BikeSafe-North Carolina invites motorcyclists to participate in Rider Skills Days that offer assessment on present skills, and advice to help make their riding in North Carolina safer and more enjoyable. As well as professional riding techniques, topics covered include the system of motorcycle control, collision causation factors and security. The Rider Skills Days are run during the week and at weekends, by highly qualified police motorcyclists passing on their wealth of knowledge and experience in a friendly and informal manner. Held at the Highway Patrol Driving Facility, Raleigh, the pre-booked days include both classroom based advice and on-road ride-outs. Contact Sgt. Mark Brown for more information at BikeSafeNC@ncshp.org. 


    The Tennessee Senate passed the current helmet bill to allow adults 21 years of age and over the right to choose whether or not they wear a helmet. The bill is currently in the House Finance Committee to be heard by the Budget Subcommittee when they return in January of 2008. All Volunteer State riders are urged to contact their state representative and ask him or her to support and co-sponsor HB 1283.


    Massachusetts legislation currently before the House Committee on Transportation would further restrict off-highway motorcycle and ATV riding by prohibiting anyone under the age of 14 from riding. Riders under 16 years of age would be restricted to machines of 90cc displacement or less and all riders under 18 years of age would be required to receive safety training. House bill 3592, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Patrick (D-Falmouth), and a pre-written response are available on the “Rapid Response” page of www.AMADirectLink.com. 

   North Carolina House bill 1575, introduced by Rep. Cary D. Allred (R-Burlington), would make it illegal to allow small motorcycles or ATVs, those with 50cc or smaller engines, from participating in organized practices or races with larger machines. The legislation was written in response to a youth fatality that occurred in a combined MX practice. The bill is posted on the “Rapid Response” page of www.AMADirectLink.com.


   The Humane Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club and other anti- recreation groups have recently notified the National Park Service of their intent to sue under the Endangered Species Act and other laws to close twenty miles of off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails in the already minimal and heavily- restricted route network on the Bear Island Unit of Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. Joining the Humane Society, Defenders of Wildlife and Sierra Club on the letter were Wildlands CPR (Center for the Prevention of Roads), The Wilderness Society, National Parks Conservation Association, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and the Florida Biodiversity Project. These same groups (or various combinations of them) had previously coordinated efforts in attacks against hunting and recreational access in other areas across the country, including bear hunting in New Jersey and Minnesota, and snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park and the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. In 2000, the Preserve closed 23,300 miles of dispersed OHV use and limited vehicles to only 30 miles of trails in the Bear Island Unit, which provides a highly-restricted but still popular hunting experience for those pursuing deer and wild hogs. Despite the significant past and ongoing restrictions on hunting and OHV access, the letter alleges that activity along additional twenty miles of trail will disturb and reduce the "prey base" of the endangered Florida panther.


    The National Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS) at the University of Minnesota has released a list of states with the country’s most dangerous rural roads. Maine tops the list, with 92 percent of its traffic fatalities occurring on rural roads. CERS based the list on state-by-state data on deaths on rural roads in 2005, along with information from the US Department of Transportation. The causes of high fatality rates on rural roads — roads outside of areas with populations of 5,000 or more — include a false sense of security that leads to high speeds as drivers enjoy the scenery. Head-on collisions and driving off the road are common accidents on rural roads. The entire list of states is available at www.ruralsafety.umn.edu.

    New Hampshire’s Legislature named the future off-highway vehicle (OHV) Park in Berlin Jericho Mountain State Park. The legislature also provided exemptions from certain state requirements to allow off-highway motorcycle and ATV trails to be established and maintained in the park. The enabling legislation, introduced by Sen. John Gallus (R-Berlin), is available on the “Rapid Response” page of www.AMADirectLink.com



    Local traffic planning agencies are being asked to contribute to the nationwide Traffic Analysis and Simulation Pooled Fund Study (PFS). Administered by the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, the PFS allows participating agencies to tap each other’s experience in planning transportation projects and to build partnerships on those projects. The PFS will develop methods for addressing several issues, including modeling for unique projects such as multimodal corridors and for non-recurring congestion caused by accidents, weather and work zones. Any public agency responsible for conducting, managing or approving traffic analysis studies may participate. Information on the program is available at www.tfhrc.gov/its/traffic analysis.htm.


    The 14th annual National Public Lands Day, the largest hands-on volunteer effort to preserve America’s lands, will take place Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007. In addition to the usual facility clean ups and repairs, this year will have a new focus on countering the tide of invasive plants and animals that take over habitats and squeeze out native species. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the government spends $120 billion annually on the control and impact of more than 800 out-of-control invaders that pose a threat to the environment, economy, and human health. That doesn’t include the value of biodiversity, aesthetics, soil erosion, water contamination, etc. Every volunteer who removes invasive species helps keep the toll from rising. The estimated dollar value of volunteer time is $18.77 an hour for 2006, based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Independent Sector. So every 100,000 volunteers who participate in National Public Lands Day represent an additional $1.8 million worth of labor for American lands. This year’s goal is to exceed the 2006 National Public Lands Day numbers of 100,000 volunteers by at least an additional 10,000. One third of America's land is in public hands, and may be used for everything from recreation and relaxation to logging and mining for natural resources. National Public Lands Day is a yearly chance for Americans to take ownership of these lands, which are constantly threatened by human causes such as pollutants and natural causes like disasters and erosion. Events will take place in parks, forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, at cultural and historic sites and neighborhood areas. Families and students can tour national parks and many state parks for free on this date, and learn about wildlife habitats while working to benefit them. Those interested in organizing a project or volunteering for this year’s event can learn more at www.publiclandsday.org.  This website offers tips for site organizers, and more information and photos for the news media.


   Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri (R) signed into law a measure which grants fish and wildlife conservation officers the power to enforce the state’s off-highway vehicle laws. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Susan Sosnowski (D-South Kingston).


    The California Highway Patrol CHP) continued its crackdown on riders attending local motorcycle gatherings this summer, seizing a dozen bikes and issuing 40 citations. Most of the motorcycles were impounded because the riders did not have a motorcycle license. CHP officers targeted participants at bike nights at Zorba's Restaurant in Highgrove, an unincorporated Riverside County community north of Riverside, and Backwoods BBQ in Corona. The crackdown started after sport-bike riders jammed Inland freeways while performing stunts in traffic on July 16. Those incidents remain under investigation, the CHP said. The CHP has also received numerous complaints from the public about the weekly bike nights.


    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) ! (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be hosting a Motorcycle Travel Symposium on October 10 – 12, 2007, at the NTSB Conference Facility in L’Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC. The purpose of this symposium is to: continue the discussion on the topic of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) initiated by NTSB at their Motorcycle Forum held September 2006; share state best practices in the collection of these data; explore ways to merge the data from the various groups represented at the Symposium; and propose future research in the area that would ultimately lead to better state and national estimates of motorcycle travel. The Motorcycle Travel Symposium will bring together groups interested in measuring or using motorcycle travel data along with the groups currently collecting some form of motorcycle travel data. The target audience is federal, state, and local agencies that collect travel data, vehicle registration data, and vehicle inspection data. Private industry representatives which include groups that develop equipment for measuring travel, motorcycle manufacturers, motorcycle riders groups, toll facility operators, and any other individual or organization that as a course of business may record motorcycle odometer readings such as service stations and vehicle maintenance businesses. Other sources of motorcycle travel data will also be explored, such as active theft deterrent/recovery systems, aerial and satellite imagery, vehicle mounted digital short-range communication (DSRC) equipment, civilian adaptations of military technology, GPS, and cell phones. Additional details and an agenda for this symposium will be announced at a later date. However, you are welcome to register online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/2007registration if you wish to attend this event. Should you have any questions about the Motorcycle Travel Symposium, please contact Mr. David Winter, FHWA’s Office of Highway Policy Information, by e-mail at David.Winter@dot.gov or or by telephone at (202) 366-4631.