ABATE of Georgia

District 2

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Legislation News

June 1, 2008

1.     House bill HB-950 passed in the house and Senate bill SB-437 passed in the Senate  and has been sign into law by Sonny, on May 14th allowing Kit bikes to be tagged and titled again.  Thanks goes to all that got involved and made a difference.

 2.     I warned everyone last year in my “Turtle’s Tips” of the danger of the “Tar Strips on the roads, and I got an e-mail stating that one of my friends almost went down due to theses slick spots when the weather started getting warmer.

 3.     It’s that time of the year to make sure you bike is ready for the riding season that has  already started. This should include;

a.     Tire check including pressure, tread and looking for visible cracks.

b.     Lights

c.     Brakes

d.     Any loose parts or fasteners.

e.     Changing and Checking Oils and Fluids

4, ABATE is actively fighting Atlanta Station on their decision to ban Motorcycles from their property.

 5.    Let’s make this a great year by taking the time to ride safe and defensively and take a stance on our brother and sisters when it comes to drinking and riding their bikes. Do the right thing if you feel they are not fit to drive, take the keys or plug wires or even cut the tire, but in any case STOP them from driving under the influence if you can they’ll thank you latter!

I will be passing out a copy of “Turtles Tips” from last year, at the next few meetings.

“Turtle's Tips”

1.    One of the big numbers, beyond the Right of Way deaths, are the biker's dying under the influence.  This is a personal choice but should taken seriously as we all have someone who cares for us.

     2.    Slow down when approaching ANY intersection or side road and watch the front tires of any vehicles for movement and anticipate that they WILL pull out in front of you.

     3.    Whenever possible DO NOT ride next to any other vehicles. You and the other driver need to have an escape area.

     4.  Stay out of the "Blind Spot" of cagers and other bikers. Don't depend on the right-hand or rear view mirrors on cagers they tend to look out the left hand mirror more often and the right-hand mirrors usually have the objects are closer than appear lenses.  And stay in the one of the mirrors of other bikers. This gives a better chance of the other motorist of knowing where you are.

     5.   When riding in a group of 2 or more, in staggered formation, the lead bike should always be on the left side of the lane. This is the position most capable of seeing ahead for slowing or stopping traffic and being seen by the cager. And it is the responsibility of the lead rider to alert the rest of the pack of these situations.

     6.    DO NOT follow to closely to anyone! We've all seen or heard of the stopping distance charts that rely on reaction time. Well as we get older our reaction time begins to slow with everything else. Now I'm not saying we need to drive like a bunch of grannies but make a mental note now because your memory is the next to go.

     7.    Check your bike's ABC's before every trip. (A)ir Pressures (B)rakes (C)ontrols and Lights

     8.    Watch out for the slick spots cause by the sealing tar used on road repairs. There is a national study by DOT on the material used and the width of these patches due to several motorcycle fatalities linked to these patches.

 9.     Laying the bike down or not in an emergency? This is a tough choice and does not require thought it depends on instant decision. In a situation of a crash you sometime do not have time to think so you need to make this plan in your head every time you start your ride and basically stay constantly focused and run different scenarios though your mind of all situations you may encounter.

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