The Helmet People

by John Stumpner

When you mention ABATE of Wisconsin to a non-biker, the response is almost always, “you are the people that don’t like helmets.” Nothing is further from the truth. In fact, many ABATE members wear helmets while riding. ABATE of Wisconsin was started fifty years ago in part to oppose laws saying bikers had to wear a helmet. Adults are expected to be able to make decisions about how they live their personal lives. Since no helmet ever made can prevent a motorcycle crash, we think adults should be able to decide for themselves whether or not to wear one.

Freedom of the road means much more than just whether or not to wear a helmet. Bikers usually dress and act slightly differently from many other people. Being different and portrayed in the movies as violent and out of control tends to scare people and unfairly attract the attention of some police officers. This unfair “profiling” of bikers is one of the concerns ABATE of Wisconsin has taken action on over the last fifty years. We want to make sure that bikers can use the roads and live their lives like everyone else without unfair harassment from certain police officers and government officials.

Over the years, new technologies have presented new challenges to the freedom of the road. Many years ago, road builders started putting vehicle sensors in the roads to change traffic lights from red to green. These sensors detected the steel in a car or truck and then made the light change. Motorcycles are smaller and lighter than even the smallest economy cars and could not be detected by the sensors. Thanks to the work of ABATE, in 2006 Wisconsin passed a law saying motorcycles could go through a red light if it did not change after 45 seconds and no other cars are around.

While ABATE of Wisconsin is opposed to mandatory helmet laws, we are very concerned about motorcycle safety. Motorcycle racers, both professional and amateur, put in a lot of practice to be able to ride better. Many other bikers seek out opportunities to practice and get additional training to improve their skills and make their rides more enjoyable. To help ensure new bikers get proper training and practice, ABATE worked to get a law passed that allowed bikers that completed a training class to get their motorcycle license without taking a Department of Motor Vehicles road test.

These are only a few of the motorcycle issues ABATE has dealt with besides helmet laws. ABATE has also dealt with many other concerns, including making sure careless drivers are properly dealt with and that bikers are allowed to personalize their bikes like car drivers can with their vehicles. As you can see, over the last fifty years, it has been about way more than just helmets. If it concerns bikers, it concerns ABATE of Wisconsin.

John