FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MMA Update: Motorcycle Riders Foundation Testifies Before Congress re: Motorcycle Safety
The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) is pleased to share the attached News Release from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation concerning testimony given by NH State Senator Robert Letourneau to the US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation. This testimony is a crucial step in forewarning the public and congress about the spending waste of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A strong supporter of Motorcycle Rights, Senator Letourneau is a long time motorcyclist and the former Chairman of the NH Senate Transportation Committee who’s jointly penned a lot of NH’s Motorcycle-friendly legislation and also testified against anti-Motorcycle Bills filed in NH over the past several years. As an active member of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), Senator Letourneau is also currently the NH Department of Safety Motorcycle Rider Education Specialist.
In his testimony, Senator Letourneau pointed out that there are many great federal programs that help with Motorcycle Rider Education and Motorist Awareness, but also cautioned that this funding has fallen short and is in many cases being raided by local state governments as it is here in Massachusetts.
The Senator went on to point out that instead of helping to correct these wrongs, NHTSA has been actively soliciting grant applications from the States aimed at Motorcycle-only checkpoints, such as those run in NY in the past and Georgia more recently. A blatant violation of the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution and a further violation of Motorcyclists’ Civil Rights as a group, the Senator asked that Federal Legislation be drafted to prevent such actions; indeed, NH has such a law already in the works (as of this writing, had passed the NH House of Representatives and was in committee in the NH Senate).
Not to leave anything undone, the eloquent Senator further asked that instead these funds are spent on roadway improvements, traffic reduction, green energy, and reducing accidents. Senator Letourneau also testified that Motorcycle Fatalities are on the decline nationally while Motorcycle usage is on the rise. This data emphasized the point that targeting Motorcyclists is not going to solve any problems, and focusing on helmet usage does little to aid in traffic problems nor reduce fatalities.
The full text of the MRF Release is below or can be found here: Click Here
The MMA thanks the MRF and Senator Letourneau for a powerful testimony which highlights the challenges we face as Motorcyclists, but also focuses on real solutions to the issues.
For More Information , please see http://www.MassMotorcycle.org, http://www.mrf.org or contact mrfrep@MassMotorcycle.org
REMINDER TO JOIN THE MMA’s 10th Annual STORM THE STATEHOUSE and purchase your 2011 MMA Bike Raffle Tickets! http://www.MassMotorcycle.org
©2011 Massachusetts Motorcycle Association – Documents referenced herein are with permission of their respective Copyright owners.
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
11NR12 - MRF News Release - Motorcycle Riders Foundation Testifies Before Congress
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31 March 2011
Contact: Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs
Motorcycle Riders Foundation Testifies Before Congress
The US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a historic two-day hearing March 29 and 30, 2011. The focus of the hearing was to gain valuable insight as the Committee drafts the next surface transportation reauthorization. The current legislation expired September 30, 2009 but has been on life support via a series of extensions that currently expire September 30, 2011.
The hearings called in a record 40 witnesses over the two days. The lengthy list included union representatives, mass transit, taxi drivers, truck drivers, financing experts and, of course, a motorcycle safety specialist.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) was contacted by committee staff to bring an expert motorcycle safety witness. To accommodate the request, the MRF contacted long-time MRF supporter Senator Bob Letourneau. Letourneau is a 15-year veteran of the New Hampshire legislator, who along the way chaired the New Hampshire House Transportation committee, as well as the New Hampshire Senate Transportation committee. He now serves at the New Hampshire Department of Safety as the resident Motorcycle Safety Specialist. He is also a recipient of the MRF's highest honor, the John "Farmer" Eggers award.
Senator Letourneau was the only motorcycle safety expert on the witness list. His unique qualifications made him the perfect advocate for the expansion of the 2010 motorcycle safety grants. His testimony focused on the grant program, stressed its importance to the states, and urged the committee to keep the funds as they are now and not dilute the program to be used for frivolous purposes such as promotion of personal protective equipment, which was recently suggested by David Strickland, Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Subcommittee Chair John Duncan (R-TN) was especially impressed with Senator Letourneau's testimony and personal observations concerning the validity of the New Hampshire rider education program. Letourneau cited a valuable and impressive and remarkable statistic, "Over ten years the New Hampshire rider education program has trained 23,000 students and out of the 23,000 students only 1 has been involved in a fatal crash, and we suspect that was most likely due to a medical event." Chairman Duncan was visibly in awe of the statistic.
As always, the MRF will keep you up to date on this important issue.
To read the written testimony click here.
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Sign up today for the MRF's new roadside assistance program by visiting http://www.mrf.org/mrfroadside.php The program is available to MRF members and non-MRF members.
© All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists' rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom.
The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.