News Bytes
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought
to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National
Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the
Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve been involved in
any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit
www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
FLORIDA STATE FAIR SETTLES CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT
In a big win for motorcycle club members nationwide, the
Florida State Fair and local law enforcement were dealt a
stunning blow when they agreed to settle a Civil Rights
lawsuit filed by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) attorney
Jerry Theophilopoulos (“Jerry T”) on behalf of the West
Florida Confederation of Clubs.
The Florida State Fair and Fair employees, along with two
Hillsborough County Sheriffs agreed to pay three members
of the West Florida Confederation of Clubs a total of $72,500
to settle the case after nearly a hundred club members were
denied entry into the fair by off-duty sheriff’s deputies on
Feb. 7, 2010 based on the fact they would not remove their
colors.
A posted policy banned “club colors” and the bikers were
threatened with jail if they attempted to enter the front gate
of the fair, and AIM lawyer Jerry T. captured the entire event
on film with a videographer, which was a pivotal reason the
federal lawsuit was settled out of court.
“This settlement is a great day for all motorcycle club
members, not only in the state of Florida, but across America,”
said Jerry T., “We sent a message that our people will not be
discriminated against in a public forum.”
After the lawsuit, the no-club-colors signs were replace by
a posted policy stating that the fair may turn away or eject
people who are disruptive or who display behavior associated
with “criminal gang membership.” That cleared the way for
bikers to attend subsequent fairs.
MORE MOTORCYCLES EQUALS SAFER ROADS
According to the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), an
increased number of motorcycles on the road results in a lower
rate of serious accidents. When 10% or more of vehicles
on the road are motorcycles, mopeds or scooters, there is a
proportionate reduction in rider fatalities, says Steve Kenward,
CEO of the MCIA, a motorcycle trade association in England.
Japan has 98 bikes per 1,000 vehicles (9.8%), and for every
1,000 bikes on the road, the country has 0.8 motorcyclist
fatalities per year. In Europe the ratio of bikes to cars is
lower, at 73 per 1,000 (7.3%), and the rate of motorcyclist
fatalities is higher, at 1.52 per 1,000 bikes. In the USA, the
ratio of bikes to cars is just 27 per thousand (2.7%) and the
32 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
motorcyclist fatality rate is much higher, at 5.32 per thousand
bikes.
Kenward told how “volume breeds safety” at the recent
Nationa