Posted on 10/11/2007 6:07:27 AM PDT by cll
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Puerto Rico will require motorcycle drivers to wear protective jackets, gloves, long pants and boots as part of a strict safety law signed by the governor of the U.S. commonwealth on Wednesday.
Augmenting an existing helmet law, the new law also sharply lowers the maximum allowable blood-alcohol level for motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts below levels tolerated for automobile drivers.
The law's sponsors said it was prompted by a sharp increase in motorcycle and scooter accidents, but some bikers argued that adults should be allowed to decide such matters for themselves.
In a last-ditch effort to stop the law, hundreds of motorcyclists on Monday revved their engines in protest while riding past Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila's residence in San Juan.
Puerto Rico, which before had less stringent rider regulations than most U.S. states, now has the most restrictions of any of the 50 states, said the Ohio-based American Motorcyclist Association.
"There's really no place under the U.S. flag that has restrictions that are as strict as Puerto Rico," said association spokesman Lance Oliver.
In addition to the heavy protective gear, drivers of two-wheeled motor vehicles on the island now must wear reflective vests after dark. The legal blood-alcohol limit is now .02 percent for bikers, down from .08 percent, which will remain the tolerated limit for car drivers.
It was not immediately clear what the penalties for infractions would be.
Ping
it is about time someone had a flash of common sense when it comes to requiring protective gear on motorcycles.
Riding a bike, like driving a car, is a privilege granted by the state you live in and therefore that state has the right to set standards as to the conditions you must ride under.
you cant drive a car with out seat belts if the car was manufactured with them, or air bags, or a wind shield, doors, or lights, or seats. Every one of those items are designed to help keep you alive in a crash. Nothing designed into a bike can say the same thing. So requiring safety equipment is not out of line.
Before anyone grips about my stance, I am not looking to ban or restrict the riding of bikes at all. I have had too many family members and friends injured and killed on bikes. One thing I know is that there is risk involved in riding, but I also know that anyone that doesn’t wear the safety gear is a sever injury or death looking for a place to happen.
That certainly is better than having drivers paying attention!
ahh equal protection (assuming puerto rico has it) would be violated by the lower BAC level.
Do they use FMVSS 218 as the standard? Then the helmet is only rated to 14 mph.
If helmets are required for bikes then the MUST be required for cars with the higher head injury levels.
footnote: there are ZERO standards for the neck when it comes to helmets. NONE zip nada.
I'm glad you added that....
I'm the biggest advocate of safety gear amongst my motorcycling friends, but just damn - it's HOT in PR. I think the BAC level argument is great; I did that once when I was a kid and it was the scariest ride of my life. I won't do that again! I won't ride even if I just have to take an anti-histamine.
The reflective requirement is just common sense, but the average rider doesn't think about trivial things like "visibility".
My moto: ATGATT - ALL THE GEAR, ALL THE TIME. It could save your life.
LOL! You’re a Scrappleface writer aren’t you?
How can you folks tolerate such idiotic politicians? Then again, the same can be said of Louisiana and New Jersey.
AMEN! I see kids riding rice rockets all the time in t-shirts, shorts and flipflops. They are begging to donate skin to the DOT......
States don't have rights. People have rights. States have power, but that power comes from, and is limited by, the people.
Sounds trivial, but in fact, it marks a great, great, great big difference.
I see old men on Goldwings wearing the exact same garb.
You sound like a democrat.
Louisiana used to have a helmet law, but it was repealed several years ago during the administration of Governor Mike Foster (a motorcycling enthusiast himself).
Do you, personally, have the right to go over to your neighbor and dictate to him what he wears?
At best, you sound like a liberal democrat of the Hillary ilk. At worst, a Stalinist. Also, if that many of your family and friends are getting injured or killed riding, you might want to suggest the rest either quit riding or attend a MSF class or two.
Most riders I see in such garb around here are on Harleys or Harley clones. Most don’t wear helmets (optional here). Their head, their choice I figure.
After a summer weekend ride passing close to 100 other bikers, I can usually count on 1 hand the number wearing helmets, never mind jackets. Usually I only see 1 or 2 with any other protective gear (other than myself) and they are usually on sport bikes (aka rice rockets).
I don’t really care what other riders do, I’ll wear my gear. But having more nanny state laws isn’t something I support.
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