NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
ROAD TO ZERO MOTORCYCLES
For decades, motorcycle rights advocates have warned the riding community that advances in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and the advent of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles could signal the end of motorcycles on public roadways. Indeed, “Vision Zero” has been under development primarily in Europe to remove human interaction from the operation of vehicles in public transit, therefore eliminating human error that results in traffic accidents…and since motorcycles require human operation they do not fit into the Vision Zero scenario.
Now, the U.S. Department of Transportation has unveiled plans for a new initiative called “Road to Zero” in concert with other federal agencies and the National Safety Council with the lofty goal of eliminating all traffic-related fatalities by the year 2030, and although bicyclists and pedestrians are taken into account, their plan makes no specific mention of motorcycles.
Citing increases in traffic deaths nationwide, accounting for more than 35,000 lives lost mostly due to human error and behaviors such as distracted and drowsy driving and driving under the influence, Road to Zero will focus on proactive vehicle safety, advances in automotive technology and cultivating human behavior.
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FUTURE MOTORCYCLES WON’T REQUIRE HELMETS
BMW claims that motorcycles in the future will be so smart, it could eliminate the need for protective gear. To mark its 100th birthday, BMW recently unveiled a Motorrad Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle so advanced that the German auto and cycle-maker says riders won’t require a helmet because its self-balancing system keeps the bike upright both in motion and even at a standstill.
BMW touted the motorbike’s futuristic features, saying it would allow for riders of all skill levels to “enjoy the sensation of absolute freedom.” Since the Vision Next 100 will liberate riders from the need to wear a helmet and protective clothing, BMW says the rider can be in touch with his/her surroundings, which will mean ‘perfect synthesis between human and machine’.
Another traditional feature is also missing: a control panel. Instead, helmetless riders will wear a visor that acts as a smart display, although such information would not be needed all the time because the vehicle is equipped with self-driving technology and can sense the road ahead and react so that it theoretically can’t get into accidents.
The futuristic motorcycle is also “zero emissions,” because BMW said it believes the future of transportation is electric.
A HELMET THAT CALLS FOR HELP
We’ve previously reported that BMW is planning to introduce an automatic system to call emergency services installed on some of its motorcycles next year (an “SOS” button), but now a Thai innovation is looking to achieve similar results from a newly-designed helmet.
While still under development, the HELPMET concept is to automatically call medics only if it’s subjected to impacts hard enough to result in unconsciousness.
It incorporates the basics of a smartphone, including a SIM card, GPS, and a connection to the phone network, as well as impact sensors and a rechargeable battery. The system is only set off after impacts of 95g or higher, so accidental knocks or even a light crash shouldn’t have ambulances appearing, but they will come looking if you’re lying unconscious in a ditch and they’ll have the precise coordinates to find you.
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MOTORCYCLE SAFETY EFFORTS IN NEW MEXICO
Board members from the New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization (NMMRO) recently met with a representative of the state’s Department of Transportation along with safety advocates of the bicycling community to discuss the LOOK FOR ME – WE’RE ALL GOING SOMEWHERE safety awareness campaign. This campaign is designed to help make the streets safer for everyone, and while the campaign is geared toward pedestrian and bicycle safety, the NM DoT did incorporate pictures of motorcycles in their advertising, which is displayed on city and school buses.
An important message relayed to roadway users is; “Please pay full attention. Don’t talk, text, or use cell phone while driving. Remain sober and alert and obey the rules of the road.” During their meeting, the DoT rep listened to motorcyclists’ concerns and said they would incorporate more about motorcycle safety for the year 2017 and will include NMMRO in future meetings.
HIT-AND-RUN BILL VETOED BY CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR
In response to an “epidemic” of hit-and-run accidents in California, citing nearly 79,000 such collisions in 2014, Assemblyman Eric Linder (R-Corona) introduced AB 2088 “as an effort to reduce the number of hit-and-runs and bring justice to the victims by ensuring that offenders face consequences for their reckless decisions.”
On behalf of such victimized motorcycle riders, ABATE of California supported the measure, and the legislation to mandate a six month license suspension or community service for leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death, received strong bipartisan support and overwhelmingly passed the state Assembly 78-2 and was unanimously voted on in the Senate 39-0.
NEW LAW IN FRANCE MANDATES RIDING GLOVES
French law now requires that motorcycle riders wear gloves, and according to the website motofire.com, “Riders caught without hand protection will face a fine of $76 and have a point added to their license.”
France already requires motorcyclists to carry a hi-viz reflective jacket or vest in case of a roadside emergency, and wear a helmet that displays “at least 18 square cm of reflective material,” a violation that carries a $152 fine.
According to the report, France also requires riders to carry spare bulbs and an alcohol breath-testing kit, a rule widely ignored since a violation carries no fine.
Of course some riders have taken offense at the perceived violation of their civil liberties, and the FFMC, “Fédération Française des Motards en Colère (“French Federation of Angry Bikers”) has released this statement: “It’s not that we are against the gloves, the problem is that we’re forced to wear them under the threat of fines and losing points. There’s no lives at stake here, and if we don’t wear gloves then we aren’t threatening other people’s integrity.”
GERMANY WANTS TO BAN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
Germany’s top legislative body, the Bundesrat, has voted to ban all internal combustion engines by the year 2030. According to Der Spiegel news magazine in Hamburg, the legislation calls on the European Commission to “evaluate the recent tax and contribution practices of Member States on their effectiveness in promoting zero-emission mobility,” effectively asking for a ban on the lower level of tax on diesel fuel within the EU.
It also calls on European vehicle manufacturers to “review the current practices of taxation and dues with regard to a stimulation of emission-free mobility.”
“If the Paris agreement to curb climate-warming emissions is to be taken seriously, no new combustion engine cars should be allowed on roads after 2030,” said Greens party lawmaker Oliver Krischer. BMW Motorrad’s head of development Karl Viktor Schaller told Britain’s Motorcycle News publication, “It may be 10 or 15 years away, but urban traffic will be electric in the future. Maybe eventually electric vehicles will reach a range of 200km.”
While the resolution is non-binding, it may not come to fruition, but the statement of intent carries strength, especially given that German regulations have historically shaped many EU regulations.
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HISTORIC MOTORCYCLES MAY SOON REPOSE AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Historically significant motorcycles could soon be documented and have their details preserved for posterity in the Library of Congress. The National Historic Vehicle Register Act was introduced on September 22, 2016 by longtime motorcyclist U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), and is intended to help preserve the legacy of American cars and motorcycles and the vital role they play in American culture and history.
If passed, the Act would authorize the U.S. Department of Interior to establish a federal register of historic vehicles to document and preserve records of American automotive and motorcycle history.
The Historic Vehicle Association has been working with the Interior Department on the registry proposal since 2013, and the project would create a permanent archive of significant historic vehicles within the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is considered the de facto national library of the United States.
This method of documenting notable motorcycles in history was inspired by what’s been happening for nearly every other part of American society. Since the 1930s, the Department of the Interior has been working to document historic buildings and other historic sites throughout the United States. These efforts were bolstered by the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966, and since then the National Register of Historic Places has grown to include a multitude of buildings, landmarks, ships, aircraft, etc.
Although the National Historic Preservation Act made it possible for automobiles to be included in this database, none have yet been documented. The National Historic Vehicle Register will help document historic vehicles as they exist now, preserving their information for future generations.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “For the saddest epitaph which can be carved in memory of a vanished liberty is that it was lost because its possessors failed to stretch forth a saving hand while yet there was time.”
~ Justice George Sutherland (1862-1942), U.S. Supreme Court
