 
Posted: September 28, 2010
Action Needed! - News from Washington
By the MRF
MRF E-MAIL
NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts
Ave. NE | Suite 510 | Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice) |
202-546-0986 (fax) | http://www.mrf.org
Contact: Jeff Hennie, jeff@mrf.org Government Relations and Public Affairs
10NR26 - MRF News Release - News from Washington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 September 2010
Action Needed!
A letter from
Congressman James Sensenbrenner is being sent to United States Department of
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood seeking insight into the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration's recent request for applications from law
enforcement agencies to obtain grant money to hold motorcycle only roadside
checkpoints. The letter also asks that the grant process be suspended until
sound reasoning for the checkpoints is produced.
NHTSA recently
announced that it would solicit applications and then award grants to police
units who want to conduct motorcycle only roadside safety checkpoints. The MRF
is strongly in opposition to this program.
Congressman Sensenbrenner is a long time friend of the MRF and ABATE of WI with a history of
supporting motorcycle rights on issues such most notably as one of the first to
spearhead the repeal of the National mandatory helmet law in 1995. He has also
been a staunch advocate for fairness when it comes to health care issues for
motorcyclists, as well as an active and vocal supporter for the NHTSA lobby
ban.
Mr. Sensenbrenner
has called on his colleagues to sign a letter of request to the US DOT to gain
more information on the motorcycle-only roadside checkpoints and to halt funding
until that information is produced.
Please call your
United States Congressman and ask for them to sign on to the Sensenbrenner
letter to Secretary Ray LaHood. Deadline for co-signers is close of business
September 29th.
This approach to
stopping the roadside checkpoints got unanimous consent when discussed at the
MRF Meeting of the Minds 2010 MRF/State Motorcycle Right Organization
Legislative Strategy Session held last weekend.
To find your Congressman's contact information click here
Senate safety hearing mentions motorcycle helmet use.
Today, the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation held a hearing on the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administrations endeavors. The hearing featured NHTSA
Administrator David Strickland. Strickland referenced the overall decline in
traffic fatalities from 2004-2009. He also suggested that the rise in seat belt
use and child restraint use are contributors to the decline. He then went on to
point out the rise in motorcycle fatalities over the same time
period.
Strickland's direct quote:
"However, you will
notice that there is one indicator that is moving in the wrong direction,
motorcycle fatalities. Between 2004 and 2009, the number of motorcycle riders
killed increased from just over 4,200 to almost 4,462, an 11 percent increase.
The number of motorcycle fatalities did fall between 2008 and 2009, the first
time we have seen a decrease in more than a decade. We need to work to build on
last year's progress. The most important step we could take would be to assure
that all riders wear a DOT-compliant helmet, which are 37 percent effective in
reducing fatalities. We estimate that helmets prevented over 1,800 fatalities in
2008, and that more than 800 additional fatalities could have been avoided if
all riders wore helmets. NHTSA will actively work with Congress to promote
helmet use".
The MRF will be
contacting Strickland to remind him that accident avoidance over safer crashing
is the best solution to motorcycle safety.
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