(in memory and appreciation of Bob Doiron) . . .
Prior to 2002, many of us had to bang on a lot of doors and pull some teeth each year to get the MA Governor to acknowledge and proclaim a “motorcycle safety awareness period.”
On June 4, 2002, acting MA Governor Jane Swift signed Senate Bill 2286, Chief Sponsors, Senator Bruce Tarr, Bob Hedlund, Reps. Anne Gobi and Brad Hill, into law, establishing General Laws, Chapter 6, Section 15NNNN, . . . MAKING LAW which reads
“The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the period beginning the last week of March to the last week of April, inclusive, as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Time, to promote motorcycle safety, education and awareness, and recommending that this time be observed in an appropriate manner by various agencies, associations, groups, clubs and businesses.”
Before the bill was passed, it had the ‘month of May’ as the period, . . .when a study of 100 motorcycle fatalities in Massachusetts from 1998-2000 showed more the 25% of those fatalities occurred before May (started by the AMA in the early 1990’s for “Motorcycles and You”).
We said, “why wait until May when riders are being killed in March and April?” Senator Hedlund amended his bill, and we got er’ done.
In the Registrar of Motor Vehicles office – we contacted Bob Doiron, creator of the “Check Twice” slogan in 1982 and recently retired moving to NH, and the Registrar requested Bob’s authorization for the Commonwealth to adopt his “Check Twice – Save a Life, MOTORCYCLES ARE EVERYWHERE” as the state’s motto. Bob teared up a bit, having spent over 20 years trying to get the state as an active participant promoting motorcycle awareness. He immediately granted such authorization.
While ‘everyday’ should be ‘motorcycle awareness day,’ today, June 4 is the anniversary of the bill being enacted. Year 2019 is the 17th year our Governor has followed this law. Our Registry of Motor Vehicle enthusiastically promotes motorcycle safety, awareness and training, which has contributed to reduced accidents and fatalities.
TONS of thanks to all those then involved in this bikers arena and its history . . . – YOUR work and effort has and continues to lessen some of the tragedies.
From / by Paul W. Cote / Massachusetts
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