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THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at NCOM NEWS BYTES Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists BUSH NEW CHIEF OF STAFF IS A HARLEY MAN The favorite ride of the president's new chief of staff is a Harley Fat Boy, and to appreciate how much of an insider Joshua Bolten has become in the Bush administration, suffice it to say that Bolten keeps a spare hog at President Bush's Texas ranch. "I've ridden motorcycles for a long time. It's not just a midlife crisis," Bolten told the cable network C-SPAN in an interview last year. "The one that I ride most now, the one that's really close to my heart, is the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, a 2003 anniversary edition." Bolten, 51, crafted campaign policy for the president and served as deputy chief of staff before becoming director of the Office of Management and Budget in June 2003. That entailed frequent travel with Bush, which led to Bolten leaving a motorcycle at the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas. In his OMB office, he displays a motorcycle gas tank commemorating the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson. During the 2000 campaign, he formed Bikers for Bush. Bolten, who has never married, gained particular notoriety when he gave a motorcycle ride at one of the group's rallies to actress Bo Derek. "You need to clear your mind of everything else," Bolten has said of biking, "because if you're not concentrating properly when you're riding a motorcycle, you're putting your life in danger." That focus is useful for a chief of staff who literally holds other people's lives in his hands. Holding one of Washington’s most powerful jobs, Bolten will be managing a flow of daily briefings for the president on everything from national security to natural calamity. The Bush administration considers Bolten "well-respected" inside and outside the administration, with White House spokesman Scott McClellan saying: "The president believes he was the best person for the job." One of his personal effects he relocated from his grand Eisenhower Executive Office Building quarters to a less-spacious but more prestigious corner perch in the West Wing only steps from the Oval Office, was a motorcycle-shaped menorah. MISSOURI HOUSE PASSES HELMET LAW REPEAL AS DEBATE CONTINUES The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill that would repeal the helmet law. House Bill 994 would no longer require motorcycle riders to wear a helmet if they are 21 years and older. It will now go to the Senate. Joan Hightower, a manager at Doc's Harley-Davidson in Kirkwood, said, "I think it should be up to the individual motorcyclist to either wear a helmet or not wear a helmet." Hightower sometimes takes off her helmet when she rides in Illinois because there is no such law. Representative Gary Dusenberg, the sponsor of the bill, said, "Helmets do help but they're not the savior for everything. I was a highway patrolman for 27 years and I can tell you anyone on a motorcycle involved in a serious traffic accident most likely aren't going to survive whether or not they have a helmet or not." Dusenberg said people over 21-years-old can vote and fight for their country and therefore should have the freedom of choice. RIGHT-OF-WAY BILL PASSES IN WEST VIRGINIA SB-473, the Reckless Driving bill also known as "Danny's Law", has passed all hurdles in the West Virginia Legislature. It passed unanimously on every vote, and has been signed by motorcycle-riding Governor Joe Manchin. "We asked for the sun, moon, and the stars, and got a good piece of legislation that everyone agreed on," said Don "Duck" Smith of ABATE of West Virginia. "ABATE of West Virginia would like to thank all of those from outside our borders that stepped up to help with e-mails, phone calls, and letters to our legislators when we asked. Without your help we could not have made this a reality." SB-473 creates a crime of reckless driving, a misdemeanor punishable by 5-90 days in jail and/or a fine of $25-$500. A conviction of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by 10 days to 6 months in jail or fine of $50-$1,000, or both. IOWA ENACTS R-O-W LAW The day after Governor Joe Manchin signed a new Right-of-Way Violations law in West Virginia, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack signed similar legislation into law. Iowa’s new R-O-W law adds a fine of $500 and/or up to 90 days driver's license suspension for traffic violations that result in serious injury. If a driver’s actions cause a death, penalties increase to $1,000 or a license suspension of up to 180 days, or both. These are penalty enhancements, meaning that they can be imposed in addition to any other fines. GEORGIA PASSES R-O-W LAW HB-1392, Georgia’s Right-Of-Way Violation bill to increase penalties against drivers who commit a Right of Way violation resulting in injury or death, has passed the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by Governor Sonny Perdue during their May is Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month proclamation ceremony. It will become law on July 1st. Seven other states have passed similar Right-Of-Way laws: Arkansas, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. KANSAS REPEALS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LAW House Bill 2296, the handlebar height repeal of existing state statute, was added as an amendment to Senate Bill 278, which eventually passed the Senate by a vote of 38 Yeas and 2 Nays. “Current statute states that if a rider’s hands are at or above shoulder height, it was a violation,” said Chris Maurich, Lobbyist for ABATE of Kansas. “I testified that this had never been a safety issue, rather a harassment issue. Modern language called this profiling, and ABATE of Kansas wanted no limitations, period.” When questioned by a member of the House who asked "How tall would you recommend?" Maurich informed the House that they wanted to eliminate all reference to measurement. "As a colleague from Minnesota told the legislature there, we have overpasses in the state." Ape hangers will be legal in Kansas, upon publishing this bill in the statute book. IDAHO PASSES RED LIGHT LAW Idaho has become the fourth state to pass a law allowing a motorcycle to ride through a red light after stopping and meeting certain standards. S1367, which was promoted by ABATE of North Idaho, allows a motorcycle to proceed through a traffic-actuated signal if it is stuck on red. Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed S1367 into law, which takes effect July 1, 2006. Arkansas, Minnesota and Tennessee are the other three states to pass similar legislation. MARYLAND STUDY FINDS RED LIGHT CAMERAS INCREASE ACCIDENTS Red light cameras in Anne Arundel County, Maryland increased accidents 25-41 percent, but generated $2.85 million in revenue. Camera vendor ATS receives a $20 bounty on every ticket the company issues. A set of five cameras were set up in the communities of Arnold, Pasadena, Parole, and Crofton in 2000, but a comparison of accident statistics five years before and five years after their installation shows accidents have increased beyond the ten percent increase in traffic volume. Upon installation, the cameras caused an immediate 40 percent increase in rear-end collisions from 53 in 1999 to 74 in 2000. Overall accidents were up between 25 percent and 41 percent from 107 in 1999 to 134 in 2001 and 151 in 2002. A number of independent studies have documented similar negative side effects to red light camera enforcement As a result of research on Virginia's camera program, the legislature decided last July to end photo ticketing in the state. West Virginia's legislature approved its own camera ban which was signed into law on March 31. FUEL PRICES DRIVE MOTORCYCLING As summer days approach, motorcycle enthusiasts expect to use their Harleys, Kawasakis and Hondas more often and for longer periods of time than they did a year ago. Gas prices and a strong passion for riding are two of the main driving factors behind the increased desire to ride, according to a new survey by Nationwide Mutual Insurance. According to the survey, 35 percent of motorcyclists said they will ride their bikes more over the next year as a result of fuel prices, turning their hobby into an everyday form of transportation. Survey respondents reported they spent 26 percent of their total riding time last year commuting to work. While most riders have insurance, one in three indicated they are unsure if they have adequate coverage, and more than one in ten surveyed indicated they are not insured. Among insured riders, one in five said they are not covered for liability and one-third are not covered for collision or medical payments. More than 30 percent of motorcyclists surveyed don't believe they have enough insurance to cover the replacement value of their bikes and 14 percent said they would rather take their chances than pay to fully insure it. The survey conducted by Brandware of 2,544 motorcycle, power boat, bass boat and ATV owners shows that both male and female motorcyclists expect to ride their bikes for approximately 22 more hours than they did in the past year. Male motorcyclists expect to ride 172 hours over the next year, while female riders expect to ride 146 hours. Motorcyclists are so passionate about their fuel-efficient bikes they indicated they will pay $3 to $4 more per gallon before they stop riding. According to the survey, both male and female motorcyclists committed over half of their total money spent on leisure activities to accessories and improvements to their motorcycle over the past five years. Male riders invested more than $7,000 on their bikes over this time period, more than any other group of powersport enthusiast. ENGLISH BIKERS SAY BUREAUCRATS ARE FORCING THEM OFF THE ROAD A Reading motorcycle group has declared "total war" on proposed Euro laws which they claim are trying to drive them off the road. The European Commission in Brussels has ruled that motorcyclists should be 19 - instead of the current 17-year-old minimum - to ride machines over 125cc. The age for direct access tests, which enable riders to skip a two-year probationary period to ride machines of any power, will also rise from 21 to 24. And to progress to a larger motorcycle category, riders will be required to take either a minimum number of hours training or a practical test. Ian Newnham, of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) in Reading, said: "This is total war. The EU has rammed through the directive in a way that shows contempt for motorcyclists' views.They want bikes off the road. "The safety bureaucrats have become target obsessed, setting accident reduction targets using statistics that are baloney. "They have totally lost a sense of balance between riders' reasonable expectations for mobility and the prevention of accidents." Newnham called on the European Parliament to throw the directive out and said: "We have to be more determined to preserve biking than they are to destroy it.” WEIRD NEWS: OWNER GETS BACK BIKE STOLEN IN 1971 Authorities recovered a motorcycle that was stolen in 1971 and plan to return it to its original owner. The 1970 Yamaha was about to be shipped overseas to a Finnish man who bought it for $1,725 on eBay in September, authorities said Monday. During the shipping process, the vehicle identification number turned up in the database of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Long Beach police still had the theft report and tracked down the original owner, Phillip McKeen, who lives in New England. Police officials plan to return the 360cc bike to McKeen. "Incredible," said McKeen, an American Airlines pilot. "It's as if a friend you hadn't seen for 30 years walked back into your life but hadn't aged a day." The 35-year-old bike has just 9,380 miles on the odometer. Neither the Finnish buyer nor the seller, a Visalia resident, were suspected of wrongdoing, authorities said. A similar case unfolded in January when a Corvette that had been stolen in 1969 was recovered as it was about to be shipped to Sweden through the Port of Los Angeles, said Mike Fleming of the US. Customs and Border Protection. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo (1475 - 1564)
Current Washington State Motorcycle Legislation
Help with the fight. Consider joining your local ABATE chapter, MRF, WRRA and AMA. All of these organizations are fighting to help you keep your right to ride.
"Freedom is Just Unfinished Business"
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