MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Suite 510
Washington, DC 20002-4980
202-546-0983 (voice)
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http://www.mrf.org (website)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kirk “Hardtail” Willard, President
E-mail: kirk@mrf.org
June 20, 2008
MOTORCYCLISTS RIGHTS ADVOCATES PLAY A KEY ROLE AT INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE
SAFETY FORUM
The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
International Transport Forum Workshop on Motorcycling Safety was held in
Lillehammer, Norway on June 10th-11th and included over 80 participants by
invitation from approximately 30 countries. Among the participants were
safety policy advisors, safety experts, safety researchers, motorcycle
industry representatives, governmental agency representatives, and
motorcycle users. Representing riders from the United States were Kirk
Willard, President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and Ed Moreland,
Vice President of Government Relations of the American Motorcyclist
Association. Other groups with representation from the United States
included the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal
Highway Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the
Motorcycle Industry Council/Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Dynamic Research
Inc., and the Harley Davidson Motor Company. Also noteworthy was the fact
that there were ten other riders' rights and motorcycle user groups
represented from various countries in attendance which set the stage for
meaningful involvement from the riders' rights and user groups which is
not always the case in these types of international forums.
The main expected outcomes of the workshop was to come up with a set of
practical recommendations for the attention of policy advisors and to help
identify how motorcycle safety strategies relate to overall road safety
policies. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is pleased to announce that
many of the 20 top priorities to come out of the workshop are strategies
and initiatives that we as motorcyclists have been heavily involved in,
recommending, and promoting for some time.
The number one recommendation in part was a call for training focusing on
risk awareness and risk avoidance. Others included recommendations for
all drivers to have a component on awareness and acceptance of
motorcyclists, partnering with rider groups to develop and deliver
campaigns to other riders, that motorcycle safety messages should be
specific to motorcyclists, to include motorcyclists when considering
transport policy and develop training for roadway designers.
Additionally, when discussing policy dialogue it was determined the best
practice would be to formalize meetings between motorcycle stakeholders
and policy makers/road authorities, and one not to be lost in the list of
20 is a simple statement that we must work together.
One can see that the Motorcycle Riders Foundation using many ideas in
circulation amongst the motorcycle rights community today certainly played
a role in these discussions and ultimate list of recommendations, in fact
many of the recommendations somewhat mirror the good work that the State
Motorcyclists Rights Organizations in partnership with the Motorcycle
Riders Foundation accomplished in SAFE-TEA LU. The important element in
all of this is the critically important audience of non-motorcyclists that
have now heard our messages as motorcyclists loud and clear.
"I believe this was an extremely valuable and precedent setting event
where motorcyclists were given the opportunity to present their views in
an inclusive international safety arena and have motorcycle safety and
motorcycle related policy considered from a motorcyclists rights advocates
point of view and be taken quite seriously", said Willard of the MRF.
A full report will be presented in the September issue of the MRF Reports
and during the MRF's Annual Meeting and Conference, the Meeting of the
Minds to be held in Denver, Colorado on September 25th-28th, 2008.
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(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction
permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated
in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights
organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists'
rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC,
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted
exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early
1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause
of rider safety and rider freedom.
The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the
very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading
members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and
regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public
awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights
organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional
and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as
well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.
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Ride Free, Ride Often
Bill C.
"When the people fear the government you have tyranny ... when the government fears the people you have liberty." President Thomas Jefferson