Lawmakers Support Anti-Checkpoint Bill

A bi-partisan group of federal lawmakers has sent a letter supporting legislation that prevents government funds being used for motorcycle-only traffic checkpoints.

The letter was sent May 25 to the U.S. House Committee on Transport and Infrastructure and the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit urging support for H.R. 904 and H. Res. 239.

H.R. 904 would prohibit the U.S. Transportation Secretary from providing funds for state or local governments to be used on helmet checks and motorcycle-only checkpoints. H. Res 239 supports retaining a ban on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration using federal funding to lobby state lawmakers, and urges the agency to focus its efforts on motorcycle crash prevention, rider education and training.

“We take motorcycle safety seriously and want NHTSA to focus its safety efforts on proven lifesaving methods,” the letter reads. “Including H.R. 904 and H.Res. 239 in the surface transportation reauthorization bill would set the record straight, that the House of Representatives supports rider education, driver awareness, training and proper licensing as the best methods of preventing motorcycle crashes, not mandatory federal helmet laws.”

The letter is signed by Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), Tom Petri (R-Wis.), Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa), Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), Ron Paul (R-Texas), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.), Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Mike Ross (D-Ark.).

The full letter is available on the AMA’s website.

[Source: AMA]