May Begins AMA Motorcycle Awareness Month

With the beginning of Motorcycle Awareness Month on May 1, the American Motorcyclist Association is issuing a special appeal to motorists to be aware of their driving environment, check mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and, especially, to watch for motorcyclists.

"The warmer weather in May brings out the riders who have been unable to ride all winter, so it presents an excellent opportunity for us to educate the non-riding public about the safety issues that affect motorcyclists every time we roll out of our driveways or onto a trail," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. "The AMA is monitoring more than 1,124 state and federal bills that would affect motorcycling safety or motorcyclists' rights, including many that deal with rider safety."

Among the top awareness issues in 2015 are distracted driving and the need for motorcyclist and driver training.

Sean Hutson, AMA government affairs manager for on-highway issues, said state legislatures are considering more than 150 bills that deal with distracted driving. Those bills range from prohibitions on minors using personal electronic devices to bans on the use of electronic devices by any driver.

Rather than solely seeking bans on specific forms of behavior, though, the AMA advocates legislation that includes enhanced penalty options to be determined by the courts in cases where distracted driving results in a crash.

In addition, the AMA supports training programs for motorcyclists -- including advanced skills courses - and more thorough education for motorists. A new law in Michigan, for example, requires motorcycle- and bicycle-awareness and safety instruction in all of the state's courses for new drivers.

Drivers can avoid crashes with motorcyclists by taking extra care and looking twice to spot motorcycles in traffic -- especially at intersections -- respecting the motorcyclists' space on the road and by not following too closely.

Motorcycle Awareness Month, launched by the AMA in the early 1980s and adopted by many state motorcycle-rights organizations, government entities and AMA-sanctioned clubs, is observed each May. Video and audio messages can be downloaded at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Rights/Resources/PublicServiceAnnouncements.aspx.

AMA position statements on distracted and inattentive vehicle operation and rider education, as well as other subjects, can be found here: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/positionstatements.

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The American Motorcyclist Association’s National Go Ride! Month Has Begun

The American Motorcyclist Association’s national Go Ride! Month is now upon us. The official date was April 1^st. Go Ride! Month will last through the end of April, and will welcome the 2014 riding season in style—contests, information, give aways, etc.  

In the chance you are unfamiliar with the AMA, it is a nonprofit of a quarter of a million riders whose mission statement is "to promote the motorcycling lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling." The AMA is also very active in supporting motorcyclist’s legal rights.

The Go Ride! campaign is a public outreach of sorts by the AMA, a way to bring cycle enthusiasts together, share ride information, tips, photos, stories, and, of course, give things away. Riders of all stripes are encouraged to post their pics to AMA’s Facebook page. Or, Tweet using #AMARideYourWay. More information can be found on their Facebook page as well.

In terms of prizes, AMA has partnered with BikeBandit.com, Avis, ColorRite, FLY Street and FLY Racing, PowerTye, Red Roof Inns and Tour Master. During its first week, to be eligible for a $50 gift certificate from one of these companies all you have to do is “like” a post or comments on a post on the AMA’s Facebook page. You must do this by 5 pm on April 4^th. But don’t worry if you don’t make the cut this week, you can give it a shot the following week. And to participate in all this you do not have to be an AMA member.

You can find contest rules posted here: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/GoRideContest

Also, since we are on the topic of events, don’t forget about Bikes to the Beach 4th Annual Rally (Ocean City, Md.), which goes from April 24-27. The Spring rally will host everything from bull riding, bike shows, custom builders, awesome vendors, great food and lots of drink specials. See an earlier post of mine at Pete’s Cycle blog for more on this and other events.

And, of course, come stop by Pete’s Cycles at any one of our three locations--Baltimore, Bel Air, Severna Park—for all of your cycling needs.

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