From:
dan harper [danimal1500@hotmail.com]
Sent:
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 5:51 PM
To:
ondgo@aol.com
Cc:
ernie.steele@mchsi.com
Subject:
legislative update
NTSB
RECOMMENDS LEGLISLATION TO MANDATE ALL MOTORCYCLISTS USE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION
FMVSS 218-COMPLIANT HELMETS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington,
DC-The National Transportation Safety Board today issued
recommendations
to states to require all motorcyclists and their passengers
to wear
Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS)
218-compliant helmets.
Currently,
only 20 states, the District of Columbia, and 4 territories have
universal
helmet laws requiring all riders to wear a helmet. Twenty-seven
states
and 1 territory have partial laws that require minors and/or
passengers
to wear such helmets. Three states have no helmet laws.
FMVSS
218-compliant helmets are designed with a hard outer shell, an
impact-attenuating
liner, and a retention system to protect the head,
especially
the brain, in a variety of impact scenarios.
"Universal
helmet laws have proven effective in the mitigation of injuries
and the
prevention of fatalities. Implementing these recommendations will
take
strong leadership in the States," Rosenker said. "I hope that the
Governors
and legislative leaders in the States will act promptly and
decisively
to implement the universal helmet laws recommended today by the
Board."
Since
1997, motorcycle fatalities have increased 127 percent. Last year,
4,810
motorcyclists died in crashes, and accounted for more than 10 percent
of all
motor vehicle crash fatalities.
Last
September, the Safety Board held a public forum and gathered
information
on ongoing motorcycle research and initiatives, as well as
countermeasures
that may reduce the likelihood of motorcycle accidents and
fatalities.
The meeting included participants representing government,
motorcycle
manufacturers, motorcyclist associations, state motorcycle rights
organizations,
researchers, trauma physicians, law enforcement, and
insurance
companies.
As a
result of today's meeting, the National Transportation Safety Board
issued
the following recommendations:
To the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
Reprioritize
the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety recommendations based
on
objective criteria, including known safety outcomes.
Following
completion of the reprioritization of the National Agenda for
Motorcycle
Safety, implement an action plan for states and others, such as
federal
agencies, manufacturers, insurance organizations, and advocacy
groups,
to carry out those recommendations that are determined to be of high
priority.
To the
Federal Highway Administration:
Following
the 2007 Motorcycle Travel Symposium, develop guidelines for the
states
to use to gather accurate motorcycle registrations and motorcycle
vehicle
miles traveled data. The guidelines should include information on
the various
methods to collect registrations and vehicle miles traveled data
and how
these methods can be put into practice.
To the
three states with no motorcycle helmet laws:
Require
that all persons shall wear a Department of Transportation Federal
Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 218-compliant motorcycle helmet while riding
(operating),
or as a passenger on any motorcycle.
To all
states:
Provide
information to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA)
on the effectiveness of your motorcycle safety efforts to assist
NHTSA
with its effort to reprioritize the National Agenda for Motorcycle
Safety
recommendations.
ABATE
of Illinois, and The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is monitoring this
closely.
The
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an example of big
Government
trying to interfere with the lives and freedoms of the American
public.
They
are an example of a bureaucracy that needs to issue statements to
justify
their existence.
NTSB is
not a lawmaking body. They recommend
that the state enact a Helmet
Law.
The
Illinois General Assembly is the only group that can enact a helmet law
in the
state of Illinois.
Dan
Harper
Legislative
Coordinator
ABATE
of Illinois
Danimal1500@hotmail.com
_________________________________________________________________
Kick
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