MRF Meets with NTSB
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) along with the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) and ABATE of Florida, met with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Mark Rosenker, Vice Chairman Robert Sumwalt, the Chairman's chief counsel, and some of the lead researchers at the NTSB headquarters in Washington DC. The productive summit spanned a full three hours.
The topics discussed included the NTSB's recent motorcycle safety recommendations and the future steps the NTSB will be taking with respect to motorcycle safety. Chairman Rosenker is a likeable gentlemen with endless stories of his 37 years in the Air Force and his service to President Bush as Director of the White House Medical Office. He also shared that he served as a representative of the Motorcycle Industry Council and talked of his part in designing the MSF logo, so it wasn't a surprise when he insisted on clearing his schedule until we, the motorcyclists, felt our voice was heard.
The fact remains that the NTSB stands behind their recommendations and supports them entirely. The MRF, NCOM and ABATE of Florida made it clear that we would continue to oppose any recommendations that call for personal protective equipment laws and crash mitigation. It was also made clear that motorcyclists would support any recommendation that calls for further crash avoidance, rider education, and motorist awareness campaigns. It was at that point in the meeting that Chairman Rosenker insisted that we not focus on the items that we disagree on, but rather on the things where we are, in his words, in "violent agreement" - things like crash avoidance and current motorcycle crash data.
"A dialogue was opened, and that's a good thing," said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations for the MRF. "The Chairman honestly wants to save lives, and he wants to be responsible when he attempts to do so. The MRF looks forward to a productive working relationship with the Chairman and Vice Chairman as they serve their terms of office. The Chairman made it clear that his door was always open to the motorcyclists of America." Chairman Rosenker, whose term ends New Years Eve 2010, pledged to work with the motorcycling community as the NTSB continues to improve our roadways.
The MRF would like to thank ABATE of Florida and NCOM for helping arrange the meeting. Special thanks to James "Doc" Reichenbach for making the trip to DC.
(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists' rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom.
The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.
