| R 292 |
| 2023 -- H 6336 Enacted 04/27/2023 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING MAY OF 2023, TO BE "MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND URGING ALL RHODE ISLAND MOTORISTS TO AVOID DISTRACTED DRIVING |
Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Edwards, Perez, Noret, Finkelman, Corvese, and McNamara |
| Date Introduced: April 27, 2023 |
| WHEREAS, Motorcycle riding is an economical and popular form of transportation |
| enjoyed by about fourteen 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 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 27 times more likely to die in a crash than those driving cars; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, As of January of 2021, the total number of public, personal, and commercial |
| motorcycles registered in the United States and the District of Columbia totaled approximately |
| 8.32 million, with approximately 24,833 motorcycles registered in Rhode Island; and |
| WHEREAS, Data reported by the National Highway Transportation Safety |
| Administration (NHTSA) states that on average, more than 5,000 motorcyclists die in traffic |
| accidents every year in the United States which is around 15 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 drivers’ 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 2023, to be "Motorcycle Awareness Month" in the State of Rhode Island and |
| urges all motorists to avoid distracted driving; 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. |
| ======== |
| LC002853 |
| ======== |