Florida's Reckless Motorcycle bill, HB 137, that a congressman had proposed to seize a motorcycle if the rider was speeding over 30mph, has been deferred for a later date.

Bruce Arnold, of LDRLongDistanceRider.com, who tirelessly fights anti-motorcycle legislation such as this one, attended the hearing for this bill yesterday, and informs us that the House Infrastructure Committee set the bill aside for a later date. Bills that are deferred are often never resurrected.

Intestingly, Arnold discovered that the bill's author, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, had changed the bill to read 50mph above the speed limit, as the point at which motorcycles are seized.

Arnold got to speak before the committee, as did a member of ABATE, and a motorcycle dealer. All testified against the bill, citiing it needed to include all drivers, not just motorcyclists. The dealer testified that if this bill passed, it would hurt motorcycle sales because lenders would be more leery against financing new motorcycles.

He also went on to report that most of the committee members are not in favor of HB 137, while others would require some significant rewrites.

While I get the feeling that HB 137 is pretty much dead, look for this type of legislation to come up again in a newer form. Riders who put other lives in danger, need to be contained just like cagers who put bikers' lives in danger. But there is no need to discriminate against bikers.

Thanks to Bruce Arnold, ABATE, and everyone else for helping stop another anti-motorcycle law.

Labels: Florida Motorcycle Laws

Television WTVJ 6 of South Florida, published a video piece about "thrill riders" doing stunts on their motorcycles, and the recent legislation filed to address it...

http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=188989

A law enforcement officer was quoted on the video saying, "They just don't fear the police anymore".

That may be true, but they also don't fear crashing their bikes; to them it's more like battle scars.

I sometimes wonder if all the safety gear that's available these days make riders feel safer about taking more risks. In the video, a rider was quoted as saying that this is their way of getting high. And why not? If you can just get up from a crash, and get back on your bike, why not use it as a drug?

Learn more about the new legislation at, "Florida Reckless Motorcycle Law".

Labels: Florida Motorcycle Laws

The State of Florida is attempting to get tough on motorcyclists riding recklessly, with the introduction of a new bill in the State House of Representatives.

HB137 2008 specifies that if a law enforcement officer charges a person with reckless driving, or driving 30mph over the speed limit, and who was riding a motorcycle at the time, the officer must arrest the rider, take him or her into custody, and seize the motorcycle, which will be subject to forfeiture under
Florida's Contraband Forfeiture Act.

If that person is convicted, the court will order the Department of Motor Vehicles to revoke their motorcycle endorsement, and leave them only with the ability to drive a cage.

I'm not familiar enough with Florida law to know if there's already a similar law for people driving a car recklessly.

If the bill is signed into law, it will take effect October 1, 2008.

The bill was filed last week.

Read the text of the bill here...
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/....?BillId=37239

Labels: Florida Motorcycle Laws