[Mrfnews] 07LR03 - MRF Leaders Report - May

[mrfnews at mrf.org]

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 (website)

MRF LEADERS' REPORT

Contact: Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice-President of Government Relations
jeff at mrf.org (e-mail)

NHTSA Quarterly Motorcycle Safety Network Meeting

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently held
its quarterly motorcycle safety network meeting. These meetings are an
update session held by the Feds to brief the motorcycle community at large
on what they are doing with regard to motorcycle safety.  Of particular
note is the NHTSA "Share the Road with Motorcycles" planner and guide
located on their website (go to www.nhtsa.gov, then click on the "Traffic
Safety" tab at the top, then click on "Motorcycles" along the left side).
The planner provides a sample letter to the editor, posters and
promotional materials. Also noteworthy was the update from Honda on the
airbag-equipped Goldwing. Honda reported selling 700 units in the states
and recently had the first deployment in action. Turns out some guy in
sunny Florida t-boned a minivan and the bag inflated and kept him from
going over the bars. He walked away from the event unharmed. According to
the representative from Honda, this gentleman was exercising his right to
choose when the wreck occurred.

SAE Government and Industry Conference

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) held a multi-day conference in
DC this week that included two technical presentations with motorcycling
interests. The first was a presentation by NHTSA of the FARS data from
last year.  I have seen this presentation by NHTSA dozens of times, but
what interested me about this presentation is that it seems NHTSA may now
actually trying to collect some of the data that has eluded them in the
past, while not entirely preventing the collection of half-baked numbers.
You see, right now although it's mandatory for states to report crash data
for automobiles, it's optional for states to report motorcycle crash data.
That hasn't changed, but NHTSA is now urging the states to collect and
present real world numbers instead of using mathematical equations as they
can (and many of them do) right now. To oversimplify, some states
currently use a formula to determine vehicle miles traveled for
motorcycles such as taking the number of registered bikes, and suggesting
that since bikes are "X" percent of all vehicles and cars traveled this
many miles then we can assume motorcycles traveled "X" amount of miles as
well.  Of course, we know that's not how it works. I am sure very little
will change when it comes to motorcycle VMT and it's likely that once
again, as it has for many years now according to NHTSA numbers, no
motorcycles will travel in the state of South Dakota this year. Yeah
right!

The second SAE session relevant to motorcyclists dealt with novelty
helmets. Call them what you want - skid lid, half helmet, beanie - but you
know what I am talking about and you probably also know that should you
need head protection, you probably won't find it in a novelty helmet. Well
the good folks at NHTSA couldn't just accept that assumption, so they
apparently did a study on novelty helmets.  This study has not yet been
released to the public, but NHTSA did hint at it in the session. NHTSA
spent who knows how many millions of taxpayer dollars to determine that
non-DOT-compliant helmets don't perform as well as DOT-compliant helmets.
Seems like a waste of money to me, especially when we can fully fund a
crash causation study that is nearly 20 years overdue. Stay tuned for the
results of this groundbreaking study.

Other News

The House Judiciary Committee soundly defeated an amendment to a sweeping
ethics reform bill that would have forced more reporting on grassroots
groups like the MRF. The amendment was the same language in HR 2093 a bill
the MRF has issued its opposition to.  The Committee also voted down, by
5-27, a measure that would prohibit lobbyists from sponsoring lavish
parties at presidential nominating conventions. At the same time, the
panel exempted nonprofit organizations from having to disclose funding and
membership in political coalitions that lobby Congress.

A solid defeat in committee usually rules out any floor action on the
amendment in question. However, in Washington nothing is done until it's
done. The MRF will keep you informed of this legislative matter.

MRF Open House

The MRF DC headquarters will be open this Saturday, May 26 from 11am-2pm.
Coming to Rolling Thunder this year? Stop by Saturday for some light
refreshments and see the world-famous MRF office, located at 236
Massachusetts Ave NE, Suite 510, Washington DC 20002.  Use the Union
Station Metro stop if you leave the bike in the 'burbs. You can contact me
with any questions at 202-725-5471 or jeff at mrf.org


Young Activists Needed

Once again the MRF is holding a competition for all of our younger
activists out there. The Meeting of the Minds, the MRF's annual multi-day,
multi-national motorcyclists' rights conference will be held this year
will be hosted by ABATE of Iowa in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from September
20-23. Are you or do you know someone between 18 and 30ish who is involved
with your SMRO? Get them to apply! The winners get a free trip to Meeting
of the Minds!  What are you waiting for?

Ride Free and Ride Often

Jeff Hennie

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(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction
permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated
in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights
organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists'
rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC,
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted
exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early
1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause
of rider safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the
very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading
members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and
regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public
awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights
organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional
and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as
well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.