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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>From our ABATEPAC and Board of Directors. Very important…please read and respond. We were successful in stopping the language in the last NSTSA rule they were trying to pass. Let’s do it again.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Nancy<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>P.S. Sorry if this is a duplicate with the ABATE Discussion Group. Not sure how many of Local 6 members receive their emails.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> news@abate.org [mailto:news@abate.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>ABATE News<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, June 10, 2015 11:03 AM<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> ABATE News<br><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>ABATE member:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is urging all of us to make our opposition to this proposal. Contact information is listed at the end of the article.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Thanks, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Nick Benson Sr<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>ABATE Board Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><div><div><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" style='background:#EEEEEE;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=627 style='width:470.25pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td 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<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></td><td width=35 style='width:26.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://motorcycleridersfoundation.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=8sfP6mhaoKZlq4plwWYrqJpKXGi7szdptei0KeHZUmJYUO80VovIrHkwK1SGhNxZshP3EK1ki3eV6a87zxGNWBC2iZ2zXi%2bNVJsLOX0ymUw%3d" target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=29 height=20 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://MotorcycleRidersFoundation.wildapricot.org/resources/EmailTemplates/MRF%20Header%20-%20Action%20Needed/images/icon_twitter.png"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a 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style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr height=15 style='height:11.25pt'><td colspan=3 height=15 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:11.25pt'><font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:1.0pt'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td width=14 rowspan=2 style='width:10.5pt;padding:8.25pt 0in 15.0pt 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p></td><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" style='background:#EEEEEE;padding:8.25pt 15.0pt 7.5pt 15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font size=6 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";font-weight:bold'><img border=0 width=600 height=164 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://MotorcycleRidersFoundation.wildapricot.org/resources/EmailTemplates/MRF%20Header%20-%20Action%20Needed/images/bike_header.jpg"><strong><b><font face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</span></font></b></strong></span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=14 rowspan=2 style='width:10.5pt;padding:8.25pt 0in 15.0pt 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" style='background:#EEEEEE;padding:0in 15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>June 8, 2015</span></font><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 10.5pt 0in 10.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 218, which concerns motorcycle safety helmets. NHTSA proposes to modify the existing performance requirements of the standard by adding construction requirements. The reasoning behind this is to aid state and local law enforcement officers in enforcing FMVSS No. 218, allowing an officer to visually determine whether a helmet meets the safety standard. NHTSA is currently accepting public comments on this proposal, and will continue to do so until July 20, 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Motorcycle Riders Foundation opposes NHTSA’s proposal. The proposal fails to take into consideration the rapid pace of technological change in this area. By adopting arbitrary dimension and compression requirements, NHTSA will effectively be shutting out manufacturers who utilize technology to construct helmets which, while failing to meet NHTSA's construction requirements, may very well exceed their performance requirements. It is conceivable that, by the time the new proposals were adopted, they would already be obsolete. To compound that problem, if such a situation did arise—and it almost certainly will—the process of amending the safety standard is so long and complicated that it is not feasible to make periodic changes in order to include technological advancements in motorcycle helmet construction. FMVSS No. 218 should remain primarily a performance standard, not a construction standard.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>NHTSA's answer to this problem is to create a list of motorcycle helmets that will be exempt from the proposed construction requirements. The helmets on this list will comply with the performance requirements of FMVSS No. 218, but while they fail to meet its proposed construction requirements, they will nonetheless be deemed to have met the proposed safety standard. This confusing strategy ignores the fact that the law enforcement officer on the street will not have immediate access to such a list. At best, the officer would not know that the motorcyclist's helmet meets FMVSS No. 218 until after the motorcyclist has been deprived of his or her liberty by being detained and subjected to an inspection of their helmet. At worst, the fact that the motorcyclist's helmet meets the standard would not come to light until after the motorcyclist was forced to come to court.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;background:white'>Finally, NHTSA has not fully taken into consideration the very nature of motorcycle helmet enforcement in the United States. Such enforcement is not done federally; it is done at the state and local level according to state laws which may or may not have adopted FMVSS No. 218. Not every state has adopted the federal safety standard. Many that have done so have also adopted alternative safety standards, while others require only that a helmet meet the performance requirements set out in FMVSS No. 218 and not the labeling requirements.</span><o:p></o:p></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Motorcycle Riders Foundation believes that motorcycle helmet enforcement is a state issue and not a federal issue. This is evidenced by the fact that motorcycle helmet laws vary greatly from state to state. If a particular state is having an issue enforcing its own motorcycle helmet law, that problem is best addressed by that state's elected officials. It does not make sense to address the enforcement of a state statute on the federal level, but that is what the proposed amendments to FMVSS NO. 218 attempt to do.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Motorcycle Riders Foundation urges all riders and rider organizations to comment upon this proposal and to point out the legitimate concerns raised by it. You may submit comments to the proposal by any of the following methods:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>You may utilize the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal</span></font></b></strong>:<o:p></o:p></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Go to <a href="http://motorcycleridersfoundation.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=UliL8sIA9aCdwEURIdIgjUwLHls6R97R7arUddbWZ7lsNWew8DWO6hQpOTT7i4N4hwQD0Z4zNKuNvavUoB9A3myiCoPi3%2bnjXaks9ao3N7A%3d" target="_blank">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>You may mail comments to the Docket Management Facility:</span></font></b></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><strong><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>You may also fax comments to the Docket Management Facility:</span></font></b></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>U.S. Department of Transportation at <a href="tel:%28202%29%20493-2251" target="_blank">(202) 493-2251</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>When submitting comments, make sure to reference <strong><b><font face="Times New Roman">Docket No. NHTSA–2015–0045</font></b></strong>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>If you wish to view the entire proposal you may do so at the following link:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://motorcycleridersfoundation.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=dLmq810KaU3AICaZHrIndNSSZ%2bf89dzmiw2sQsY1TnM24wgp8I9J4DdyvVZBFJePUwn8VaSQ3nWdM681pC1ng2gM7qJ5X7AL8onVSO5FbiM%3d" target="_blank">http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-21/pdf/2015-11756.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr height=20 style='height:15.0pt'><td height=20 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:15.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>No virus found in this message.<br>Checked by AVG - <a href="http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</a><br>Version: 2015.0.5961 / Virus Database: 4355/9988 - Release Date: 06/10/15<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><hr size=1 width="100%" noshade style='color:#A0A0A0' align=center></span></font></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>No virus found in this message.<br>Checked by AVG - <a href="http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</a><br>Version: 2015.0.5961 / Virus Database: 4355/9967 - Release Date: 06/07/15<o:p></o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>