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Motorcycle Riders Foundation fights against Acceptance of Mandatory Rider Apparel
Having failed to convince State legislatures to adopt laws mandating helmet or apparel use by motorcyclists, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
potentially found another body to advance mandatory-use laws: the United Nations.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has learned that, in total defiance of legislation passed by Congress,
NHTSA has moved its efforts to the United Nations, specifically the world body's "Inland Transport Committee: Working Party on Road Traffic Safety (WP.1)." NHTSA presented the following
recommendations for WP.1:
Action: "To start a discussion and exchange of information among WP.1 member nations and key non-governmental organizations on motorcycle safety
programmes." As part of NHTSA's proposed action plan, it urges a questionnaire be circulated among member states (editor's note: in this instance, "member states" means
countries involved with the United Nations). Among the questions NHTSA requests for inclusion on the questionnaire: "Fatality and injury rates due to motorcyclists not wearing a helmet at
the time of
the crash;" "Laws governing helmet use;" "Amount of penalty for not wearing a helmet;" and "Are there any repercussions, other than fines, if riders do not
wear a helmet."
The Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA) disclosed the NHTSA strategy at the September MRF Meeting of The Minds. FEMA is a partner with the MRF,
AMA and FIM in ensuring the voice of riders is heard at "Working Party 29 (WP.29), the
global vehicles harmonization talks being held in Geneva under the auspices of the U.N. The NHTSA
document surfaced in Geneva.
Bob Tomlins, FEMA, reported that, when pressed on the proposed focus on helmets, responded that there are, "compelling safety problems that unite everyone and
that the polarizing helmet debate could be set aside in order to work on the bigger safety picture."
"This extraordinary move is a violation of Congressional action and intent,"
said Karen Bolin, President of the MRF. "Congress has directed that motorcyclist apparel issues are matters to be decided by the states - not the Congress, not a federal regulatory agency, and
certainly not the United Nations. This calls for a vigorous, sustained response from the Motorcyclists' Rights Movement in the United States. The MRF will pursue every option
available to halt NHTSA's regulatory power grab."
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