1) Improving safety will require proper headgear and training
2) Bike friendly… why not motorcycle friendly too?
3) Send Herald-Journal Your Letters
4) Motorcycle Dial-A- Ride, Inc.
5) A Biker with a Kayak on the Green River
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1) Improving safety will require proper headgear and training
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FF Note: Herald-Journal is telling your legislators what they want. Have you contacted you legislators lately? Your federal and state legislators need to hear from motorcyclists. You may find and contact your elected officials at
http://www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070930/NEWS/709300301/1022/OPINION01
Dead motorcyclists
Improving safety will require proper headgear and training
Published: Sunday, September 30, 2007
Another motorcyclist is dead, and highway safety officials in South Carolina have an "uncomfortable feeling" because the number of people killed in motorcycle crashes could exceed last year's record, when 106 motorcyclists died on the state's highways.
These safety officials and the Palmetto State's lawmakers should be uncomfortable. They drag their feet when it comes to improving safety on our highways, which rank among the worst in the nation for fatal accidents.
Officials with the state Office of Highway Safety met last week with members of a motorcycle safety task force, and it should be noted that they didn't just wring their hands over the problem, wondering about the cause of so many deaths. There were few surprises, including South Carolina's failure to require adult drivers to wear approved headgear. But what will be done about it?
We see these lines too often in media accounts of motorcycle accidents: "The drivers were not wearing helmets." "He wasn't wearing a helmet." "(Lance Cpl. Dan) Marsceau said (the motorcyclist) was not wearing a helmet." Those statements were taken from recently published newspaper articles on motorcycle crashes in the Upstate.
Some will argue that a helmet won't save the life of a motorcycle driver if the crash is severe enough. That also can be said about seat belts. But consider which motorcyclists are dying on our roads. South Carolina requires the use of helmets for motorcyclists under the age of 21. Those being killed on motorcycles are between the ages of 35 and 55, according to state highway statistics. And 96 of the 106 motorcyclists killed last year weren't wearing helmets. According to federal statistics, the majority of such deaths are blamed on the failure to wear a helmet.
South Carolina lawmakers should listen to the National Transportation Safety Board and require that motorcycle riders wear proper headgear - something far more protective than the thin helmets known as "skullcaps" or "brain buckets."
Lack of training is believed to be another contributor to the high number of motorcycle accidents, and a weak permit law doesn't help.
People can drive a motorcycle in South Carolina with a beginner's permit and without taking a road test. Even worse is that South Carolina allows permit holders to renew their permits over and over without ever being tested on the road. In other words, there's no limit on permit renewals. Not only does that show a lack of good judgment, but also absent is common sense among our lawmakers who have failed to fix the problem.
Records show that more than 100,000 motorcyclists in South Carolina hold permits. Those who repeatedly renew those permits to avoid taking the road test should indicate a problem to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. When they don't make a genuine effort to take the road test, they should not be allowed to renew a permit.
South Carolina's lawmakers should look at the statistics and say, "That's enough."
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2) Bike friendly… why not motorcycle friendly too?
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FF Note: Odd there is no push for a bicycle helmet law but they seem willing to help prevent crashes using tax dollars. Note the contrast to the above article.
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20071001/NEWS/710010301/1022/OPINION01
Bike friendly
City, state should continue to promote worthy initiatives for bicycling
Published: Monday, October 1, 2007
Spartanburg officially became a little friendlier last Wednesday, and it was welcome news for city officials pushing its bicycling initiatives. They were informed that Spartanburg has earned a bronze designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists.
This is worthy recognition for a city that has made safe community bicycling one of its priorities.
The Bike Town initiative was launched in 2005 through the combined support of the city, nonprofit groups and grants, leading to numerous projects and improvements designed specifically to promote a bike-friendly environment. They include bicycling education programs, the creation of bike lanes and trails within the city, downtown bike racks and community cycling events. These efforts will continue.
Paul LeFrancois of the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee said the League of American Bicyclists' designation "sends a clear message that Spartanburg is a leader in the state in creating a place where bicycling and pedestrian activity is encouraged." Last year, the city received an honorable mention from the league.
This initiative deserves continued encouragement and support as it has helped to greatly enhance our community. And even more can be done to promote bicycling as well as safety for its participants, including at the state level.
A S.C. House bill would put into law several factors targeting the safety - and rights - of bicyclists. For instance, language in the legislation clearly declares bicyclists' right to use our roadways and that no one may prohibit them from doing so. In cases where bicycle lanes are provided, vehicles are prohibited from blocking those lanes. And perhaps the most important provision in the bill would require a passing motorist to keep at least five feet of distance between his vehicle and a bicyclist. Nothing but good would come from such a measure, and lawmakers should push this legislation through in its next session.
Meanwhile, Spartanburg has been doing its part - and should continue down its bike-friendly path. Other communities can learn from its example.
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3) Send Herald-Journal Your Letters
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Send Herald-Journal Your Letters
Share your opinion on local matters with a letter to the editor of the Herald-Journal opinion section. Letters must include the writer's name, home address and telephone number for verification purposes. Letters should be limited to 300 words and all letters are subject to editing. Each writer is limited to a maximum of two letters in any three-month period. You have four options to send us your letters:
• By regular mail: Letters to the Editor, Herald-Journal, PO Box 1657, Spartanburg SC 29304
• Fax: 864-594-6350
• Phone: 864-562-7261
• Email: Opinion@shj.com
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4) Motorcycle Dial-A- Ride, Inc.
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FF Note: This is an interesting concept that if widely adopted could reduce motorcycle deaths in SC by roughly one third.
http://www.motorcycledialaride.org/
Welcome to Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc., a non-profit 501C3 volunteer organization established in 1990 to educate Minnesota motorcyclists about the consequences of riding and drinking, to encourage the use of intervention methods to prevent impaired riders from riding, and to provide a safe free ride service to motorcyclists in Minnesota as a final intervention method.
Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc. is a free service available in the state of Minnesota on weekends and holidays from 6:00 PM on Friday through midnight on Sunday starting the last weekend of April through the last weekend of October. Including the legal holidays of Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.
Motorcyclists in the state of Minnesota who call the toll free number, 1-888 DIALRID(E) or 1-888-342-5743 during the hours of service, Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride Inc. will dispatch a volunteer equipped to transport the motorcyclist, passenger, and their motorcycle from a public establishment to the rider's home or local accommodation.
Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc. is supported by the efforts of ABATE of Minnesota, Inc.,(American Bikers for Awareness Training and Education), motorcycle organizations, businesses, and a group of over 200 volunteers statewide who respond to provide this free service.
While Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc. needs to act responsibly to ask for the motorcyclist's identity, proof of motorcycle ownership, and written permission before it can transport, Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc. keeps all such motorcyclist's information confidential.
Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc. is truly a dedicated and unique organization of motorcyclists supporting motorcyclists!
If you have any questions about the Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc. program, need program materials, interested in becoming a board member, would like to attend our next board meeting, or would like to make a tax deductible donation, please Contact Us and a board member will contact you as soon as possible.
If You Ride, Don't Drink! or If You Drink, Don't Ride!
Safe Riding,
Motorcycle Dial-A-Ride, Inc.
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5) A Biker with a Kayak on the Green River
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http://www.fastfreds.com/trips/kayak/index.htm
A Biker with a Kayak on the Green River
Photos and article by FastFred Ruddock, September 2007
Now I finally have time to pursue a few personal goals and do some exploring. Along those lines I purchased a used Pyranha Burn M kayak to reach places otherwise unreachable. While spending a little time on the river I witnessed a four foot snake ... Full Story and Photos >> http://www.fastfreds.com/trips/kayak/index.htm
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