Those of you in Southern California wanting to go out for a ride, or hangout at a rally, I recommend the Quigley Freedom Rally.

Proceeds of the event benefit the ABATE Judicial Fund to fight for bikers' rights.


Quigley is of course, Richard Quigley, who recently passed away. He made a name for himself riding his motorcycle in defiance of the helmet law by wearing a baseball cap. Despite receiving numerous citations, he managed to beat most of them just by persistent and educating himself on the law.

Read the obituary I wrote of him...
http://www.bikernewsonline.com/..../richard-quigley-passes-away.htm

Anyways, the money raised will also help his friends carry on the "lawsuit" to overturn the helmet law. This is a case that Richard Quigley brought about through his years of fighting his helmet citations. This effort is on the verge of declaring the helmet law unconstitutional, and may very well end the helmet law in California.

Labels: California Helmet Laws, California Motorcycle Rallies, Richard Quigley

Richard Quigley, who made a name for himself fighting the mandatory helmet law in California, passed away today after a long battle with lymphoma. He was 63 years old.

Over the past several years, newspapers around California reported on his success in getting a string of helmet tickets overturned or declared unconstitutional. He later advanced his efforts into the creation of a motorcycle rights organization called, California BOLT (Bikers of Lesser Tolerance).

In 1999, he decided to start riding his motorcycle wearing a trucker's cap, instead of the typical head gear other riders tend to wear. Between the years 1999 to 2006, he had been stopped over a 100 times by police, cited only 34 times for helmet law violations, and managed to get 25 of those citations dismissed or declared unconstitutional.

Each time he was stopped, he turned on his pocket tape recorder and then proceeded to interrogate the officer's understanding of the helmet law and what a "DOT Helmet" actually is. His intricate knowledge of the helmet law and how the DOT is involved with helmets, along with these tape recordings, is how he managed to get so many tickets overturned.

In August 2005, Quigley's lymphoma was diagnosed as terminal. A few months later, a "living" wake was held in his honor where 200 bikers showed up. Among those also showing up was a police officer that had written a couple tickets to him, who wanted to pay his respects and shake his hand.

Such respect has grown over time and today Quigley is viewed by many riders in California as a folk hero, a guy who took a stand against intrusive laws, and led a fight for freedom. He's viewed by some as having done more for the fight against helmet laws than anyone else.

Quigley's legacy continues on through California BOLT. The organization's website still publishes a wealth of information, mostly court transcripts, explaining how he was able to defeat helmet tickets, and how the helmet law cannot be constitutionally enforced.

Visit California BOLT online at...
http://www.usff.com/calbolt/

Labels: California BOLT, Obituaries, Richard Quigley

A judge in Santa Cruz, California ruled that police citations for not wearing a helmet are actually "fix-it" tickets because they are correctable violations. However, California Highway Patrol officers are saying that they don't agree with this and don't plan to sign-off on these tickets.

This all started with with a biker named Richard Quigley, who was cited nine separate times for not wearing a helmet. Thus far, Quigley has refused to pay the tickets, claiming that the law hasn't been clear enough as to what is an "acceptable helmet".

The problem is that California law doesn't provide specifics on what a motorcycle helmet should do. It simply requires that it have a certification sticker on it.

Prosecutor Brock says state law refers to federal guidelines that don't specify helmet attributes, but outline tests for manufacturers who can self-certify their helmets passed the tests. They include whether the head gear depresses when struck with a metal anvil, which a cap obviously would not.

Federal officials set specifications for manufacturers and do "spot checks" to ensure compliance, said Rae Tyson of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He admits police complain of trouble proving noncompliance due to fake stickers and says they are working on new labels.

Quigley also maintains that the district attorney is "more interested in a win" than fixing the problem. He says they should admit the law is unclear and ask the attorney general for clarification.

Yet Quigley does not believe the government should tell him what to wear, and he has been fighting the state's helmet law for years.

Labels: California Motorcycle Legislation, Helmet Laws, Richard Quigley