Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)

Please support Antiprofiling House Resolution 366

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Please support Antiprofiling House Resolution 366 Call-to-Action to support Motorcycle Riders Members of the House of Representatives left D.C. last week for two weeks of recess. While they are away their staff members are sorting through constituent mail and reviewing legislative priorities. Now is a great time to contact those congressional offices and have your voice heard! H. Res 366 is a resolution focused on the profiling of bikers and it needs public support from all Members of Congress. Click on the link below and you will be sent to a site that sends a letter to your Representative based on your zip code. If your Representative has already signed on, your message will be a thank you note and ask them to push for a full vote on the House floor. If your elected official hasn’t signed on, the message will ask for them to cosponsor H. Res 366 and go on record supporting bikers. So far this year over 70 Representatives have cosponsored the resolution, but that is just half of where we were in 2020. Let’s make sure the politicians in Washington, D.C. hear from bikers and act. Click here to contact your Representative regarding H. Res 366. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit website http://mrf.org/ or call (202) 546-0983! and Join the MRF!

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Troublesome news for motorcyclist community in Europe

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Threats from Europe The last few months have seen troublesome news for the motorcyclist community in Europe. Yesterday, the website motorious.com reported on a new threat to motorcyclists in Paris, France. Officials there are taking aim at motorcycles and using sound pollution as the justification. According to the report, “Paris authorities have been experimenting with sound radars as a way to fight excessive noise pollution in the city. Such devices allow police to pinpoint which motorcycle is emitting more decibels than is allowed, then fine the rider.” This news for Paris comes on the heels of a Politico report late last year, that the European Commission has plans to dramatically change emission requirements on vehicles. While motorcycles were not included in the initial blueprint, fears are high in Europe. A ban on internal combustion engines “Would be a disaster,” said Michael Lenzen of the German Motorcyclists’ Association. Don’t forget that in 2020, the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA), issued a warning about end-of-life vehicle directives. Such a policy would require the collection and destruction of motorcycles that have come to the end of their life. At the time, Wim Taal, FEMA’s communications officer said, “Inclusion of motorcycles in the scope of the directive could also mean a serious threat to historical motorcycles. These bikes are especially dependent upon available and affordable original spare parts to keep them in working order. And who wants to see old-timers disappear into state approved demolishing facilities?” The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is committed to working with and supporting our partners in Europe. As MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard has repeatedly warned, “Policy ideas that first appear in Europe have a history of popping up in the United States.” The MRF is dedicated to opposing policies that destroy the motorcycling lifestyle. Thank you for

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National Roadway Safety Strategy Announced

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Thursday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced a new national road safety campaign. The plan, known as the “National Roadway Safety Strategy,” comes in response to increased year over year fatalities on our nation’s roadways. In 2020, an estimated 38,680 people died as a result of a motor vehicle crash. Of those, approximately 9% were motorcyclists’ fatalities. What is most alarming about the increase in fatalities, is that the total number of miles traveled on our roads decreased during the pandemic. Americans traveled 13.2% less miles in 2020 than we did in 2019, but we saw a 7.2% increase in deaths. The preliminary numbers for the first 6 months of 2021 are also troublesome. From January through the end of June 2021 an estimated 20,160 people died in crashes. That is the largest number of projected deaths in that time frame since 2006. To combat this trend the plan outlines five key objectives: Safer People: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed. Safer Roads: Design roadway environments to mitigate human mistakes and account for injury tolerances, to encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most users. Safer Vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants. Safer Speeds: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, context-appropriate roadway design, targeted education, and outreach campaigns, and enforcement. Post-Crash Care: Enhance the survivability of crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care, while creating a safe working environment for vital first responders and preventing secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices. The recently passed infrastructure bill has components and funding to

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Motorcycle Riders Foundation Annual Meeting

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Earlier this month the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) Board of Directors (BOD) conducted the annual January meeting. The January meeting allows the BOD to review the work of the MRF over the past year and look forward to what lies ahead. Two new members of the BOD were seated at the meeting, Eric Ross of Iowa, as a new MRF Reps Representative and Rick “Brick” Lindsay of Louisiana, as a new Sustaining State Motorcycle Rights Organization Representative. Additionally, during meetings last year, Gary Goracke of Minnesota, was added as the new Director of the State Representative Program and Andy Kelly of Pennsylvania, was added as a MRF Reps Representative. If you’d like to see a complete list of board members, with their titles and terms of service click here. The end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 also saw the MRF renew and establish new contracts with six different vendors. JPK Services will once again provide office management and membership services, Husch Blackwell Strategies will operate our lobbying arm and Policy Engage will provide our legislative and outreach tracking tools. Additional contracts were agreed to for IT services, editing and publishing the American Biker Journal and a new dedicated social media director. The January meeting is one of three annual meetings of the MRF BOD and is the only one held virtually. A second meeting occurs during May’s “Bikers Inside the Beltway” event in Washington, D.C. and the final meeting of the year is held during September’s “Meeting of the Minds” conference. All three meetings are open to MRF members and are great opportunities to understand how the MRF operates. Thank you to our board members for their service to the MRF and their dedication to the rights of all motorcyclists. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)

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Mid-South M.I.L.E. 2021

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Bikers gathered in Dallas, Texas for the 29th annual Mid-South M.I.L.E. event from Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) Like the Midwest’s Heartland STEAM event, the Mid-South M.I.L.E. brings together bikers from neighboring states to discuss legislative priorities, share ideas and build relationships. CLICK HERE To Read this Event Coverage on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today! https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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MRF update: Highway Bill Passes – a Year Late

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November 5, 2021 Highway Bill Passes… a Year Late After a 13-month delay and enactment of three separate extensions, Congress finally passed a surface transportation reauthorization bill. This bill, sometimes called the highway bill or the infrastructure bill, has been a hotly debated topic in D.C. for several years. Once signed by the President, the bill will reauthorize many highway programs, provide funding for road and bridge construction and replace the previous highway bill passed in 2015, known as the FAST Act. Just a week ago, Congress gave itself a third extension running into December. Yet election victories by Republican candidates, especially a win by the GOP in the Virginia governor’s race, seems to have spooked Democrats, and motivated passage of a bill that has been awaiting a vote since the summer. For the last two years, the House of Representatives and Senate have battled over transportation priorities and funding levels. In both 2020 and 2021, the House of Representatives passed versions of their highway bill, only to be rebuffed by the Senate. Under pressure from President Biden, the Senate finally acted, passing in August a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. This action by the Senate, effectively forced the House to accept the Senate version of the bill or continue to pass short term extensions of current law. However, pressure from the left wing of the Democratic party delayed a vote on the Senate’s infrastructure bill until an unconnected piece of legislation, referred to as the “human infrastructure bill,” was agreed to. That bill, called “Build Back Better,” had an original price tag of $3.5 trillion and effectively held the infrastructure bill hostage. After months of debate, and Tuesday’s election results, House Democrats agreed to vote on a smaller Build Back Better bill later in the month, opening the door to

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Congress extends deadline for highway funding – 3rd time in 13 months

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October 28th, 2021 Same Old Story… For the 3rd time in 13 months, Congress will extend the deadline to reauthorize highway funding programs. The original deadline of September 30, 2020 was extended for a full year last fall. Last month, Congress kicked the can down the road, giving itself a 1-month extension that expires on October 31st. Facing yet another self-imposed deadline, Thursday night, Congress gave itself ANOTHER extension, this time running through December 3rd, 2021. President Biden now must sign the bill before the first of November to avoid a lapse in funding. Over 3,700 employees in the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration would be furloughed without these stop gap funding extensions. Passage of a long-term infrastructure and highway bill remains blocked because of an inter-party fight between progressive and moderate Democrats on a host of issues. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) believes long term and stable funding for our nation’s transportation and infrastructure programs should not be continually deferred. The MRF remains committed to seeking long term solutions that advance the priorities of the nearly 10 million bikers in this country. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit MRF Website at: https://mrf.org/join/

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MRF Update: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)

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Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation released an interactive website with data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). FARS, which became operational in 1975, containing data on a census of fatal traffic crashes within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. To be included in FARS, a crash must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a traffic way customarily open to the public and must result in the death of a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant within 30 days of the crash. Fatal crash data for motorcyclists and passengers from the years 2010 to 2019 is included on this website. Users of the website can sort the information on fatalities by a variety of categories, including: State where the crash took place Crash Characteristics Environmental Characteristics Month of Crash Time of Crash Helmet Usage Alcohol Usage Age and Sex of Victims Weather Conditions Single Vehicle v Multi Vehicle While this information can be useful in understanding when, why and where crashes are taking place, it’s important to note that this data includes not just traditional motorcycles but also mopeds, scooters, minibikes, and pocket bikes. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation believes crash avoidance is key component of rider safety. There are zero fatalities in crashes that never happen. To see the website and view the decade’s long data click here. About Motorcycle Riders Foundation The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit MRF Website at: https://mrf.org/

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