From: Ondgo@aol.com
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 5:20 AM
Subject: Helmet vote in the Senate – Immediate Action Required!
This week we can expect votes by
the Illinois Senate on Senator Donne Trotter’s under
18 motorcycle helmet bill (SB2535) and on Senator Ira Silverstein’s under 16
bicycle helmet bill (SB2627). SB2627
also requires small adults to be strapped in a safety seat when riding as a
passenger on a bicycle.
Because we cannot be certain when
these bills will be called, it is critical that we contact our State senators
as soon as possible and urge them to vote “NO” on both these bills. If you are not sure who your State senator is,
go to A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois’s website <http://www.abate-il.org/> and
enter your zip code in the box in the upper right portion of the screen; click
“GO”; fill in the blanks; and follow the instructions. Eventually, all your federal and state elected
officials will appear. Use that information
to contact your officials and share it with others who need help finding their
senator / state representative.
When you talk with your State
senator or his/her office, you can use the following talking points for SB2535
(under 18 motorcycle helmet bill):
· This bill tries to fix a problem that does not exist. IDOT’s 2009
Highway Safety Program Annual Evaluation Report
(http://www.dot.il.gov/trafficsafety/AER09-web.pdf) shows that the number of
fatal motorcycle crashes is on a downward trend.
· The
“2008 Crash Data” from IDOT (http://www.dot.il.gov/travelstats/2008cfweb.pdf)
show that no children under the age of 10 were killed or injured in motorcycle
crashes. None were killed in the 10-14
age range. Two were killed in the 15-19
age range; however, that range includes 19 year old adults who would not be
subject to the mandates of SB2535.
· The State’s own statistics show that parents are doing a
good job of taking care of their children.
When mom and dad are doing their job, there is no need for “big brother”
to interfere.
· Helmet fit is critical for helmet effectiveness. Parents traditionally buy apparel slightly
large for their children so that they can grow into it. When this is done with a motorcycle helmet,
the helmet may not stay on the child’s head in a crash or, possibly worse, it
may turn on the head and harm the child.
· Helmet manufacturers tell us that helmets may not do their
job and should be replaced if they are dropped on a hard surface. Children drop things all the time. The cost of replacing a helmet every time it
is dropped – or when the child outgrows it – can be expensive.
· Who
are the persons to be protected by SB2535?
Young children who ride with their parents? Off-road dirt bike and ATV
riders? Teenagers who ride on the
highway? Regardless of the intent of the
bill, IDOT’s own statistics show that this is not
needed.
· We
have shown, time after time, that education of riders and parents is what saves
lives. We should concentrate on crash
prevention rather than crash survival.
Here are some SB2627 talking
points:
· Government should not take the place of parents unless
there is a compelling need to do so.
Such a need does not exist here.
IDOT statistics show a greater number of injuries of pedestrians, for
example, than of bicyclists. Why not
make them wear helmets?
· Bicycle helmets do not protect against the sun or rain, but
they prevent wearing hats that do.
· Once this law is in place, it will be simple to ratchet up the
penalties. For example, the seatbelt law
started with secondary enforcement and now has primary enforcement.
· The
bill is demeaning to short adults, including returning veterans who have lost
their legs.
· Government would impose a significant expense on young
riders and their parents.
· This is the beginning of the slippery slope toward mandatory motorcycle
helmet laws for horseback riders, skaters, and motorcycle riders.
· Even though the penalties appear low, parents would be
required to miss work to attend the mandatory hearings. In this economy, missed work can mean a lost
job.
· A visiting child cannot legally ride a bicycle unless he /
she thinks to bring his helmet.
· Bicycle rental businesses must keep helmets in a broad
range of sizes and must keep the helmets in a good state of repair and free of
germs or parasites.
· See also the article on how ineffective bicycle helmets can
be by going to http://www.cyclehelmets.org/index.html.
This has been a long message, but
it is an important one. Please contact
your State senator now. If you need
his/her phone number, go to the A.B.A.T.E.
of Illinois web site or ask your chapter legislative officer. When you talk to your senator or his / her
office, be polite but firm. Use any or
all of the talking points above if you want.
Please let me know your senator’s position on these bills and whether
that position is firm or may change.
There is nothing wrong with asking an elected official to commit to a
position on an issue.
Good luck! I hope to see you on Legislative Day (flyer
attached) on March 11th.
George
Abate
of
abate2@juno.com
PS: Expect another note in a day
or 2 on HB162 (move Cycle Rider Safety Training (CRST) Program from IDOT to
Secretary of State and clarifies existing language
that protects CRST funds from being raided for other purposes). We support HB162.