Off Road Issues

ABATE will continue to support & monitor the development of off-road parks in Illinois and protect the Off Highway Vehicle Trails Fund to help spur more recreational off-road trails.

We will oppose any mandates on protective equipment for Off Highway Vehicles, and any municipal bans on the operation of OHVs.

ABATE will support the development of rural off highway vehicle routes on a county by county basis as long as they are open to all off highway vehicles ( dirt bike, ATV, UTV ).

Motorcycles / On Road Issues

Helmets - ABATE will continue to support the freedom of riders to choose if they want to wear protective gear.

Profiling -ABATE opposes any motorcycle only checkpoints and continues to work on anti-profiling legislation. ABATE will pursue actions against administrative agencies like the Illinois Gaming Board who are harassing motorcycle groups.

Ethanol – ABATE will continue to oppose tax credits for E15 and above blends These credits cause an expansion of the fuels which crowd out E0, E10 blends.

We continue to push for labels on E15 / E85 pumps clearly marking them as unsafe for motorcycles, and push for dedicated pumps for E15/E85 fuels. Current labeling isn’t clear on this fact. Using anything above E10 is a violation of Federal laws. Plus this would eliminate blender pumps that can drop up to 4 gallons of E15/E85 in your tank when you think you’re getting E10 / E0.

Cycle Rider Safety Training Fund – ABATE will protect the trust fund paid for by IL Motorcyclists to fund MSF courses & monitor funding levels.

ABATE will help promote the classes and program to legislators, and answer questions posed by IDOT and ILGA

Autonomous Vehicles– We oppose deployment of driverless cars and semis without appropriate safeguards for motorcycle safety and continue to participate in industry and regulatory discussions to get our concerns with this technology addressed, including helping to develop new technology to assist motorcycle safety.

ABATE & MRF will seek partnerships in the new administration to seek federal oversight of AV testing with motorcycles. We will also work to preserve needed airwaves for vehicle communications

Electric Vehicles and Transportation Policy - ABATE will continue to fight to make sure motorcycles are treated equally when it comes to policies, planning and incentives for vehicles regardless of engine type.

LED Lighting – Explore the possibility of getting Red and Blue allowed as colors for LED underlighting. Currently not allowed. Illinois is only state that has this strong of a ban. Firefighters and Police like these colors for their personal bikes, but Illinois State Police opposed this 4 years ago. We have an Illinois company who makes a light product that glows red under the bike when brakes are applied. Currently that’s illegal in Illinois.

ABATE will also look at modernizing this law to include new technology like lighted grips and clothing.

Poker Runs – ABATE will look at language to make poker run bill clearer that the run license is valid throughout the state, and include Cook County, so that all counties in Illinois issue licenses.

Distracted Driving –ABATE will push for increased penalties for those that use handheld devices and drive. There have been several motorcycle fatalities caused by drivers texting or using their Uber / Lyft app while driving. University Study says strict penalties can reduce motorcycle fatalities 11%. SOS says 25% of wrecks are caused by distracted driving.

DUI / Suspended license fatality – There have been a few fatal wrecks where a driver with multiple suspended / revoked license & driving without a license have caused collisions that killed motorcycles. These drivers only face jail time if they are drunk at the time, and usually less than 8 years. ABATE intends on revising the law to increase penalties for this crime.

Shoulder Riding –This permits motorcycles to use the shoulder of an interstate or state highway if the traffic on that highway is stopped due to construction or other issues. It allows air cooled bikes to keep moving and brings them out of a potential pile up situation. ABATE is going to begin discussions about how to bring this practice to Illinois.

Lane Usage – ABATE will continue to study the issue of how different types of lane usage affect motorcycle safety and share that information with membership.