Legislative Update

Parade has an article with a poll entitled: Must Bikers Wear Helmets? If you'd like to read it and cast your own vote, go here: http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_06-22-2008/Intelligence_Report

http://www.mrf.org/reports/2008/08LR15-Leaders_Report-June.htm

MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
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Suite 510
Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice)
202-546-0986 (fax)
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For Immediate Release

Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations
Email: jeff@mrf.org

June 26, 2008

Washington Update

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) reports that a new web-based survey for motorcyclists has been launched by the Federal Highway Administration's Motorcycle Advisory Council (FHWA-MAC). The members of the FHWA MAC recently created the 2008 Motorcyclist Road Conditions Survey. The purpose of the survey is to help state and federal highway administrators better understand and plan for the needs of motorcycle riders. All riders are encouraged to take the survey before the deadline of August 1st 2008. The idea is to launch the survey during riding season when riders are most aware of current conditions and can more accurately respond to the survey.

To take the ten minute survey before August 1st visit:
www.surveymonkey.com/MACmembersHighwaySurvey

Governors Highway Safety Association

Last week the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released a report on motorcycle safety. The report was in response to the GHSA survey of state motorcycle safety programs. The survey covered a wide range of safety contributors including but not limited to, funding programs, helmet laws, availability of rider education, anti impairment campaigns, road construction and data collection issues.

According to the report, "Motorcycles have become part of the popular culture in the United States. Commercials and movies featuring positive images of motorcycles and motorcyclists are commonplace." The report also goes on to point out that "Not surprisingly, the motorcycle sales increase is one factor that has led to increased rider injuries and fatalities."
The report also points out the fact that motorcycle sales have quadrupled over the same time frame that fatalities have doubled.

Funding continues to be an issue. In discussing a survey of state programs and monies issued during the first two fiscal years (FY) of the federal 2010 funds, the GHSA report states, "In 2006, $5,940,000 in federal 2010 Motorcyclist Safety Grants was distributed to 44 states and Puerto Rico.
In FY 2007, $6,000,000 in federal 2010 Motorcyclist Safety Grants was distributed to 47 states and Puerto Rico. The average grant was $122,000 in 2006 and $125,000 in 2007. However, the 2006 funds were awarded very late in the fiscal year (FY) and were rolled over to FY 2007. As a result, most State Highway Safety Offices did not begin actively working to address motorcycle safety issues until FY 2007. Many states also use federal 402 and 410 grants to supplement motorcycle safety activities."
During the last two years, almost every state has received a 2010 Motorcyclist Safety Grant from the federal government. Yet, states continue to face serious budget and programmatic shortfalls in this area.

"While the report does put some emphasis on helmet laws, it also carefully points out some of the other issues that groups like GHSA have been reluctant to address in the past. Issues that the MRF has been working to advance to the forefront of motorcycle safety for decades, such as funding rider ed, clear marking of construction zones, and increased new motorcycle sales are several examples" said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the MRF.

You can find the report in its entirety at:
http://www.ghsa.org/html/publications/survey/motorcycle/summary.pdf

This Just In.

A Pennsylvania joint House and Senate committee on legislative budget and finance issued a report on June 25th, 2008 on the fatality trends since PA's modernization of its helmet law in 2003. The report found that "Due to the substantial increase in motorcycle registration, the rate of crashes per 10,000 motorcycle registrations actually declined from 132.4 in CY (Calendar Year) 2000 to 113.2 crashes per 10,000 motorcycle registrations in CY 2007".
The report also showed that helmeted riders involved in a collision dropped from 67% in 2000 to 57% in 2007.

The report also attempted to make a connection with the new helmet law and a rise in traumatic head injury but had to admit that "We found that the linkages between existing data sources that are necessary to specifically determine the relationship between helmet usage and head trauma-related injuries and fatalities are currently not in place." The study does quote some secondary studies that claim to actually be able to make a case for a rise in head injuries.

To read the full 62 page committee report visit:
http://lbfc.legis.state.pa.us/

Click on "reports released" and then scroll down to the Transportation heading and you will find "Motorcycle Injuries and Fatalities Since the 2003 Repeal of the Mandatory Helmet Law".

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Pennsylvania bill mandates
motorcycle helmet use The Staff of Clutch and Chrome June 24th 2008 Citing a study showing an increase in head injuries among riders a Pennsylvania politician wants to mandate motorcycle helmet use.

State Representative Dan Frankel has introduced H.B. 945, a bipartisan bill that would restore the helmet requirement for riders 21 or older, restoring the parts of Pennsylvania's motorcycle-helmet law that were repealed in 2003.

Recently, two University of Pittsburgh faculty members compared four years of data concerning motorcycle related fatalities; the two years before and two after the helmet law was repealed. According to their analysis, head injury deaths increased 66 percent and motorcycle-related head injury hospitalization increased 78 percent. The complete findings of the study will be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

The 2006 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee also conducted a study which had similar findings and effect on the number of motorcycle riders' injuries in Pennsylvania following the helmet-law repeal.

Frankel points to the increases and the possibility the data could get worse with higher fuel prices encouraging more people to ride motorcycles.

Sputnik

Another state finally gets it. More ammo for the coming bout with Carona.

Sputnik

bikers June 23, 2008

Read Comments(2)Recommend (1)Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What's this? In the past, surges in motorcycle accidents and fatalities have been cited primarily to support arguments for mandatory use of safety helmets. We support laws requiring helmet use, but realize that such a focus is limited. The limitation is being addressed by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission's Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Committee. The committee has launched a statewide motorcycle-safety campaign, using broadcast commercials and billboards aimed not at bikers but at operators of vehicles other than motorcycles.

There is good reason for the safety campaign. Louisiana ranks third in the nation in biker fatalities. Lafayette's record is not good, either. Last year, six motorcycle-related deaths occurred in the city.

The Insurance Information Institute says cycling has become more popular in recent years. The number of bikes on our roads has soared, and the appeal to older riders has increased. Deaths among cyclists 40 and older have climbed substantially, the institute says.

In August, a safety summit produced by MSAC and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission was held in Baton Rouge. Safety officials pinpointed reasons for the alarming increase in motorcycle fatalities. Among them were lack of professional training, speeding, lack of protective equipment such as helmets and operating while impaired by alcohol or other substances.

These are all valid reasons for the alarming death rate among bikers, but it is an incomplete list.

MSAC's new awareness campaign expands the safety focus - targeting drivers of cars and trucks who pay too little attention to cyclists.

James "Poet" Sisco, president of ABATE Louisiana - American Bikers Active Toward Education - and a founder of MSAC, explained the new focus.

"We try to teach safer crashing, and that's the wrong approach," he said.
"We should teach crash avoidance. It will do a lot more for them than any helmet or safe crashing will."

MSAC's awareness campaign already has shown positive results.

According to Sisco, "It used to be that two-thirds of all motorcycle crashes were the fault of a driver violating the right-of-way of a motorcyclist.
That figure has come down to at least 40 percent, and I would like to think this campaign has something to do with it."

State funds are provided for the awareness campaign. House Resolution 3 allocates $100,000 specifically for motorcycle education and awareness.
The campaign calls for establishing six more billboards every year, if funds are available. Scheduled to expire in 2009, a reallocation of funds has been approved starting in 2010.

Motorcycle safety will be enhanced if drivers of other types of vehicles keep a close watch for bikers. We urge all our readers to heed the message of the awareness campaign

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11:20 AM

The Supreme Court has just ruled that it is a Consttutional Right for citizens to own guns for self protection and hunting with some government regulations.

Sputnik

Here is a link to a story for more info.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91913260

Read in this mornings Galveston Daily News an interview with Senator Carona. He was quoted as saying he will introduce a Bill to reinstate the helmet law in Texas this coming session.
Get ready for a fight.

Sputnik
State Chair
Texas Motorcycle Rights Association

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=3a47e87e2baaafc5



This is my response to Mr. Paschenko concerning his Article

Mr. Paschenko;

Senator Carona’s desire comes from an attitude problem rather than any facts. He professes to want the helmet law reinstated to save lives. His committee took our Dedicated Funds, which only motorcyclist pay into, and moved it from the 402 status to the 601. This allows DPS to take 25% of our budget for their use. This amounts to a $250,000 loss to our training budget.

We asked for a law to increase the punishment for those who cause a collision resulting in death or serious injury due to inattentive driving.
Currently if a driver fails to yield the right of way and injures or kills someone they pay only a small fine and go home. This Bill was killed.

Insurance companies reserve the right to not pay benefits if you are injured in an accident while participating in a dangerous activity including riding a motorcycle. We offered a Bill to correct this problem and it too was killed. Thus we have to carry insurance that may not pay benefits if we are injured on our motorcycles.

Maryland introduced a strong Motorcycle Awareness campaign in their state, cutting the number of accidents by 50% in the first year. We have argued for the same type program in this state for years and have been rebuffed.
So much for the Senator’s claim that he is concerned about rider safety.

The legislature established a Traumatic Injury Fund to help pay for injuries not covered by insurance or patient pay. The funding comes from added cost of traffic tickets and other fines. The same committee which moved our Training Fund also moved this fund out of the dedicated class along with several other dedicated funds. This was done to show a balanced budget when one did not actually exist. So much for his concern about cost.

I met several times with the Senator’s Staff and staff members from Baylor College of Medicine during the last session concerning his Bill. We were given the cost of motorcycle injuries to the hospital but they couldn’t give us the same cost breakdown on those injured in auto accidents saying that information was not available. We again expounded on the benefit of a strong Motorcycle Awareness Program and were told by the representatives from Baylor that if we would accept the Bill they would pay for an awareness campaign. How would that save them money.

We will once again oppose his Bill and soundly defeat it. This isn’t about wind in your hair. It is about the constitution which government refuses to accept.

Respectfully,
Sputnik
State Chair
Texas Motorcycle Rights Association
512-971-6777

Date: 6/16/2008
From: raine@bannedbreed.com
Just a friendly update on the motorcycle/scooter parking petition that some of you have signed.
At the time of this posting, more than 860 have signed but we are still needing many more so that the City of Dallas knows we are serious.
You can sign the petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/dallasbp/petition.html
There is a companion blog that is keeping the public updated on all media attention, petition counts, etc. http://dallasmotorcycleparking.blogspot.com/
If you have any stories you would like to share about trying to deal with parking, you are welcome to email them to us for inclusion on the blog. Email to: dallasmotorcycleparking@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Raine Devries
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Date: 6/18/2008
From: rogue@bikerrogue.com
The members of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council to the Federal Highway Administration recently created the 2008 Motorcyclist Road Conditions Survey. The purpose of the survey is to help state and federal highway administrators better understand and plan for the needs of motorcycle riders.
All riders are encouraged to take the 10-minute survey before August 1, 2008, by going online to www.surveymonkey.com/MACMembersHighwaySurvey

Rogue
Sturgis Freedom Fighters
Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Member 2005
www.bikerrogue.com

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From: raine@bannedbreed.com

Recently an online petition was launched by a group of individual motorcycle and scooter riders. Dallas is the 6th largest motorcycle owning market in the U.S. and filled with designated parking for handicapped, compact cars and SUV spaces. What the city is desperately lacking is designated motorcycle/scooter parking. All too often a single bike has to take up an entire parking space or meter which causes frustration amongst the car drivers we share the road with. This petition requests that the Dallas City Council implement designated motorcycle and scooter parking throughout the city in both public and private lots and parking meters. We also request that the spaces be in high profile locations to ensure the safety of our bikes when they are parked. Within 3 days of the petition launching, it received media coverage from the Dallas Observer and on-air segments from both CW 33 and NBC5.

All links to media coverage can be found at the companion blog: http://dallasmotorcycleparking.blogspot.com/

The petition can be reviewed and signed at: http://www.petitiononline.com/dallasbp/petition.html

Please let me know if there is anything additional you need. I did receive a phone call from Dallas City Council Member Pauline Medrano on Monday (the news segments aired Friday & Saturday nights), informing us that they have asked the City Attorney and the Transportation & Environment Committee to review this request. I’m waiting to hear back when the Committee will be meeting, if it’s open to the public, and if not can we submit supporting data for this issue.
We still need as many signatures as possible though to illustrate our point!

Sincerely,
Raine Devries
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FOR BIKERS WHO WANT TO ATTEND THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION:

Republican State Convention June 11 thru 14 George R. Brown Conv. Center Houston In past years we have not had enough Republicans of TMRA2 to warrant our own Caucas meeting at the Convention, However, I would like to meet with any of our members present at the Entrance to the Vendor and Display area. We will be there at breaks between Senate, Dist. Caucas meetings and breaks during the General Convention on the Main floor.
This promises to be an interesting year with the party division on THE TEXAS CORRIDOR and the movement to IMPEACH RICK PERRY.
See you there,

Ron Ashmore
Dist. 24 Advisor
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Florida and Michigan had all their delegates except with each having only 1/2 vote. Harold Ickes on behalf of Hillary Clinton reserved the right to appeal the decision to the Credentials Committee.

Sputnik