Representative Patronis,
After a review of the information coming from the Special Session it appears that monies earmarked for motorcycle safety and education will be accessed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety for reasons other than highway safety.
Last year when we contacted you and requested that you reconsider your vote for HB137 you indicated this was in the best interest of the motorcyclist due to the number of deaths occuring on the roadways.
Now you want to take the very funds that come from "OUR" motorcycle endorsements and divert them to uses other than what the statutes dictate. These funds are specifically earmarked for safety as per the Florida Statute:
322.21 License fees; procedure for handling and collecting fees.--
(1) Except as otherwise provided herein, the fee for:
(c) The renewal or extension of a Class E driver's license or of a license restricted to motorcycle use only is $20, except that a delinquent fee of $1 shall be added for a renewal or extension made not more than 12 months after the license expiration date. The fee provided in this paragraph shall include the fee for driver's education provided by s. 1003.48.
(d) An original driver's license restricted to motorcycle use only is $27, which shall include the fee for driver's education provided by s. 1003.48.
1003.48 Instruction in operation of motor vehicles.--
(1) A course of study and instruction in the safe and lawful operation of a motor vehicle shall be made available by each district school board to students in the secondary schools in the state. As used in this section, the term "motor vehicle" shall have the same meaning as in s. 320.01(1)(a) and shall include motorcycles and mopeds. Instruction in motorcycle or moped operation may be limited to classroom instruction. The course shall not be made a part of, or a substitute for, any of the minimum requirements for graduation.
Todays economic times have more motorcyclists on the road than in the past. Even with gas prices dropping we are trying to pinch every penny to make ends meet and one way is saving on fuel costs.
If you look at the number of endorsed motorcyclists in the State of Florida and the number of riding days that we have compared to the miles driven you will see that this money needs to be spent in saving the lives of those who choose to ride on 2 wheels compared to 4.
Please take the time to be informed bout the vote you make before taking money away from motorcycle safety and education. Refer to the following site: http://www.flhsmv.gov/hsmvdocs/CS2007.pdf "Motorcyclist and passenger fatalities remained the same at 550 for 2007 as they were in 2006." And as the number reflect, there was a large increase in ridership between the years.
The number remained the same because of motorcycle education and awareness. Just recently the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles began their statewide billboard and poster campaign for motorcycle awareness. Please continue this trend, do not turn your back on the motorcyclists of this state. One life is worth all of the money spent!
Please review the statistics on Right of Way violations by cars and trucks against motorcyclists. If one life is spared or if no-one has to loose a limb because a driver said "I didn't see the motorcyclist" then the money is well spent in educating the public as to the awareness of motorcyclists. http://www.flhsmv.gov/hsmvdocs/CS2007.pdf
Here are the motorcycle monetary contributions taken from http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/revpub/revpub_july07_june08.pdf
STATEWIDE REVENUES BY FEE TYPE
JULY 2007 thru JUNE 2008
DESCRIPTION County Retained State Revenue TOTAL
MOTORCYCLE ENDORSEMENT 0.00 1,031,705.00 1,031,705.00
Motorcycle Specialty Plate 0 .00 3 69,070.00 3 69,070.00
Motorcycle Safety Education 0 .00 1 ,669,207.50 1 ,669,207.50
STATEWIDE BASE TAX BY VEHICLE TYPE
JULY 2007 THROUGH JUNE 2008
TRANSACTIONS REVENUE
MOTORCYCLE 625,566 $ 6,068,833.90
MOPED 6,356 33,840.33
ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLE 22,402 228,849.95
GROUP TOTAL 654,324 $ 6,331,524.18
Please use OUR MONEY for the greater good of the contributors....the Motorcyclists.
Diana
Proud to be a motorcyclist fighting for my rights!Add to Technorati Favorites
Hi,
ReplyDeleteOnline driver education class works around the clock making it convenient for kids to work when they have the time to really sit down and focus. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks
Nancy.