| R 249 |
| 2024 -- H 8229 Enacted 05/02/2024 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING MAY OF 2024, TO BE "MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, AND JOYOUSLY CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RHODE ISLAND MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION |
Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Quattrocchi, Rea, Nardone, Roberts, Edwards, and Casey |
| Date Introduced: May 02, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Motorcycle Association was started in 1974 in West |
| Warwick, as a nonprofit motorcycle rights organization to protect the freedoms of riders in Rhode |
| Island through safety, education and legislation; and |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Motorcycle Association has worked closely with |
| Governors, legislators and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to advance the |
| freedom of choice and the safety of motorcycle riders in Rhode Island with fair and equitable |
| solutions; and |
| WHEREAS, Motorcycle riding is an economical and popular form of transportation |
| enjoyed by about eight percent of the American people. It provides a more efficient mode of |
| transportation than cars or trucks, uses up fewer resources, causes less wear and tear on our roads |
| and highways, and increases available parking spaces; and |
| WHEREAS, Motorcycle accidents are unfortunately a common occurrence, with |
| estimates suggesting that such incidents occur approximately once every eight minutes in |
| America and account for more than 14 percent of all traffic facilities, despite the fact only 3 |
| percent of all registered vehicles are motorcycles; and |
| WHEREAS, Because motorcycles don’t have seat belts or air bags, and they are much |
| smaller than cars, motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die in a crash than those driving cars; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, As of January of 2023, the total number of public, personal, and commercial |
| motorcycles registered in the United States and the District of Columbia totaled approximately |
| 8.8 million, with 24,833 registered in Rhode Island as of 2021; and |
| WHEREAS, Data reported by the National Highway Transportation Safety |
| Administration (NHTSA) states that on average, almost 5,000 motorcyclists die in traffic |
| accidents every year in the United States which is around 16 motorcyclists killed per day; and |
| WHEREAS, Distracted driving poses one of the biggest dangers to other motorists, |
| especially motorcyclists. Distractions can be any activity that takes a driver's focus off the task of |
| driving, including eating and drinking, talking or texting on the phone, and numerous other |
| distractions, all of which pose serious dangers to the motorcycle driving public; and |
| WHEREAS, While there are no prescribed means to prevent motorcycle wrecks, greater |
| awareness of motorist safety and potential existing risks can arm riders with the knowledge they |
| need to help mitigate dangerous situations while on the road; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims May of 2024, to be "Motorcycle Awareness Month" in the State of Rhode Island, urges |
| all motorists to avoid distracted driving, and joyously celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the |
| Rhode Island Motorcycle Association; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island Motorcycle Association. |
| ======== |
| LC005960 |
| ======== |