FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MMA joins AMA & MRF in supporting Youth Motorcycle exemption from Lead Ban
The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) is requesting that its members support the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) call-to-action with regard to HR 412 which would exempt Youth Motorcycles and ATVs from the existing Lead Ban on Children’s Toys. Since enacted, this wide-reaching ban has been a source of significant debate and while well meaning, doesn’t take many significant factors into account and has been largely unenforced.
News of the bill’s filing was reported earlier this week by the AMA:
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/11-01-25/Bill_introduced_to_exempt_kids_dirtbikes_and_all-terrain_vehicles_from_federal_lead_law.aspx
This specific call-to-action by the MRF issued today is something that the MMA thinks all riders should take seriously. While not directly applicable to most of us who are already licensed riders, this does affect our families, our future and our way of life. View the entire MRF Call-to-Action below or here:
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=zakky6cab&v=001w_-M_3FUdLepDsMyIIJMs4_5En8qbvpAiTuU89dGKAocLkp_TrmYa3ThqYTExYLyenOzokipBZ0F2QGbDvZ8nxyXCbDiyhmGR8KMPt9epyA%3D
The MMA strongly encourages its members and all riders to contact their legislators to support HR 412. A short phone call or note indicating something along the lines of:
“As a Motorcycle Rider, I strongly support HR 412 which would exempt Youth Motorcycles and ATVs from the current Lead Ban on Children’s Toys. While I understand the benefits of the ban, I think it is too far reaching and does not take into account the reasonableness and/or safety factors of larger objects which are not very likely to be ingested by children such as Bicycle, Motorcycle, and ATV components – especially not children old enough to use such products. Please add your support to this important legislation!”
You can find information concerning who your legislators are and how to contact them here:
http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm
For More Information , please see http://www.MassMotorcycle.org, http://www.mrf.org or contact mrfrep@MassMotorcycle.org
©2011 Massachusetts Motorcycle Association – Documents referenced herein are with permission of their respective Copyright owners.
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MRF Call To Action:
From: Motorcycle Riders Foundation
Sent: Friday, 28 January, 2011 06:46
11NR06 - MRF News Release - The Kids Just Want to Ride!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs
The Kids Just Want to Ride!
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is in support of legislation recently introduced that would allow just that. U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT) introduced HR412 earlier this week. This bill would exempt youth motorcycles and ATVs from the current lead ban on children's toys.
“Here again, a law meant to improve children’s safety is actually being enforced in a way that puts kids in more danger than ever, while destroying jobs to boot,” said Rehberg. “It’s critical that we put to rest any confusion once and for all so kids can just get outside and ride. There’s no excuse for continued bungling that only stops kids from using the very youth-sized off-road vehicles that are intended to keep them safe.”
The MRF urges you to call your U.S. Representative and ask him/her to join the bipartisan group of co-sponsors for HR412. You can reach the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD ANNUAL MEETING
This week in Washington DC, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) held its annual meeting which offered the opportunity for the Motorcycle and Moped Committee (MMC) to meet as well. The TRB is a group of academics, governments, and private organizations from around the world that meet to discuss essentially every aspect of transportation. The MMC is an advisory committee to the TRB to review academic papers and share information. Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs, is a sitting member of the MMC and represents the MRF at each TRB meeting. This year several topics were addressed that are worth mentioning.
First, it seems to be the year of the naturalistic study. The French government has completed one; and as previously reported by the MRF, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation/Motorcycle Industry Council will be doing a naturalistic study as well. Both studies will or did use volunteers and their motorcycles outfitted with cameras, GPS, and data recorders, along with a slew of sensors to measure what the motorcycle does for a set amount of time ranging from six months to a year.
It has been determined that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) federally-funded motorcycle crash study will now be implemented only in Orange County, CA and will investigate only up to 240 crashes. Results will be available 36 months after data collection ends.
A scan of European motorcycle safety programs, laws and infrastructure was recently completed by a team of government types and private groups. The scan revealed some interesting results. The team found out that most of the countries in Europe had very similar ratios with regard to the number of motorcycles on the roads vs. fatalities. In the United States, motorcycles represent about 3 percent of the vehicles on the road, and average about 10 percent of the fatalities each year. In Europe, the ratios for most countries are nearly identical to those in the United States, even though Europe has mandatory helmet laws and graduated licensing, not to mention the fact that it costs about $1000 to get a motorcycle license.
As always, the MRF will keep you up to date on all happenings in Washington DC that affect street motorcyclists.
© 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.