AMA APPLAUDS NEW PENNSYLVANIA HELMET LAW
Date: Wednesday, July 09 @ 08:38:07 EDT
Topic: News
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association commends
Pennsylvania's legislators and Gov. Ed Rendell for modifying the state's
helmet law to allow adults to ride without helmets under certain
conditions.
Following more than two decades of effort with the support of the AMA,
ABATE of Pennsylvania succeeded in getting legislation through the
General Assembly and onto the governor's desk to change the helmet law.
Rendell stated on the campaign trail last spring that he would sign the
legislation into law if it cleared the General Assembly and he became
governor. Rendell earned the governor's seat, and on July 6 he kept his
campaign promise, signing the bill into law.
Under the new law, which takes effect in early September, motorcyclists
21 or older who have had a motorcycle operator's license for at least
two years, or who have completed an approved motorcycle rider safety
course, may decide for themselves whether to use a helmet. Passengers 21
or older riding with riders who meet the requirements of the law also
have a choice in helmet use.
Charles Umbenhauer, state lobbyist for ABATE of Pennsylvania, said ABATE
has worked on this issue for decades, and in 1998 got a similar bill to
the governor's desk but that measure was vetoed.
The AMA has helped ABATE of Pennsylvania with its push over many years.
This year alone, the AMA not only wrote to Pennsylvania lawmakers but
sent letters to almost 10,000 AMA members in the state urging them to
contact their legislators to support the bill. In addition, the AMA kept
Pennsylvania motorcyclists informed by posting notices on the AMA
website at www.AMADirectlink.com and urging members to send messages in
support of the helmet-related legislation to their lawmakers through the
AMA Rapid Response Center on the website.
"This new law is a great victory for ABATE of Pennsylvania and
motorcyclists in the state," said Sean Maher, AMA director of state
affairs. "It shows that preparation and persistence pay off, and the
importance of having dedicated individuals like Charles Umbenhauer
working on motorcycling issues year after year."
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