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August 2006
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a two-day public forum on motorcycle safety beginning on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 in Washington, DC. Board Member Debbie Hersman will preside as Chair of the forum.
Last year, 4,315 motorcyclists died in crashes and the rate of motorcycle fatalities has increased more than 25 percent since 1997. "At a time when highway fatalities have been decreasing, motorcycle fatalities have continued to increase, both in overall number and in fatality rate," said Member Hersman.
The goal of the public forum is to gather information about ongoing motorcycle safety research and initiatives, as well as safety countermeasures that may reduce the likelihood of motorcycle accidents and fatalities."
During the forum, the NTSB will examine issues raised by a number of recent motorcycle accidents, including the June 12 motorcycle crash involving Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and the June 11 crash involving a motorcycle and a minivan in Williamsport, PA that killed five persons.
NTSB staff will lead technical panel discussions that will examine each major aspect of motorcycle safety, including rider training and licensing, rider protective equipment, vehicle design, and public education of motorists and motorcyclists. Representatives from the motorcycle industry, government, and motorcycling organizations will be invited to give presentations highlighting their perspectives.
The forum will be held in Washington at the NTSB's Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW. An agenda for the forum will be posted on the NTSB's website when available. The general public will be able to observe the forum either in person or by webcast at www.ntsb.gov.
A Vermont sheriff whose officers improperly shut down a dual-sport ride nearly two years ago is back in the news and out of office.
Windham County Sheriff Sheila Prue pleaded guilty to embezzlement in court and submitted her resignation on June 23. The charges were unrelated to the events of August 8, 2004, when Prue's deputies threatened to arrest riders in the Red Fox Turkey Run.
In that incident, deputies told riders they would be arrested and their motorcycles confiscated, even if they rode fully licensed street-legal motorcycles on public roads.
The decision to halt the dual-sport ride became a big controversy among New England riders. An investigation by the Vermont State Attorney General concluded that sheriff's deputies were wrong to stop the event.
The Philippines Supreme Court (SC) has ordered motorcycles of all types and sizes to keep off the North and South Luzon expressways after it affirmed the validity of an administrative order of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) prohibiting motorcycles from using the expressways. These expressways are the major corridors for travel through the largest of the Philippine Islands.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has completed a new 30-second TV public service announcement on motorcycle awareness.
Newly appointed New York DMV Commissioner Nancy Naples appears on the sidewalk after a graphic car/motorcycle right of way violation, telling viewers, "Motorcycle accidents aren't accidents at all, too many are crashes caused by inattentive drivers who just pull into oncoming traffic with little more than a glance. I'm DMV Commissioner Nancy Naples, asking you to please watch for motorcycles."
Assistant Commissioner for Transportation Safety Rob Dingman spearheaded the video. Dingman’s name may be familiar to many readers of AMA Rights News & Notes because he is the former AMA Washington Representative.
The 15-second ad is found at http://nysdmv.com/media/gtsc_6_8_15s_720.MPG
and the 30-second version is at http://nysdmv.com/media/GTSC_6_5_4_PM.MPG. The ads will be distributed statewide through the New York State Broadcasters Association and are scheduled to run throughout the summer months.
In addition, Governor Pataki is now considering A4914 which passed both houses of the legislature and is awaiting his signature. This legislation is consistent with the AMA Justice for All Campaign which is focused on inadequate sentencing of drivers who seriously injure or kill others on the road. Learn more at
www.AMADirectlink.com.
West Virginia again leads the United States in ATV deaths. So the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority (HMRRA) has initiated an ATV safety campaign, working with trail permit vendors to help curb illegal riding in the area.
Hatfield-McCoy is working with its licensed outfitters and permit vendors to help stop the influx of non-licensed trail guides leading riders, and of people pointing out ways to access the trail system illegally. Vendors caught leading riders on illegal access trails will have their advertising and permit licenses with the trail system revoked.
In addition to increasing trail patrols and enforcement in illegal riding trouble spots, the HMRRA Ranger staff is teaching an ATV safety course and has initiated an elementary school education program. Hatfield-McCoy teamed up with the ATV Safety Institute (ASI) and the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) to deliver the message in ways that are both fun and educational.
The ATV safety course is offered by the trail system on weekends throughout the year, and many manufacturers will pay for the course if you’ve just purchased a new machine. The course typically takes a couple of hours, and riders learn everything from basic safety information to advanced techniques for riding over obstacles.
For any questions about the Hatfield-McCoy Trail rules and regulations or ATV Safety Course information, you can visit www.TrailsHeaven.com or call them at 1-800-592-2217.
Canadian insurance officials in Quebec would like to see a ban on sportbikes larger than 400cc. John Harbour, director of the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company, says sportbikes should be banned because they result in large insurance losses.
Harbour’s comments are reminiscent of a proposal promoted by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the late 1980s that could have resulted in a ban on sportbikes in this country. At the time, the AMA was able to defeat that proposal, eventually succeeding in getting a US senator to abandon support for the ban he had introduced in Congress.
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