New Traffic Bill Proposal Keeps Motorcycle Power In State Hands

Many of the laws that govern motorcyclists, such as those that deal
with motorcycle helmets, are enforced at state and local levels.
Recent legislation proposed in the Senate is looking to ensure that
it will stay that way for at least a few more years, reports Cycle
News.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee recently
approved two amendments to the Motor Vehicle
and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2011, which will now go
to the floor for a formal vote. The amendments essentially ensure
that federal agencies, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, can not influence state legislatures to pass
certain laws through the withholding of grant money or other
pressure tactics.
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) asserts that this is
good news for riders, as otherwise it would likely mean that the
NHTSA would call for all states to pass motorcycle helmet laws,
rather than leaving it up to the individuals in that state. The
amendments in the bill were chosen in favor of a different
proposal, which would have called for a dramatic alteration to the
current grants for motorcycle safety, essentially forcing states to
adopt a helmet law if they wanted federal support.
The bill still needs to be passed by the Senate, and the AMA states
that it's unclear how the votes will fall when it comes up for
discussion.