Motorcycling advocacy is activism for

motorcyclist Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small- displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous c ...

s seeking to establish and protect their rights, and to influence issues of interest to the motorcycling community. This includes

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agency, regulatory agencie ...

organizations that work to influence laws, and groups or individuals who influence public attitudes. The British

Motorcycle Action Group The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) is a motorcycle riders' rights group based in the United Kingdom. MAG was formed by Dennis Howard, Mick Griffiths, George Potter and Mohar Singh. The minutes of the first meeting held on 28 June 1973 identifi ...

was founded in 1973 specifically in response to

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

compulsion, which generated debate in the UK

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

at the time. In addition, the

British Motorcyclists Federation The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) is a motorcycle riders' rights group in the United Kingdom. The BMF was founded in 1960 as the Federation of National One Make Motorcycle Clubs to counter accusations of "leather-jacketed hooligans". It ...

(BMF), founded in 1960 as a reaction to the public perception of motorcyclists as leather-jacketed hooligans, has itself moved into political lobbying. The American

ABATE State motorcyclists' rights organizations (SMROs) exist in about 32 US states, 25 of which call themselves "ABATE of (state name)," the rest going by various other names. SMROs advocate for the motorcycle rider and freedom on the road. In the mot ...

similarly works to improve

motorcycle safety Motorcycle safety is the study of the risks and dangers of motorcycling, and the approaches to mitigate that risk, focusing on motorcycle design, road design and traffic rules, rider training, and the cultural attitudes of motorcyclists and other r ...

, as well as runs charity fund-raising events, and rallies, often for motorcycle-related political interests. In the United States, the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rela ...

(NHTSA, part of the Department of Transportation) has been the main federal government agency active in the debate over motorcycle rights for such things as off-road riding, vehicle requirements and helmets.

Helmet laws

Motorcycle helmets greatly reduce injuries and fatalities in motorcycle accidents, thus many countries have laws requiring acceptable helmets to be worn by motorcycle riders. These laws vary considerably, sometimes exempting

moped A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term used to mean a similar vehicle except with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle engine. Mopeds typic ...

s and other small-displacement bikes, with the UK exempting followers of the Sikh religion wearing a

turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...

. Worldwide, many countries have defined their own sets of standards that are used to judge the effectiveness of a motorcycle helmet in an accident, and define the minimal acceptable standard thereof. In some countries, most notably the United States and India, there is some opposition to compulsory helmet use (see

Helmet Law Defense League The Helmet Law Defense League (HLDL) is a group founded in 1993 that opposes the laws in U.S. state, states which mandate motorcycle helmets. The group contends that mandatory motorcycle helmet laws enacted at the state, county, and municipal leve ...

); not all U.S. states have a compulsory helmet law.

Advocacy groups

American Motorcyclist Association The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its mission statement is "to promo ...

, UK-based *

Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations The Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA) is a motorcycling advocacy group based in Brussels, Belgium. It was formed on 10 January 1998 from a merger of the Federation of European Motorcyclists (FEM) and the European Motorcy ...

(HLDL) *

(MAG), UK-based group originally formed to fight helmet legislation

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Motorcycling Advocacy Motorcycle associations

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...