PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that New York has enacted a law supporting the goals of the AMA’s “Justice for All” campaign. New York AB-4914, which was signed into law by Governor George E. Pataki on August 16, authorizes mandatory revocation and suspension of licenses and registrations when a motorist convicted of violating another motorist’s right-of-way causes serious physical injury or death of another person. The new law also requires offenders to participate in an accident-prevention course. “Thanks to exemplary leadership, along with a groundswell of support from individual motorcyclists and state-level organizations, New York has demonstrated that it values ‘Justice,'” said Edward Moreland, AMA Vice President for Government Relations. “Motorcyclists nationwide have embraced the goals of ‘Justice for All’ to get laws passed, state by state, and momentum is still building.” Individual leadership by Larry Schwartz, AMA District 3 President and AMA-PAC Chairman, and Bob “Prospector” Boellner, Vice President of ABATE of New York, along with the activism of their state-level organizations, were instrumental in the New York victory. New York joins 11 other states in passing legislation that supports the goals of Justice for All: Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. A California bill requiring mandatory penalties for right-of-way offenders, SB 1021, recently passed the state legislature with overwhelming support and awaits the governor’s signature. For more information about the AMA’s Justice for All campaign, visit www.AMADirectlink.com/justice. — AMA renews support for national crash study The AMA, in light of recent statistics showing an increase in motorcycle-related fatalities, has again expressed its support for comprehensive nationwide research into the causes of motorcycle crashes. Motorcycle fatalities increased by 13 percent in 2005 over 2004, according to statistics released yesterday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It was the eighth consecutive annual increase in fatalities, after years of decline during the 1990s. The transportation bill passed last year by Congress included funding for the first comprehensive study of the causes of motorcycle crashes since the well-known Hurt report done in the late 1970s. “The continued increase in motorcycling fatalities is a matter of concern for the entire American motorcycling community,” said the AMA’s Moreland, “but these statistics don’t tell us why the toll keeps climbing. We’re anxious for the crash study to begin, to show us the best ways to prevent crashes and save lives.” The crash study will be conducted by the Oklahoma Transportation Center, part of Oklahoma State University, and is expected to begin in 2007.