Bill HB 97 and HB 187 to Sub-Committee Jan 18th

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Both HB 97, our bill to remove the prohibition against two motorcycles traveling abreast in the same lane, and HB 187, our bill to prohibit motorcycle only checkpoints in Virginia, will be heard in Transportation Sub-Committee # 2 on Wednesday, January 18 at 7:00 a.m. at the General Assembly Building in the 7^th Floor West Conference room. 

Jim Cannon and I will be there to speak on these bills.  However, I would encourage all interested motorcyclists to contact the members of the sub-committee in order to voice your support for these two important pieces of legislation.  The name, room number and email addresses of each of the sub-committee members are as follows:

John A. Cox

(Chairman of Sub-Committee #2)

Room No.: 403

DelJCox@house.virginia.gov

Barbara Comstock

Room No.: 407

DelBComstock@house.virginia.gov

Richard L. “Rich” Anderson

Room No.: 406

DelRAnderson@house.virginia.gov

Randall J. Minchew

Room No.: 505

DelRMinchew@house.virginia.gov

Mark L Dudenhefer

Room No.: 408

DelMDudenhefer@house.virginia.gov

Jeion Antonia Ward

Room No.: 209

DelJWard@house.virginia.gov

Betsy Carr

Room No.: 414

Delegate.Carr@betsycarr.org

I have also attached a list of every member of the full House Transportation Committee.

With regard to HB 97, it is considered reckless driving for two motorcyclists to ride next to each other in Virginia.  In 48 other states it is completely legal.  Despite the fact that there is no data to show that two motorcyclists riding abreast are more likely to be in an accident, and further given the fact that Virginia recently passed legislation to allow on-duty law enforcement officers to do so, it still remains a jail-able offense for the general motorcycling community in Virginia.  Currently two gentlemen with perfect records and a CDL license face a reckless driving conviction because they left a red light together and separated shortly thereafter.

With regard to HB 187, there is simply no justification for singling out motorcyclists to be stopped at checkpoints.  It is discriminatory and serves no purpose.  During this past years Rolling Thunder, the Arlington County Police Department set up a motorcycle only checkpoint.  They stopped 523 motorcycles and managed to write 11 citations.  If passed, HB 187 will put an end to the discriminatory practice of targeting motorcyclists with checkpoints which have to date yielded very little for those that have conducted them and had no impact on highway safety.