Motorcycle training and awareness vs use of helmets.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is urging Congress to allow States to divert federal money now used for motorcycle training and awareness to, instead, promote the use of motorcycle helmets.

According to an American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) report Peters sent a letter to House and Senate leaders this week asking for the change. Ed Moreland, AMA Vice President for Government Relations, expressed concerns that diverting federal motorcycle safety funds to promote helmet use could harm rider training courses and motorcycle awareness programs that are already under funded in many states. Moreland specifically points out that "funding for rider-training courses is frequently under threat in cash-strapped states, and cutting the same pie into thinner slices is not the comprehensive, thoughtful national motorcycle-safety strategy we need." The American Motorcyclist Association strongly advocates the voluntary use of helmets by adults along with other appropriate safety gear, and does not oppose laws requiring helmet use by minors. However the American Motorcyclist Association believes adults should be allowed to make their own decisions about when to wear a helmet.

I urge all motorcycle riders in Brevard County to take rider safety courses at every opportunity and at every level.

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