South Carolina ABATE speaks out, I guess

ABATE of South Carolina Press Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2008

CONTACT:
Cliff Dalton, Legislative Coordinator:
(864) 650-4131
Myrtle Beach Passes Discriminatory Ordinances

On Tuesday September 23rd 2008 the Myrtle Beach City council passed 15 draconian ordinances all in the name of public safety and welfare or so they say. Actually these ordinances are discriminating against a segment of the population and placing any financial shortfalls on the backs of their residents and businesses. Actions such as this are aimed at regulating personal behavior which poses the greatest threat to everyone’s liberties. Where will it stop?

We already have enough laws in effect. These ordinances will really put a strain on our law enforcement, that are overworked, under staffed and already have problems enforcing what we have on the books. This could potentially open up other areas of the city for crimes to take place. The cost of extra law enforcement was offset by the selling of vendor permits in the city. These ordinances will set a precedence which other municipalities may follow suit creating havoc upon our highways. All our road atlases and maps will need to contain the laws for that particular municipality so you’ll know if you’re breaking the law in that area or not. This could be the makings of a fiasco of grand proportions.

South Carolina Code of Laws 5-7-30 states that each municipality of the State, in addition to the powers conferred to its specific form of government, may enact regulations, resolutions, and ordinances, not inconsistent with the Constitution and general law of this State. The helmet ordinance is inconsistent with state law. The council states that these laws are for the safety and welfare of the public but we believe it’s to run off the motorcyclist that attend the rallies so they can pick and choose who they want to visit Myrtle Beach. Historically Myrtle Beach has run off the spring breakers in the early 90’s the hairdressers that used to visit in May and the Shriner’s who used to hold their yearly convention there, who will it be next? Myrtle Beach used to be a resort town, now it’s just a retirement community.

ABATE of South Carolina abhors these types of totalitarian enactments that remove liberties and freedoms of individuals and eventually, will start eroding individual rights granted to us under our Constitution. ABATE of South Carolina challenges the council on the grounds that the municipal power is exceeding the entity’s corporate powers, acting as if it is above state law

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Another Update on HIPPA from the MRF

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)

For Immediate Release

02 October 2008

Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations, MRF
Email: jeff@mrf.org

Washington Update

The US House passed the Health Insurance Restrictions and Limitations Act
of 2008 (HR 6908) last week. This bill, as previously reported by the
Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), would force insurance providers to
disclose upfront, in writing, any activity they are unwilling to provide
full payment for an injury sustained while participating in said activity.
Currently the insurance providers need only refer to the federal loophole
known as the "source of injury exclusion provision" to limit payment for
any injury based on the source of the injury.

The bill passed with unanimous consent by the US House and is now being
considered by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions (HELP). The Senate has passed legislation that was farther
reaching than HR 6809 in a previous Congress so the outlook remains bright
but time is running short. The MRF will keep you informed on this
important issue.

Well lets hope for not to much longer. How long has it been? Am I seeing a slight,
barely noticeable change in approach? Is this a closing of the loophole or just making the loophole more visible? Aw hell probably just semanticsAdd to Technorati Favorites

AMA, NTSA and motorcycle Safety make the Wall Street Journal

From the wall street journal
(with a comment or two of course) 

PICKERINGTON, Ohio, Oct 06, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) President and CEO Rob Dingman called for the U.S. Department of Transportation to accelerate a long-overdue federal study into the causes of motorcycle crashes in a meeting with the agency's head, Secretary Mary Peters, on Friday, October 3. Acting Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) David Kelly, and AMA Vice President of Government Relations Ed Moreland also attended the meeting.

 

"There are an estimated 10 million motorcyclists on the road today, more than at any time in America's history," said Dingman, who heads the nation's 300,000-member non-profit association. "As a direct result of this growth and increased usage, we are experiencing more crashes, injuries and fatalities. Our meeting with Secretary Peters--a motorcyclist herself--was cordial yet frank. We believe she understands the sense of urgency to get this crash research underway." 

 

According to NHTSA statistics released by Peter's office in September, the number of motorcycle riders or passengers killed on U.S. roads in 2007 increased 6.6 percent over 2006, while the overall number of traffic fatalities fell to the lowest number since 1994. 

 

Comment: Yet during this time the number of motorcyclists completing Rider Education schools has also gone up.  As we have posted in the past. A serious look needs to given to quality of training provided.  We have also posted on increased risk taking of drivers of light pickups and SUV drivers. And despite the numerous studies citing distracted driving as a causative factor and Stiffer penalties as preventative factor the states cintinue to either ignore these options and/or use a slap on the wrist approach.

 

"Some time ago, Congress and the motorcycling community committed the necessary funds for this study," said Dingman. "For too long, NHTSA has simply focused on a strategy of advocating mandatory helmet use, while doing little to prevent crashes from occurring in the first place. With a new administration set to take office on January 20, we can't afford any more delays while motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities continue to mount. The time to begin the study is now." 

 

In other words: rather than doing what they are supposed to be doing with the money the  government has been using money meant to address the problem to perpetuate a propaganda campaign to protect the agenda of special interest special interests, such as the wireless industry.

 

 

Dingman stressed that while the AMA strongly supports voluntary helmet use as one element of a comprehensive approach to motorcycle safety, a higher priority must be given by NHTSA to crash prevention, which must include greater emphasis on motorist awareness programs to educate road users about motorcycles. 

 

How often and by how many has the cry gone out?  Focus on Crash Prevention not Injury Prevention. The major question is, why does NHTSA, a quasi scientific body (I'm being kind) continue avoid this common sense approach?

 

The crash study is being undertaken by the Oklahoma Transportation Center, an independent and well-respected research facility at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. The last major motorcycle crash study was completed in 1980, and it provided a wealth of data that has been used to develop training and strategies to help keep riders safer on the road. In the decades since, the traffic environment has changed enormously, prompting the AMA to begin campaigning for a new study several years ago.

 

 

"The idea behind the motorcycle crash causation study is to help us understand the causes of crashes so that effective countermeasures can be developed," said Dingman. "Absent this study, countermeasures will continue to be developed in a vacuum, with no way to know which measures will be effective."

 

With the Technology and information available today we can almost tell you who is going to be the president before the election is over. Yet it takes years to tell you what causes a "crash"???  Once again we ask or reiterate, you choose, what agenda does the government have installing or not making a major push to get these studies completed.  Does the Oklahoma Transportation System need some liquidity? 

 

In their meeting Friday, Dingman also urged Secretary Peters to reject New York City's request to ban motorcycles from high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Federal law stipulates that HOV lanes must allow motorcycles to use the lanes unless proven to pose a safety hazard.

 

"Secretary Peters was supportive of our desire to end New York City's illegal ticketing of motorcyclists in HOV lanes," said Dingman.

 

The increasing propensity of municipalities to make and enforce "illegal" law should be scaring the hell out of us all.Add to Technorati Favorites