Mass Proposes Changes in Motorcycle Laws

[ionbeam]

From Boston(dot)com 11/27/2011:

BOSTON -- Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing changes to the state's motorcycle laws, including bills designed to ease the requirement that riders wear helmets. Current law requires all riders and passengers to wear protective head gear, except those participating in parades.

One proposed change would lift the helmet requirement for riders and passengers over the age of 21. Another would exempt riders whose motorcycles are registered in a state without a helmet law. Other bills would ban children under 5 from riding on a motorcycle traveling more than 30 miles an hour, ban the sale of exhaust pipes designed to make motorcycles louder and prohibit cars from passing through groups of two or more motorcycles.

The bills are the subject of a Wednesday (11/30/2011) public hearing by the Transportation Committee at the Statehouse.

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Just be aware that this article says that lawmakers are weighing changes and this is just a hearing. Unless someone sees any of these changes as a way to leverage the chances of getting reelected nothing will happen.

 

[azitlies]

just at initial glance, that doesn't sound bad to me.

but... as with other state laws I'm aware of (not all of them), if yer not required to wear a helmet, you're required to have additional health insurance. basically what they are saying is... "fine, you don't want to wear a helmet... no problem. But we're not going to pay your health bills due to traumatic brain injury..."

 

[SacramentoMike]

Fairly weak approach to any kind of real reform, IMO. Helmets? Well, I suppose adults can make their own choices, no matter how stupid. Protecting small children? All for it. But banning the sale of loud pipes in the state? How does that help? Couldn't you modify the pipes you have? Or buy them outside of Mass? Or buy an obnoxiously loud out-of-state bike and bring it into the state? Better to establish a standard and enforce it, like x decibels at x rpms from x feet away. They could easily enforce it, too. You know when you're hearing a bike that's over the standard, and so does an experienced cop. They could treat it like a "fix-it" ticket, where the bike has to go into a testing station and demonstrate that they're in compliance. And for the guy who just pulls out the plug again right afterwards, the second (or third, or whatever) such offense results in a good penalty.

The worst of the bunch is the "passing groups of motorcycles" section. Not well thought out at all. So TWO slow-assed riders can hold up a line of traffic indefinitely? Let alone ten or a dozen? Nonsense. A driver forcing his way through a bunch of bikes, cutting people off, etc., already falls under reckless driving or other laws.

If they want to do something useful, let 'em take on lane splitting.

 

[BwanaDik]

Sounds like ABATE has moved to Mass.

 

[Big Sky]

I used to belong to A.B.A.T.E., for many years. But when they testified before the state legislature in favor of reduced speed limits in wide-open Montana, I got out. I also learned they are brand-prejudiced. To confirm, I asked a bunch of them selling raffle tickets at Evel Knievel Days last year if they still hated Jap bikes. The one feller replied, "Of course!" Right. Confirmed. I will remain a non-member of that outfit and any other that advocates idiocy and is brand-exclusive.

 

[joebiodiesel]

I'd hate to come up on a group of pirates and not be able to pass them legally.

 

[Pepperell]

Interesting; not one reply from someone who actually lives in Massachusetts. Regarding insurance, you forget that Mass is the Mitt Romney mandatory health insurance state, so everybody already has that. (OK, OK, so he signed it so that he wouldn't seem obstructionist, even though it would have passed even if he didn't sign it...)

Everybody worries about "rights", however driving is a "privilege" so you're pretty much at the mercy of the gummint.

"Quiet pipes saves hearing"

Oh yeah, I believe the loud pipes standards already exist. Just waiting (for the past 50 years) for enforcement and the equipment to measure it. They certainly exist at the Federal level, but afaik the FBI doesn't see it as a priority, just sayin'. Then again they've had their hands full lookin' for Whitey... <_<

Lane splitting? In Massachusetts? You got a death wish or sumpin??? Plymouth Rock may have been discovered in Massachusetts, but so far the directional signal hasn't...

I suppose it doesn't matter what they pass in the way of helmet laws. They're wearing spaghetti colanders now.

Carl "livin' large in MA"

 

[GalaxyBlue]

Reminder:

Please try and stay on topic and not fall into the political trap.

Thanks.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Reminder:

Please try and stay on topic and not fall into the political trap.

Thanks.

You have been reminded...*******!

Hugs and kisses Adam...You know I love you!

 

[Papa Georgio]

Living just to the North of that wonderful state where most don't use turn signals. I hope they don't lighten up there helmet laws.

We don't have a helmet law and most of the riding season I see more people that don't wear any protective gear.