the AMA, BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council and the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) to declare May "Protect Your Right to Ride" month. During the month of May, visit a KTM dealer to find out information about what you can do to protect your right to ride. Each KTM dealer will supply materials provided by the motorcyclist activist clubs and organizations that have been fighting for your rights all along.
When you visit your KTM dealer and show your AMA, BRC and/or ORBA membership card, or choose to sign up for a membership at the dealership, you will receive an entry toward a chance to win a brand new KTM 250 XC-FW with an FMF Q4 Titanium exhaust system. Participants will receive one entry for each of the organizations to which they belong. For more information, visit www.soundoffmc.com, a new website designed to provide the latest information about protecting motorized off-highway recreation.


USDA and Ad Council offer advice on getting faulty Smokey Bear ad off the air. Late last summer, after being contacted by the AMA and others, U.S. Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell asked media outlets to stop airing a Smokey Bear public service announcement (PSA) that unintentionally implied all all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) pose a fire hazard in national forests.
Off-highway vehicle organizations complained that the video not only implied to non-riders that ATVs start forest fires, but also sent a message to OHV riders that they should stay out of the forests during the summer.
The Forest Service has agreed to contact those stations still airing the PSA and request they stop using it, but the Forest Service needs your help. Please contact the Forest Service with any details you may have if you see this offensive and erroneous PSA. The designated contact for this issue is Helene Cleveland, fire prevention program manager, USDA Forest Service, hcleveland@fs.fed.us. Thanks for your help in getting this inappropriate ad completely removed from the airwaves.


A group of national and state trail advocacy organizations representing equestrian, OHV, and bicycling interests recently developed a guide entitled "Sharing Our Trails - A Guide to Trail Safety and Enjoyment." The purpose of the guide is to improve safety and trail satisfaction for all trail enthusiasts on multiple-use trails. Organizations and agencies involved in the development of the guide include the American Motorcyclist Association, American Endurance Ride Conference, Americans for Responsible Recreational Access, American Trails, Back Country Horsemen of America, BlueRibbon Coalition, California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan, Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, International Mountain Bike Association, Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, Loomis Basin Horsemen's Association, Motorcycle Industry Council, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, Off-Road Business Association, Open Beaches - Trails, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Tread Lightly!, United Four Wheel Drive Associations and United States Forest Service. The guide can be found on numerous websites, including www.atvaonline.com/news/story.asp?id=826.  


Rider Eye Tracking Research Program Announced: Dynamic Research Inc. and the Team Oregon Motorcycle Safety Program at Oregon State University have teamed up to conduct research on motorcyclists' eye tracking habits. This research, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently underway. Each year, nearly half of all motorcycle fatalities are due to single vehicle crashes. Many of these crashes are due to motorcyclists' failure to negotiate curves properly. Preliminary research has shown that riders do not look far enough ahead through curves and that this might be a contributing factor of single vehicle crashes at curves. This research strives to identify the role of sight distance and rider-scanning habits in curves, hazard identification, and crash avoidance. The subject groups will be evaluated on a closed course and the open road for the initial spring 2009 testing period, then again following six months and 12 months of riding experience.


Version 2.0 of the Motorcycle Accident In Depth Study (MAIDS) is now available at www.maids-study.eu. It includes a new presentation of the data with a split between mopeds (L1) and motorcycles (L3) in both chapters, chapter 3.0 General Accident Characteristics and chapter 10.0 Rationale for Action. Furthermore, ACEM published the Multivariate Analysis of Fatal Accident in MAIDS. This report describes the results of a multivariate analysis of the in-depth motorcycle accident data collected during the MAIDS project. Data have been presented according to all powered two-wheelers (PTW), as well as L1 and L3 vehicle categories where appropriate.


There is still time to take the ATVA Rider Survey: As part of an ongoing effort to help shape the All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) into a national ATV riders' rights association, and to more effectively communicate with state and local organizations, a user survey has been created. The survey can be found at http://tinyurl.com/c3r93x or www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fMQoeaRtVFZcCIbYImilwA_3d_3d. As an added incentive, respondents will be eligible to receive one of five $50 gift certificates to Rocky Mountain ATV and Motorcycle (www.rockymountainatv.com). This survey will be accessible until May 25, 2009. Please tell every ATV rider you know that the ATVA needs their feedback to shape the future of ATVA.


Sacramento, Calif.: Senate Bill 435, sponsored by Senator Fran Pavley (D-32nd District) would mandate motorcycle smog testing for all model year 2000 and newer class III bikes (over 280cc). As proposed, the test would be implemented in 2012 despite the lack of any evidence that motorcycles are a significant source of mobile emissions statewide. In fact, California's motorcycle engine emission standards are already the strictest in the nation, and were just reduced again for model year 2008 and newer motorcycles.
Go to http://capwiz.com/amacycle//issues/alert/?alertID=12937506 to send an e-mail to the state legislature opposing this unwarranted proposal. Current program cost estimates include spending more than $400,000 just to modify the DMV's vehicle registration computer system to identify motorcycles that would be required to take the test.


Oceano, Calif.: A lawsuit has been filed seeking to close the popular Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA). The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) recently filed a formal notice of intent to sue the California Department of Parks and Recreation over its ongoing authorization of motorized vehicle use at the popular recreation site for alleged mortality of wintering snowy plovers, a threatened species of bird. The ODSVRA, located in southern San Luis Obispo County, includes approximately 1,500 acres of sand dunes and 5.5 miles of beach areas open for use by motorized vehicles.
The site is operated and managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation's Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Street-legal vehicles can be operated on the beach in the entire Recreation Area, while the southern portion is also open to off-highway vehicles and camping. The notice announced the CBD's intent to sue the Department if it fails to take action to prevent injury to snowy plovers.


Ride to Work Day turnout expected to increase. This year's 18th commuting demonstration event, to be held on Monday, June 15, is expected to double the number of riders on the road, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit advocacy organization.
According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, more than 80 million cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting on American roads, and about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On Ride To Work Day, the practical side of riding becomes more visible as a larger number of America's 8 million cycles and scooters are ridden to work.
Ride to Work Day shows how riding makes parking easier and helps traffic flow better. Motorcycles and scooters consume fewer resources per mile than automobiles, and they take up less space in parking areas and on roads. Riders seek employer support for this form of transportation, and increased government and public awareness about riding's many benefits.
More information about Ride to Work Day can be found at: www.ridetowork.org/  


Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) fee increase proposed. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) believes that an increase in visitor fees is necessary due to the requirement to provide trash service, increased road maintenance expense, other economy-based increases, and a reduction in revenue due to reduced permit sales. This fee increase would be effective as of Oct. 1, 2009. The BLM will present its recommendations to the California Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) on May 13, 2009, in Vallejo, Calif. Written comments can be submitted prior to the meeting for consideration by the RRAC.
For more information regarding this proposal go to: www.fs.fed.us/r5/passes/rrac/meetings/may2009/blm6.php.  


The Utah Trail Machine Association (UTMA), in partnership with the Utah Four Wheel Drive Association (U4WDA), is reviving its annual clean-up day at Five Mile Pass and would like to invite your organization to join them this Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 23, at the main Five Mile Pass staging area.
This event is being sponsored by the UTMA and the U4WDA and the organizations would like to be able to include your club as a co-sponsor. The event has the full cooperation of the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Natural Resources. To learn more about the event, visit UTMA at www.utma.net/ and click on High Five Project at Five Mile Pass.
Source: www.utma.net/home/content/high-five-5-mile-cleanup  


Rancho Cordova, Calif.: World famous Rubicon Trail to remain open. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously to issue a Cleanup and Abatement Order (CAO) to El Dorado County and the Eldorado National Forest for the Rubicon Trail that sustains continued motorized recreation while also enhancing stewardship of the trail. More than 300 recreationists were present at the recent public hearing, providing a reminder to members of the water board just how much members of the public care about this cherished trail. The revised CAO is a much less prescriptive order than originally proposed, and calls for general consideration and planning but does not mandate specific actions, instead requiring the county and the Forest Service to work together to meet the specified timelines.
Source: www.rubicontrailfoundation.org/