News Bytes
on the environment and agencies need to leave us alone?
July 2016.”
If we were successful, this could place Freedom at the forefront in many applications from hot rods, to go carts, to
speed boats.”
As evidence of governmental regulation usurping personal
rights, Ball (Bandit@Bikernet.com) submitted the following
news release on behalf of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) entitled “EPA Seeks to Prohibit Conversion
of Vehicles into Racecars”:
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a regulation to prohibit conversion of vehicles originally
designed for on-road use into racecars and make the sale of
certain products for use on such vehicles illegal. The proposed regulation was contained within a non-related proposed
regulation entitled ‘Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and
Vehicles - Phase 2’.
The regulation would impact all vehicle types, including the
sports cars, sedans and hatch-backs commonly converted
strictly for use at the track. While the Clean Air Act prohibits certain modifications to motor vehicles, it is clear that
vehicles built or modified for racing, and not used on the
streets, are not the ‘motor vehicles’ that Congress intended
to regulate.
‘This proposed regulation represents overreaching by the
agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of
racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed
conversion of vehicles,’ said SEMA President and CEO Chris
Kersting.
Working with other affected organizations, including those
representing legions of professional and hobbyist racers and fans, SEMA will continue to oppose the regulation
through the administrative process and will seek congressional support and judicial intervention as necessary. The
EPA has indicated it expects to publish final regulations by
BILL IN WASHINGTON WOULD ALLOW MOTORCYCLES ON SHOULDERS IN TRAFFIC
Washington State might give motorcyclists preferential
treatment on some highways during traffic jams under a
bill that has the support of the state Senate. The measure
would give motorcyclists permission to drive on the far left
shoulders of divided highways when traffic is moving under
25 miles an hour.
“It really is about relieving congestion,” said State Senator Tim Sheldon (D-Mason County), the bill’s sponsor. He
tried passing a bill last year that would have allowed what’s
known as “lane splitting,” allowing bikers to ride between
cars stopped in traffic, but that bill failed.
Sen. Sheldon told CBS King5 News in Olympia that his proposal would alleviate traffic and make highways safer for
motorcycle riders in heavy traffic. ”When congestion basically stops traffic, a motorcyclist… they’re vulnerable to
over-heating as well as being rear-ended.”
www.thunderroadscolorado.com
TEENAGER CAUTIONED AFTER SERIOUSLY
INJURING MOTORCYCLIST
A 14-year-old boy was recently “cautioned” by police after causing “life-changing injuries” to a motorcyclist by tying a rope between two trees on a woodland path. The
17-year-old rider was rushed to the hospital with serious
neck and wind-pipe injuries after hitting the rope while riding in woods near St Neots, Cambridgeshire, UK, and he
spent seven weeks in the hospital including two-and-a-half
in an induced coma.
The boy, who admitted responsibility under questioning
by police, was issued a youth caution for causing grievous
bodily harm without intent. He must also attend sessions
with the Youth Offending Service.
March 2016
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 31