PENNSYLVANIA - Vote could come next week on Grove's motorcycle safety bill

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Vote could come next week on Grove's motorcycle safety bill

CHRISTINA KAUFFMAN The York Dispatch
The arrival of spring can be announced by the first crash reports that start rolling in, according to State Rep. Seth Grove, R-Dover Township.
"In two or three months, we're going to see a rash of motorcycle accidents and deaths," he said. "As soon as the weather gets warmer. It happens every spring."
Prompted by the number of motorcycle crashes reported each year, Grove authored legislation mandating anyone seeking a Class M junior driver's license to complete a safety course. The House Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved House Bill 254, which is expected to go before the entire House for a vote as early as next week.
Grove said the 15-hour course would be provided free, paid for through registration fees. Anyone under 18 would have to take the course, which highlights areas such as drinking and driving, defensive driving, and proper motorcycle techniques, he said.
"A motorcycle is very different than driving a car," Grove said. "On a motorcycle, you're out there on your own. We need to change the mentality, ingrain in the youngest drivers that you can not afford to drink while driving ... especially on a motorcycle."
He said even a patch of gravel can cause a spill on a motorcycle, which doesn't offer the same protections - metal, plastic and airbags - as a car or truck, he said. Motorcyclists must also be extra vigilant because many accidents are caused by other drivers who either don't see or fail to yield to a motorcyclist.
"The goal of my legislation is to cut down on the number of motorcycle crashes and deaths we see every year," he said.
According to the state's Department of Transportation, there were 11 fatal motorcycle crashes in York County in 2010. That's down from 15 in 2009, but up from the 9 deaths posted in 2008. From 1997 through 2010, a 14-year span, there were 94 fatal motorcycle crashes. That's an average of about 7 per year.
The course, called the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, is currently optional to all motorcyclists. However, enrollment has dwindled in recent years, Grove said.
If approved during the current legislative session, the law would probably go into effect next year, he said.
For information about the 2012 Motorcycle Safety Program, which begins in February, visit http://www.pamsp.com/ .