Who is buying and selling your freedom?

Many bikers in South Carolina take the right to ride lidless for granted. Thirty one years ago ABATE began a battle that took six years to win and amend the helmet law to allow adult freedom of choice. Now other groups are raising money and using lobbyists in an effort to remove adult freedom of choice in South Carolina. The coalition that worked hard to pass the primary seat belt law in South Carolina is now targeting our current helmet law with the intent to remove adult freedom of choice. The name of this coalition is Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety or AHAS.

Now that the primary seat belt bill has been passed into law in South Carolina an "All-Rider Motorcycle Helmet Law" tops the agenda of AHAS. You do not have to take my word; visit the AHAS web site saferoads.org and see for yourself.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of insurance companies with health and safety groups working together to encourage the adoption of federal and state laws. Some of these groups get funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; NHTSA found a loophole in their ban from lobbying in state houses by paying others to do the dirty work. Not only are our taxes being used to lobby against our rights but some of the seemingly innocent medical charities funded by poker runs are spending money raised from bikers to lobby against bikers.

You may wish to study these following lists of insurance companies and organizations; we can choose to take our business elsewhere and not support their poker runs cloaked as charity events. State Farm Insurance Company, Allstate Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Group, Nationwide Insurance, Unitrin, and USAA provide the finical support behind AHAS. The actual lobbying is performed by a coalition of safety nannies including: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Public Health Association, Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Federation of America, Emergency Nurses Association, KIDS AND CARS, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Police Foundation, Public Citizen, Trauma Foundation, and Whirlwind Wheelchair International.

ABATE of South Carolina will host the annual Helmet Law Rally supporting our state's current helmet law allowing adult freedom of choice on October 9th. The Flying Saucer will host the after rally party immediately following the rally at the capitol steps. DB Bryant will provide live entertainment from 2 until 6. Come join in the brotherhood and join ABATE. Visit abatesc.com/events for more information as the SC Freedom of Choice Helmet Rally approaches. Last year over 1,000 bikers rode in the police escorted parade to the capitol.

FastFred Ruddock
ABATE of SC State Coordinator