Free Republic

More than two dozen motorcycles crashed on a freeway in Oregon on Friday, blocking traffic for hours, police said. Oregon State Police said the bikers were behind a car when traffic unexpectedly slowed in the northbound lanes on Interstate 5. The collision sent bikes scattering across the road, near Wilsonville, south of Portland.

Helmet Law Protesters to Circle the NC Governors Mansion, with Freedom Rides in 3 other counties on New Years Day. Citizens who love freedom and want to defend individual liberties are urged to picket the Governors Mansion on New Years Day from 2 - 4 pm. On New Years Day, the helmet law in North Carolina will be changing to reference FMVSS 218 as its' standard. Motorcyclists have many questions, such as how they can ensure compliance with certainty, because FMVSS 218 is nothing that motorcycle operators and consumers can comply with. It is a manufacturers self-certifying standard. Janice MacKay...

Sec. 658c. (1) The helmet requirements under section 658(4) do not apply to a motorcycle operator if all of the following conditions are satisfied: (a) He or she is 21 years of age or older. (b) He or she has been licensed under this act to operate a motorcycle for not less than 2 years. (c) He or she has successfully completed a motorcycle safety course under section 811a or 811b. (d) He or she has in effect security in the amount of $20,000.00 for the payment of first-party medical benefits payable in the event that he or she is...

Rahn wanted Missouri to follow Illinois' lead by adopting a primary seat belt law. Rahn insists such a law could save lives. Rahn thought the bill had a chance because it also would have done away with the state's motorcycle helmet law. That's right. Had the bill passed, you could be stopped for not wearing a seat belt but not for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. The bill failed.

DEARBORN, Mich., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- A bill designed to repeal Michigan's mandatory motorcycle helmet law would increase the number of state motorcycle deaths and injuries if passed into law, said AAA Michigan today (May 26). Members of the House Transportation Committee will vote tomorrow (May 27) on whether to move the bill forward. HB 4325, sponsored by Rep. Leon C. Drolet (R-Clinton Township), would remove the mandatory helmet requirement for all riders and passengers 21 years of age or older, but does not require motorcycle riders to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage. "It is well established that...

YOU HAVE TO WONDER if Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) has a thing about safety. He doesn't like bans on assault-style weapons, has opposed requirements that motorcyclists wear helmets and last year vetoed a bill that would have let counties install speed cameras in residential areas to protect schoolchildren from lead-footed motorists. That's a lot of assists to the lobbyists who put safety last. Again this year, Mr. Ehrlich's stands on these issues will matter, and any second thoughts he might have would be welcome. Thanks to the ill-explained decision of State Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Prince...

PRAIRIEVILLE, La. - In the smoky, windowless back room of Gail's Diner on Route 61, eight bikers gathered on a recent Sunday morning for a regular meeting of their motorcycle lobbying group. A few days earlier, a federal agency had released figures showing the average number of motorcyclists killed in crashes had doubled in Louisiana in the first two years after the state repealed its mandatory helmet law. The bikers at Gail's - a woman and seven men who roared up wearing denim and do-rags - believe that those numbers will be used as ammunition. "Every regular legislative session, there's...

Sorry, all. Check out Kerry on his Harley, just for laughs.

The kids have got it right when it comes to protecting their heads while they cycle or rollerblade. Now if someone could just tell their parents. The Canada Safety Council has found more kids than ever are using helmets to protect their noggins when they ride and skate. The same study shows only 40% of adult cyclists and in-line skaters take the same precaution -- and 52% never do. This is troubling news, according to Emile Therien, president of the safety council. "Head injuries account for a stunning 80% of bicycle fatalities," Therien said. Four out of five parents surveyed...