Jake
March 18th, 2004, 06:24 AM
Even before the tragic death of motorcyclist Randy Scott at the hands of lead-footed Congressman Bill Janklow, many states began pushing for stricter sentencing guidelines for drivers convicted of felonious acts resulting in the death or severe injury of a motorcyclist or pedestrian. Known as right-of-way laws (ROW), motorcyclists' rights organizations are sponsoring such legislation across the country to put offenders behind bars and get the public to pay more attention to riders on the roadways.
A great idea recently surfaced in North Carolina, where Concerned Bikers Association (CBA) Legislative Director Sam Nobles is putting together a unique lobbying tool -- a leather riding vest made solely of "In Memory Of" patches to help make a statement about their ROW bill when he testifies before the state legislature!
"This year when our Legislature takes up the Right of Way Bill, they will get to see for themselves what their failure to pass the bill has cost us," said "Cotton" Tedder, CBA President and member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) board of directors.
"I want it covered with names as a tribute to all of the brothers and sisters we have lost," explains Nobles. "I've still got a lot of leather left to cover, so if you have a memory patch that you would like included, please send it in. They don't need to have died on their bike, and they do not even have to be from North Carolina. The vest is symbolic -- the names are to show just how many of us have been lost. It will make a dramatic statement to all the legislators who see it."
And the CBA is willing to share their memorial vest with those in other states who are lobbying for increased penalties against right-of-way violators.
"This is a way to have your lost brothers and sisters remembered one more time, in a setting where they can indirectly contribute to our cause," said Nobles.
If you have a patch to donate, please drop it in an envelope and mail it to Sam Nobles at P.O. Box 411, Chadbourn, NC 28431. The patches cannot be returned, but will make a lasting impression on legislators nationwide and may help enact laws to make us all safer on the road.
A great idea recently surfaced in North Carolina, where Concerned Bikers Association (CBA) Legislative Director Sam Nobles is putting together a unique lobbying tool -- a leather riding vest made solely of "In Memory Of" patches to help make a statement about their ROW bill when he testifies before the state legislature!
"This year when our Legislature takes up the Right of Way Bill, they will get to see for themselves what their failure to pass the bill has cost us," said "Cotton" Tedder, CBA President and member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) board of directors.
"I want it covered with names as a tribute to all of the brothers and sisters we have lost," explains Nobles. "I've still got a lot of leather left to cover, so if you have a memory patch that you would like included, please send it in. They don't need to have died on their bike, and they do not even have to be from North Carolina. The vest is symbolic -- the names are to show just how many of us have been lost. It will make a dramatic statement to all the legislators who see it."
And the CBA is willing to share their memorial vest with those in other states who are lobbying for increased penalties against right-of-way violators.
"This is a way to have your lost brothers and sisters remembered one more time, in a setting where they can indirectly contribute to our cause," said Nobles.
If you have a patch to donate, please drop it in an envelope and mail it to Sam Nobles at P.O. Box 411, Chadbourn, NC 28431. The patches cannot be returned, but will make a lasting impression on legislators nationwide and may help enact laws to make us all safer on the road.