TahoesHateMe

This is a great chance if you are tired of hearing about (or seeing) motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians killed and maimed by cagers with no consequences beyond a traffic ticket.


[posted on a Usenet motorcycle list]

I'm emailing my motorcycle lists to ask that you please support SB1021
- a California bill which penalizes drivers who injure people by
violating their right of way.

Sen. Debra Bowen, who carried the bill legalizing foam earplugs, has
proposed a bill that will add penalties for violating right of way and
injuring (or killing) someone.

You can see the text of the bill (as it stands today) at

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/...introduced.html

Basically it makes the penalty for causing an accident by violating
someone's right-of-way and injuring them roughly the same as reckless
driving. This obviously has a bigger impact on drivers who run into
motorcycliosts, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and that's a good thing.

It's not done. Some folks think the penalty levels are too low, there
is no explicit penalty for killing someone (yet), and the eduication
component we've discussed (which emphasizes right of way in future
educational materials prepared by the state) aren't in the bill yet;
we're working to get those in as a part of the process.

The bill is officially supported by the AMA, ABATE, the California
Bicycle Coalition and tacitly by the MSF. The CHP is officially
'neutral' (they don't support much) and AAA will be neutral as well.
I'm also looking for pedestrian/runner organizations to reach out to -
let me know if you know of any.

This bill was based on a proposal from a California motorcyclist (me),
who spent about a year researching achievable options for making riding
safer. Reducing the number of drivers who violate our right of way
seemed like a pretty high-impact change to make.

The California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee will hear
the bill for the first time on the afternoon of April the 19th.

I'm asking people to do three things:

* send a short fax supporting the bill to the committee to the
attention of their staff member;
* send a short fax supporting the bill to the Senators on the
Committee;
* send the same fax to your own Senator, asking them to support the
bill and contact members of the committee.

We all know people who have been killed or injured by drivers who
turned left, changed lanes, ran stop signs or red lights, or pulled
into traffic, violating the riders right of way - and the drivers maybe
got a traffic ticket. Use names and tell stories. Be calm, be friendly,
be positive.

If you can't send faxes, send an email. But a signed fax is worth 10
or more emails, and is well worth the effort.

Send it to:

California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
Carrie Cornwell (carrie.cornwall@sen.ca.gov), Chief Consultant
State Capitol, Room 2209
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax (916) 445-2209

- Write me, and let me know if you've sent a fax or emailed...!!

Marc Danziger
SB1021@danziger.org



Here are the committee members, in case you're willing to send more
faxes:

Senator Tom Torlakson (Chair)
D - Concord
(916) 445-6083
Fax (916) 445-2527

Senator Roy Ashburn
R - Bakersfield
Phone: (916) 445-5405
Fax: (916) 322-3304

Senator Denise Ducheny
D - San Diego
(916) 445-6767
Fax (916) 327-3522

Senator Alan Lowenthal
D - Long Beach
(916) 445-6447
(916) 327-9113 fax

Senator Abel Maldonado
D - Monterey
Phone: 916-445-5843
Fax: 916-445-8081

Senator Kevin Murray
D - Los Angeles
(916) 445-8800
Fax (916) 445-8899

Senator Joe Simitian
D - Palo Alto
Phone: (916)445-6747
Fax: (916) 323-4529

Senator Tom McClintock (Vice-Chair)
R - Thousand Oaks
Phone: (916) 445-8873
Fax: (916) 324-7544

Senator Gilbert Cedillo
D - Los Angeles
(916) 445-3456
Fax (916) 327-8817

Senator Christine Kehoe
D - San Diego
(916) 445-3952
Fax (916) 327-2186

Senator Michael Machado
D - Vacaville
(916) 445-2407
Fax (916) 323-2304

Senator Bob Margett
R - Glendora
Phone: (916) 445-2848
Fax: (916) 324-0922

Senator George Runner
R - Antelope Valley
Phone: 916-445-6637
Fax: 916-445-4662

Senator Nell Soto
D - Ontario
Phone (916) 445-6868
Fax (916) 445-0128
__________________

Throttlepimp

Red light runners is one of my biggest pet peeves, faxes will be distributed promptly Monday morning!

I want to see this Bill go through. If for some reason it dosen't hopefully this will get some press and at the very least get a few more people to think before they run the light after it turned red.

THANKS!!! :thumbup

__________________
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