Dear fellow Oregon rider!! Please send this letter to your “House” Representative right away. We are not in the Senate yet – so this is for your HOUSE REP. We have a hearing on March 7th! Now the time to communicate to our Representatives our thoughts about this bill which will help protect riders from RECKLESS DRIVERS. First, a few brief instructions:
- Go to the link below to find out who represents you. You will be looking for their email address:
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/findyourlegislator/leg-districts.html
There will be 3 tabs – choose “HOUSE” tab. Look to the bottom and you will see the email address that will end with “.gov”. Highlight/copy/paste this email address to the send line of your email.
- Cut and paste the House Bill number to the subject line: HB 2598
- Insert the Representative’s name (after Dear Representative)
- Please insert a personal experience if you have one. If no personal experience please delete this line so the Representative doesn’t see “Insert personal experience here if applicable”.
- Be sure to put your name and address at the bottom of the letter.
- CLEAN IT UP – double check to make sure you have HB 2598 in the subject line, the Representative’s name is correct, you have noted a personal experience and deleted that line, and that you have posted your name and address at the bottom.
- Hit send.
Well, that may seem like a lot of work, but it will go a long way towards ensuring we can get this bill passed. Stay tuned to www.bikepac.com for the bill status.
Thank you!!
Dear Representative [NAME]:
I reside in your district and I am a motorcyclist who is very concerned about my safety as well as other riders and passengers. For the safety of all riders, I am asking you to support HB 2598 which amends the current Vehicular Assault Statute to include motorcycle riders and their passengers. Currently in Oregon, motorcyclists do not have the same protections as bicyclists and pedestrians when a reckless driver hits a motorcycle rider or passenger, even though the injuries are often just as serious as those suffered by bicyclists and pedestrians.
[INSERT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HERE IF APPLICABLE]
Motorcyclists are asking that, when a driver recklessly injures a motorcyclist or a motorcycle passenger, the driver be held accountable by being charged with a Class A Misdemeanor. While such conduct may be already illegal in Oregon, it is hoped that by affirmatively protecting motorcyclists and their passengers, drivers will become more aware of their vulnerability to reckless driving behavior. These protections are more important than ever with the dramatic increase in distracted driving in Oregon that has resulted from the prevalence of cell phone use by drivers.
Riders across Oregon hope this change in current law, which already addresses pedestrians and bicyclists, will help to ensure the safety of motorcycle riders and their passenger in our great state.
Thank you,
[VOTER NAME AND ADDRESS]