Those calling for a mandatory helmet in SC are getting louder. Will you answer the call and defend your rights Tuesday January 8th on the opening day of the legislature? Would you rather miss one day of work or be forced to wear a helmet under threat of fine or imprisonment? Once the first person over 21 is forced to wear a helmet it will only be a matter of time until all those over 21 will be forced to wear a helmet or face atrifical consequences created by the state. Visit the URL below for more detail and directions. I hope to see you at the Statehouse Tuesday!
http://www.abatesc.com/events/2008-01-08legislativescavengerhunt.php
~FF
1) ABATE of SC Announces 2008 Legislative Scavenger Hunt
2) Take a serious look at helmet proposal
3) Making the Roads Safer for Motorcycles
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1) ABATE of SC Announces 2008 Legislative Scavenger Hunt
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http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS89145+05-Jan-2008+PRN20080105
ABATE Announces 2008 Legislative Scavenger Hunt
Sat Jan 5, 2008 2:46pm EST
/PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Each year since 1974 members of ABATE of South Carolina travel from across the state to lobby for their rights at the Statehouse in Columbia on the opening day of the legislative session. This year will mark the third annual legislative scavenger hunt at the capitol. Bikers are expected to begin arriving at 9:00 AM Tuesday January 8th. Last year over 100 bikers took part in the scavenger hunt and more are expected this year to answer the threat by some to amend the helmet law. The bikers of ABATE strongly oppose any change to the current South Carolina helmet law. ABATE has supported the current helmet law since its passage 28 years ago.
ABATE calls upon legislators to increase funding to the state's motorcycle training program and improve access to training across the state. Additionally the current licensing process needs drastic improvement. The revolving door allowing novice riders to continually renew learner permits without attempting the road test needs to be addressed immediately. Impaired driving, riding, and lack of training are taking a toll on South Carolina roads for motorists and motorcyclists alike. ABATE urges all citizens to obtain training and exercise proper judgment.
Finally ABATE wishes to address the hazard posed to motorcyclists stranded at traffic signals that fail to detect motorcycles. Rear-end collisions can be live altering or deadly to motorcyclists despite the use of the best body amour and helmets on the market. ABATE urges the legislature to quickly pass Senate Bill 111. Each day the legislature delays action on S111 increases the likelihood of another fatality.
Organizers of the biker lobby day will be available to speak with members of the press between 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM in the lobby of the Statehouse.
A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments (ABATE) of South Carolina is a State Motorcyclists Rights Organization dedicated to defending the rights of all motorcyclists who choose to ride in South Carolina. ABATE of South Carolina also encourages all motorcyclists to register to vote and become active in the political process. ABATE encourages motorcyclists to voluntarily obtain motorcycle rider training. Many members of ABATE are involved in a variety of charitable organizations and take great pride in being active members of their communities. To learn more about ABATE of SC visit http://www.abatesc.com.
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2) Take a serious look at helmet proposal
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http://www.beaufortgazette.com/opinions/story/127984.html
Take a serious look at helmet proposal
Published Fri, Jan 4, 2008 12:00 AM
Here's a shocker for 2007: Motorcycle deaths are on the rise.
What with bigger, faster bikes and a marketing blitz second to none, motorcycles are more popular than ever.
Maybe there's nothing wrong with that, except, of course, when more people are killed while riding them. While U.S. motorcycle sales have increased enormously over the past decade, they haven't doubled.
Biker deaths have --from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,810 in 2006 -- according to the National Transportation Safety Board. And another 88,000 people were injured in motorcycle crashes in 2006. And the leading cause of death?
Head injuries.
Last year, 120 people died in motorcycle accidents in South Carolina, compared to 106 deaths in 2006 and 94 in 2005, according to South Carolina Department of Public Safety figures. Two of last year's deaths happened in Beaufort County. Of the state's biker deaths, 94 -- 78 percent -- weren't wearing helmets, Public Safety Department statistics show.
So why are South Carolina lawmakers so hard-headed when it comes to wearing helmets?
Most helmet law rivals argue that mandating such a measure would strip their personal freedom: If I want to ram my noggin into the back of a Buick or skid my face across the asphalt, that's myprerogative.
But that's not the way it works. Laws protect us from our own stupidity and protect others from that same stupidity. Helmets might play a smaller role in the latter, but serious motorcycle accidents and resulting deaths cost us all -- in insurance premiums, health care and emergency services.
In the U.S., 20 states and Washington, D.C., require helmets. It's a sad commentary to see that in the late '70s nearly every state required them. Now, 27 states have conditional helmet laws -- including South Carolina -- and Iowa, Illinois and New Hampshire have no helmet laws whatsoever.
So lawmakers should take seriously a state task force's proposal -- which has a good chance of making it to the floor of the General Assembly this semester -- to require all inexperienced riders to wear helmets until they complete safety courses.
South Carolina law mandates helmets for all riders under 21. But that doesn't help the fastest-growing segment of motorcyclists: middle-aged men and women.
Past efforts to legislate South Carolina helmet laws have been tepid at best. Lawmakers have argued that personal freedom is more important than saving lives. Lexington Republican Sen. Jake Knotts, a helmetless biker himself, told The (Columbia) State newspaper point blank: "It ain't going to pass."
That kind of thinking is hogwash because it is a fact that helmets save lives. The General Assembly should take the first step in protecting its citizenry and pass a helmet law. Those without the brains to support protecting lives are as reckless as the laws that exclude helmetless riders.
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3) Making the Roads Safer for Motorcycles
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http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0108/485446.html
Making the Roads Safer for Motorcycles
posted 5:12 pm Sat January 05, 2008 - South Carolina
Motorcycle fatalities are on the rise in South Carolina, up 14 from 2006. Some legislators say requiring all riders to wear helmets may help solve the problem. Many riders say better training, not helmets, will save more lives.
It's one sound easy to identify, the roar of a motorcycle, cruising down the road. But the thunderous sound does more than just rattle windows; it's actually a safety measure. “it's not to be obnoxious, it's to alert someone you are there,” said Wendy Bryar.
Bryar, a rider for as long as she can remember, says learning how to share the road with car drivers is something you learn in rider education programs. The state doesn't require riders to take the course, all you need is to pass a written test at the DMV and you can get a permit. “You have riders out there without a license and they have been riding on a permit,” said Bryar.
A permit allows people to ride without restrictions during the day but requires a supervisor to ride at night. Bryar says is difficult to enforce for local police. For new riders looking to take the course, finding one is also an issue. It's very difficult to get into the course and money is not the problem, its finding instructors to teach the course,” said ABATE member Fred Ruddock.
According to ABATE, a lobby group in support of biker rights, the state needs to provide the basic infrastructure to run these safety courses. The issue will only become more severe as the cost of transportation rises and more people turn to motorcycles as a solution.
Gas in South Carolina is hovering around three dollars a gallon and oil reached a record 100 dollars a barrel earlier this week. Energy is one of the reasons you see more and more bikes on the road. Your basic bike with get you 42 miles per gallon city driving and 59 miles on the highway. That is far and away above and the national fuel standards for cars or trucks.
“People ought to wear helmets but should we make it a law, that's the debate we will have every year when it comes up,” said House Speaker Republican Bobby Harrell. South Carolina law requires riders under 21 to wear a helmet, but for those older it's their choice and riders say there is no reason to change it now.
Riders can also get their motorcycle license by taking the road test at the DMV.
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