TEN PERCENT OF DRIVERS UNFIT As you're riding along through traffic be sure to look out for every tenth car, according to new research that suggests one in ten drivers may be unfit to drive. Study results released by GMAC Insurance indicate that up to 20 million licensed drivers may lack basic driving knowledge and would fail a standard state drivers test.

In an effort to gauge American drivers' road knowledge, GMAC studied nearly 5,000 licensed drivers nationwide aged 16-65 by administering a 20-question written test similar to those used to award state drivers licenses or permits. The results of the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test were alarming, and unveiled pervasive dangerous behavior amongst our nation's drivers.

Study results indicate that many U.S. road users are perplexed by such standard driving practices as merging, failure to yield when making left turns, and road-sign interpretation. In addition, twenty-nine percent (57 million) of drivers who drink admitted they would knowingly drive while over the legal limit "if they felt okay."

Such lack of knowledge and unsafe driving practices are identified as common causes of accidents.


SHUT UP AND DRIVE A recent study sounds the alarm on driving while talking on cell phones, and surprisingly the study found no difference in the accident rates for drivers using hands-free phones as opposed to hand-held phones. For either type of phone, talking while driving increased four-fold the chances of an accident requiring hospitalization.

Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests that using a hands-free device instead of a hand-held phone while behind the wheel will not necessarily improve safety. The institute said it was the first attempt to estimate whether phone use increases the risk of an injury crash in automobiles.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, and released July 12, found that male and female drivers had the same increase in risk from using a phone, along with drivers who are older and younger than age 30.

A survey released earlier this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 8 percent of drivers were using cell phones during daylight hours last year. It represented a 50 percent increase since 2002.

With more motorists dialing and driving than ever, lawmakers have tried to find ways of reducing driver distraction. New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia prohibit talking on hand-held cell phones while driving. Some cities, such as Chicago, Santa Fe, N.M., and Brookline, Mass., require hands-free devices in automobiles, and Connecticut drivers will have to start using hands-free devices beginning on October 1st.


VIRGINIA ENACTS MOTORCYCLE-FRIENDLY SIGNAGE After a long and arduous process of proposed legislation, engineers meetings, and field testing, Virginia now has standards in place backed by law that require the marking of steel plates when used in temporary road repairs. The steel plates, commonly referred to as bridging, pose particular hazards for motorcycles because of their unusually smooth finish that can become slippery in humid conditions or when other traffic deposits grease, oil and fluids on them.

A.I.M. (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) Attorney Tom McGrath, founder of Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists (VCOM) and VCOM director Jim Cannon spearheaded the effort with the help of Virginia Beach Delegate, John Welch. Delegate Welch introduced House Bill 2020 requiring the markings of all roadway conditions deemed hazardous to motorcycles, and with the threat of legislation hanging over their heads the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the private contractors became cooperative. This resulted in a series of meetings between VCOM, the highway engineers, and contractors to develop the best practice for handling these conditions.

As a result of these meetings, Virginia now has signage specific to motorcycles notifying riders of potential hazards ahead. Governor Mark Warner signed HB 2020 into law, requiring that steel plates in the roadway must have a sign, if practical, as well as be marked with a reflective material on all four corners highlighting the steel plate and making it visible at night and in poor weather conditions, etc.

"We think it's great that the highway engineers now recognize that motorcycles sometimes need specific consideration and look forward to working with VDOT on other issues in the future," says McGrath.


TENNESSEANS CELEBRATE BANNER YEAR Tennessee started out its 2005 legislative session with a brand new lobbying team and a brand new Legislative Chairman. No files, no experience, no expertise. "From day one, we knew we were going to be working at least 8 different bills," said John R. Pierce, CMT/ABATE State Legislative Chairman, adding "Talk about learning to swim by being thrown into the deep end of the pool!"

But with help from "the most motorcycle friendly legislature on the planet" the Legislative Team succeeded in passing 7 of the 8 bills they got introduced in the first half of their two-year session, including: a proclamation declaring May as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month; a repeal of their handlebar height law; a good ROW (Right of Way) bill that will be the basis for more stringent legislation to follow; a parade bill that says riders can go lidless in a parade if they stay under 30 miles per hour, making it legal to have a self-declared parade along the entire 635-mile length of Tennessee as long as they stay in small towns; a bicycle helmet bill that makes it legal for a motorcyclist in Tennessee to wear a certain type of bicycle or ventilated helmet; and last but certainly not least, they are now allowed to purchase a variety of military license plates that were previously only available for cars.

The frosting on the cake came when the Department of Safety gave CMT/ABATE a $15,000 grant to implement Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, which has resulted in getting 50 billboards in cities across the state with motorcycle awareness messages, along with signs on city busses and 8,000 bumper stickers.

"The full helmet choice bill is taking a little longer," says Pierce, but progress has been made and inroads have been laid, and "With all that's happened in the last 5 months, I think we can make the case that Tennessee is a very motorcycle friendly state. By this time next year, we will also be a free state."


ARIZONA HONORS VETERANS In an e-mail from former State Representative Wally Straughn of Phoenix, who is a member of MMA and ABATE, he writes;

"I would like to notify your readers, especially the Arizona bikers who are military veterans, that the state of Arizona is now offering Veterans' license plates for motorcycles. The legislature approved the plates during the 2004 session and the plates finally went on sale in June of 2005."

Straghn goes on the explain; "The importance of Veterans' plates on motorcycles is not only to show your pride as a military veteran. Each plate costs $25, the same as any other Arizona plate, and $17 of each sale goes to the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services. I authored this bill in the State Legislature in an effort to increase funding for the State Veterans Home. It is a great cause and I encourage every veteran and family member who owns a motorcycle to buy a vet plate."

And finally; "I'd also like to tell you what a pleasure it was to work with motorcyclists like Bobbi Hartman (Lobbyist for ABATE of Arizona) and Ray Houston (Chairman of the MMA and board member for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists - NCOM). They were effective speakers for the issue and brought many other motorcycle rights activists to the legislature to assure passage of the bill. It would not have happened without them."

"I recently bought my first motorcycle and I hope you will all join me in ordering the new Veterans tags that are now available."

FORMER legislator?! How'd he get away?


PHILIPINOS ORGANIZE FOR PRO-MOTORCYCLE PLANS In a recent letter from The Motorcycle Philippines Federation, the newly-formed motorcycle rights organization explains the kinds of problems that necessitated their formation and how effective they have become as a fledgling MRO in fighting for bikers rights.

Recently it has become clear that because motorcycles are the only vehicles that can slip through the chaotic, lawless mess of Manila traffic, criminals are sometimes using them as getaway vehicles. Instead of investigating why the Philippine National Police cannot stop them, or finding a way of helping the PNP, one counselor decided to introduce a no backride law (no passengers on motorcycles). Another decided that because these criminals are hard to recognize when wearing full face helmets he would introduce a ban of full face helmets while another said everyone passing through their part of the city must register their helmets! Lastly, a senator decided he would introduce a law that all motorcyclists must paint their name and plate number on their helmet

All these rules of course would have little or no effect on criminals and the only people affected are the innocent motorcycle riders.

So on Friday June 10th 2005 members of the estimated 120,000 member Motorcycle Philippines Federation (MCPF) said enough is enough, and hundreds of riders joined in a protest starting in Quezon City to voice their dissatisfaction and to inform counselors and senators that they will no longer be used as scapegoats and excuses for poor law enforcement.

The MCPF made its presence felt and the backride ban and the painted helmet proposals have already been withdrawn. Also, the Office of the President recently requested the MCPF to draft a motorcycle usage incentive policy for the country. When the riders gathered at Quezon Memorial the staff of Quezon City Councelor Ariel Inton met with the riders and MCPF directors to sign an agreement of cooperation and recently Senator Richard Gordon agreed to work with the MCPF on motorcycling related issues.
The MCPF and its member motorcycle clubs and associations made it clear that this law enforcement problem is NOT a motorcycle problem. They also made it very clear that by joining forces and refusing to take the legal and legislative abuse in stride, they have cleared the way for better relations with their government and laid a foundation to resolve their issues through political participation. That's a lesson we could all learn from.


WEIRD NEWS: TAIWANESE WOMAN FAILS MOTORCYCLE TEST FOR THE 51ST TIME A 59-year-old woman in Tainan City, Lee Hsu Shui-mian, has been taking the exam to get a license to drive a motorcycle for the past 20 years, but as yet has still failed to snag the valued piece of paper. Lee Hsu has taken the test 50 times, but still has not passed the oral portion of the exam.

Her husband passed away when she was 33 years old, and since then Lee Hsu has cut hair for a living in an effort to support her three children. When she was 39, she made her first trip to the Tainan Department of Motor Vehicles to seek a license to drive a motorcycle. Lee Hsu said she required the license since she needed to drive her children to school, and for work related purposes. However, given that Lee Hsu is illiterate, each time she has taken the test, she's failed.

As Lee Hsu is getting on in age, her memory is starting to fail her. In addition, her hearing ability has diminished. Her daughter has suggested to her mother that she give up taking the motorcycle license exam and instead switch to a four-wheel electric vehicle, but Lee Hsu said the electric vehicles are simply too slow. As a result, she refused to take her daughter's suggestion and signed up to take the test for the 51st time. She passed the driving test without any problem, but she once again did not score a passing grade on the oral test. Undeterred, Lee Hsu said she intends to try again next time.


QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson, Poet, Novelist & Essayist (1850-1894)