NEWS – Transportation Bill Would Fund Motorcycle Study

Approval of the federal transportation bill by Congress would fund the first nationwide motorcycle-crash study in almost 30 years. U.S. House and Senate conferees agreed to a compromise version of the $286.4 billion transportation bill, which was passed by both chambers in late July, reauthorizing transportation spending through September 2009.
The bill, which President Bush was expected to sign as this issue of Powersports Business went to press, includes nearly $3 million for a study of motorcycle crashes.
It specifies that the research grants be provided to the Oklahoma Transportation Center, located at Oklahoma State University.
The last comprehensive study on the subject, commonly called the “Hurt Report” after University of Southern California researcher Dr. Harry Hurt, was published in the 1970s.
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) said it applauds the move.
“After more than a decade of decline, motorcycling fatalities have increased in recent years, and those increases have prompted endless speculation about the reasons why,” said AMA President Robert Rasor. “We’re pleased that Congress agrees that we need answers, not theories. We’re anxious for the study to begin.”
The bill also preserves motorcycles’ access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, and it specifies that local governments will continue to be prohibited from excluding motorcycles from roads maintained with federal funds. In addition, the bill calls for motorcycles to be included in research on Intelligent Transportation systems, and makes available $25 million to individual states for motorcycle-safety training and awareness programs.
Off-highway motorcyclists and ATV enthusiasts will benefit from the transportation bill as well, through $370 million in gasoline taxes earmarked for the Recreational Trails Program.