Take an active role in the upcoming elections! With the 2010 midterm election fast approaching, the AMA has some great tools to help educate you on how your elected officials acted upon and voted on motorcycle-relevant issues. For more information on these great tools, including the 2010 AMA Voter Guide, please go
here. If you are not already registered to vote, please click here and follow the four simple steps to register today. Your vote does count and you do make a difference every time you vote!
Pickerington Ohio: In what can only be considered good news for motorcyclists, federal officials have reported that motorcycling deaths on the nation's roads dropped by 16 percent in 2009 compared to the previous year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that motorcycling fatalities in 2009 decreased for the first time in more than a decade -- dropping to 4,462 in 2009 from 5,312 in 2008. (
Click here to read the press release from NHTSA.)
Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, cautioned that there will be speculation about why motorcycling fatalities are down so significantly in 2009, and noted that there aren't any solid answers.
"The motorcycling community looks forward to receiving some real answers about motorcycle crashes and what causes them from the new federal crash causation study that is under way at Oklahoma State University (OSU) through the Oklahoma Transportation Center in Stillwater," Moreland said. "Then we can put our heads together to find solutions, reduce crashes and save more lives."
The last major study into the causes of motorcycle crashes was published in January 1981. That study provided a wealth of data that has been used by organizations and individual motorcyclists to help keep riders safer on the road. But the traffic environment has changed enormously in the decades since, prompting the AMA to begin campaigning for a new study several years ago.
To read the full AMA press release, including a link to the full data, click
here.
AMA grant supports mission of ASMI: A recent grant to Accident Scene Management, Inc. (ASMI) from the AMA further underscores the association’s support of motorcyclists helping motorcyclists. Founded and led by Vicki Roberts-Sanfelipo, RN/EMT, ASMI offers bystander assistance programs to enhance the survival rate and reduce the severity of injuries for crash-involved vehicle operators, especially motorcyclists. With a focus on the assessment and treatment of the injured as well as crash scene management, program graduates are trained to provide a vital link in the survival chain of events. For more information on course offerings and ways to promote safer motorcycling, visit
http://www.accidentscene.org.
AMA seeks suspension of grant program that targets motorcyclists with checkpoints. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is offering law enforcement agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up checkpoints that target only motorcyclists, and the AMA wants to know why. The AMA has asked the agency to suspend the grant program until questions raised by the motorcycling community have been answered.
Under its Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstration grant program, the NHTSA will award up to $350,000 in total to be divided among as many as five law enforcement agencies to set up traffic checkpoints that target motorcyclists.
The demonstration program is modeled after a controversial program in New York where the state police set up a series of checkpoints that targeted only motorcyclists, raising the ire of the AMA and motorcycling community. In 2008, for example, New York State Police announced plans to set up 15 checkpoints near motorcycling events that summer.
The AMA questioned the potential discriminatory and legal nature of the program and sent a list of questions for clarification to the New York State Police. To date, New York authorities have not responded.
The AMA urges all riders to contact NHTSA Administrator David Strickland and ask that the discriminatory Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstration grant program be suspended until questions raised by the motorcycling community are resolved. More details on the grant, the questions asked by the AMA and a pre-written letter to send to Strickland can be found
here.
California: The California senate passed SB 435, known as the "motorcycle exhaust bill," which would require stock exhaust on all model year 2013 and newer motorcycles. The bill is now on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk for his signature. Please urge the governor to veto SB 435 today. To view the AMA’s alert and to contact the governor, click here:
Action needed on motorcycle exhaust bill (SB 435).
One of the country’s most popular off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding areas could soon see nearly 40,000 acres returned to the OHV ledger, thanks to a new plan developed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In April, the BLM released a draft Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) for the 200,000-acre Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, popularly known as Glamis because of its proximity to that town in the far southeastern corner of California.
The public comment period for the RAMP ended June 23. Federal officials are now reviewing the comments, and the "Preferred Alternative"—that is, the plan that the BLM intends to follow that adds about 40,000 more acres for off-highway riding—is likely to be adopted unless the public-comment process points out a legitimate flaw in the BLM’s planning. However, it is unknown when the new BLM plan will go into effect.
More details, including the organizations that came together to make the new plan happen, can be found by visiting the AMA Website
here.
Colorado: In August, the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) led a number of partnering organizations and individuals in suing the Colorado Board of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. COHVCO wants a state court to set aside a recent parks board action that it says inappropriately diverted OHV user fees to activities other than motorized recreation. The lawsuit also alleges that the parks board met in secret three times – a violation of the state’s sunshine law. To learn more see the COHVCO website at
www.cohvco.org.
Illinois: On July 22, the governor signed into law House Bill 4779, sponsored by Rep. Donald L. Moffitt (R- Oneida), which enables a court to require a person to pay an additional criminal penalty that shall be distributed to a public agency that provided an emergency response related to the person's violation for reckless driving or speeding in excess of 40 mph over the posted limit. The criminal penalty may not exceed $100 per public agency for each emergency response provided for a first violation, and may not exceed $500 per public agency for each emergency response provided for a second or subsequent violation.
On July 26, the governor signed into law Senate Bill 3347, sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), which bans the sale, distribution or use of vehicle wheel weights or new vehicles equipped with wheel weights containing mercury or more than 0.1 percent lead by weight.
Indianapolis, Ind.: A tragic crash on Aug. 6 in Indianapolis in which an on-duty police officer smashed into the rear of two motorcycles -- killing one motorcyclist and critically injuring two others -- has captured the attention of motorcyclists around the nation. After initially being arrested with seven felony charges, including driving under the influence, causing death, the alcohol-related charges were dropped after a judge ruled the proper procedures weren’t followed.
The FBI has now joined the investigation and details into additional incidents involving police officers and problematic behavior have surfaced. The Indianapolis Metro police are reviewing their policies while a judge considers a motion for change of venue in the case of the officer involved in the crash on Aug. 6.
For a detailed timeline and additional background information on the case, please visit the AMA website by clicking
here.
North Hampton, N.H.: A town ordinance limiting motorcycle noise levels is unenforceable, according to legal counsel sought by Police Chief Brian Page. North Hampton voters approved an ordinance earlier this year that would require EPA labels on motorcycle exhaust. This is in direct contrast to the state law of New Hampshire that sets a limit of 106 decibels. Legal briefs are expected to be filed on October 7, 2010 for further action in the case.
Source:
http://m.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100907/NEWS/9070301/-1/WAP06&template=wapart&m_section=
Lancaster, Penn.: A taxi driver who killed five motorcyclists and injured one after hitting nearly 100 mph and swerving into oncoming traffic has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. The man, a 65-year old diabetic, argued that he did not eat the day of the crash and suffered complications of his medical condition. The D.A., Craig Stedman, determined the driver knew the risks he was taking and chose to ignore them.
“We concluded that, no doubt, he made a conscious and reckless decision and reckless disregard to maintain his medical condition which led to these terrible results,” said Stedman. The driver’s bail is set at $50,000 and, if released, will not be allowed to drive. He is facing a maximum penalty of 39 years in prison.
Source:
http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Taxi-driver-charged-in-deadly-June-motorcycle/XXp7e1vM7EaM1B81dOc51g.cspx
Pennsylvania: Six thousand acres of abandoned coal lands in Northumberland County are being considered for a multiuse public park. Proposed recreation opportunities at the park would include OHV trails, hiking trails, primitive and full service camping areas, horseback trails, biking areas, hunting access and winter access for snowmobiles and cross-country skiing. The project is still in the planning phase and proponents are requesting assistance. You can sign an online petition supporting the proposed park at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/northumberlandohvpark/.
West Vancouver, Canada: Officials in one Canadian town have developed a new and disturbing way to slow drivers down. Nicknamed “Pavement Patty,” a 2-D image of a young girl chasing after a ball provides the illusion that, as a vehicle approaches, they are driving toward a child in the street. Describing it as the “speed bump of the future”, the image appears to rise up out of the pavement to a full 3-D view around 100 feet. The graphic is in place near a local elementary school in order to slow drivers to the 18 mph speed limit. No reports are available on the effectiveness of the image just yet.
Video of “Pavement Patty” in action is available through NBC news at:
http://www.nbc.com/news-sports/msnbc-video/hologram-of-girl-used-as-high-tech-speed-bump/.
