Edmonton Motorcycle Show

It was a slow start on Friday - looking forward to a busier Saturday.

Come visit us at our booth - # 613
We'd love to see you!

I'm late getting going...talk to you tomorrow!

Stay safe and warm

Belt Drive Betty

Is MPP Jaczek misinformed or am I?

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It appears from what I am reading that Ontario MPP Helena Jaczek and her staff have misinterpreted the statistics she has been touting from Smartrisk to further her cause.
It turns out, if you really read the stats that Pam Farmer of Smartrisk sent me (Supposed to be the same stats used by Jaczek) that they are for RIDERS and NOT for PASSENGERS.
If you look on our News page and scroll to the bottom of the Article called

"Bill 117 in Ontario and why every rider across Canada needs to know what it is about. Eroding a Parent's Rights" the links to the information I was given by Smartrisk are there so you can download them and look at them yourself) Interestingly these statistics are not available on the Smartrisk web site: www.smartrisk.ca

In fact, I was speaking with Robert LePage of Transport Canada and he expressed that true solid statistical information on passengers injured in motorcycles accidents are simply not available.
He also expressed that mopeds are included in the statistics that are available from Transport Canada. According to him statistics for accidents are gathered by the police services and hospital staff and if the right questions are not asked by these groups of service providers then the stats won't be very accurate.

The information on the MTO web site does not give age break downs for passengers involved in accidents. In a call to the MTO I was told that age breakdowns for passengers injured is not available - period. Am I being misinformed? Ms. Jaczek seems to have access to different information than the public can get their hands on. (See her standard request for informtion reply below)

In trying to find detailed and accurate information on passengers injured in motorcycle accidents I am told by every source I have tried so far "Good Luck".

We'll see what the insurance Bureau of Canada can provide, I am still waiting on them to get back to me.
On the Insurance & Liability Resource Centre page on the Imagine Canada web site you can find interesting statistics on accidents in Ontario.
As I said, I have been looking everywhere and asking for information from a whole ton of sources and so far, no quality statistics are available from any of them.
So, how can an MPP misinterpret the information that is there so badly? What is her motivation? Is she just a hater of motorcycles and trying to find a back door way of getting them off the road? Or is she trying to further her career? Ms. Jaczek's staff's appear not to have done quality research or interpretation. And if they have, they are not sharing it. I unearthed something in a standard request for information reply from her office. She touts the fact that 4 US States have age restrictions for passengers, what she doesn't tell you is the actual restrictions.
Here they are (Info from the AMA Web Site)
Child Passenger Prohibitions -
Hawaii: Under 7
Washington: Under 5
Arkansas: Under 8
Louisiana: Under 5
Here is the standard reply I received from her office:

I am writing to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts regarding my Private Member’s Bill, The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Child Passengers on Motorcycles) 2008.

As you know, Bill 117, if passed, would amend the Highway Traffic Act to prohibit driving or operating a motorcycle on a highway while a person under the age of 14 is a passenger on the motorcycle, with a view to promoting safety on Ontario’s roads and protecting youth from preventable injuries.

This initiative would promote safety on Ontario roads and help protect youth from preventable injuries. The research is alarming:

According to Ontario MTO’s Road Safety Reports, a total of 199 motorcycle passengers between the ages of 0-15 sustained an injury in the years 1995-2005. 12 of these were between the ages of 0-4, 54 were between the ages of 5-9 and 133 were between the ages of 10-15.

According to Smart Risk, in the fiscal year 2005-2006, 856 people were hospitalized in Ontario due to motorcycle related injuries. Of those, eight were aged 5-9 and 38 were between the ages of 10 and 14.

According to Transport Canada, in 2006, 54 motorcycle passengers (between the ages 0-14) were seriously injured, across Canada. Four of these were between 0-4 years of age; and, 50 of these were between 5-14 years of age.

In the USA, four states have age-related laws and this would be the first law of its type in Canada.

Daniel Gianasi

Constituency Assistant

Office of Dr. Helena Jaczek, M.P.P.

Oak Ridges - Markham

137 Main Street North, Suite 201

Markham, Ontario L3P 1Y2

T - (905) 294-4931

F - (905) 294-0014

Toll Free - 1 866 531-9551

hjaczek.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

So you see, I am finding it very difficult to get the same information out of the Stats that Ms. Jaczek is touting. It appears to me that the information that is out there is being taken out of context and being deliberately misrepresented by avoidance of the facts (Re: age restrictions in the USA - Riders Injured, not Passengers etc.) and either the people I have been talking to don't have a clue or it's the Jaczek Crew that are out to lunch. Read the facts and then decide for yourself what's going on here.
I have been told by one of the major organizers (Ironmaiden) in the fight to have this outlandish bill squashed that the fight must go on and that no one who is affected by this bill should feel confident that it will fall by the wayside. Such are the politics in this country.
When politicians interpret stats for their own agendas and further their own careers, it's a travesty to our system, but hey - that's just my opinion.
Stay safe and warm and do yourself a favour, get educated on what's happening in our communities across Canada, from noise laws, pipes, helmets, and insurance to our children - there's a lot to know.

As taxpayers, as motorcyclists - you need to know. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Belt Drive Betty

Statistics - how do you read them

I have been researching the statistics quoted by MPP Helena Jaczek from Ontario as she quotes them to support her private member's Bill 117

I am awaiting a reply from her office to supply them and guidance on how to verify their origins.

What I am seeing on the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario web site leads me to believe that her statistics are extremely skewed.

I also have calls in to the Insurance Council of Canada and Statistics Canada.

The problem with any statistic is the logic behind how they are compiled and what questions are asked. It is vital when talking to the people providing them that one asks the right questions to get the most valid and accurate answers.

I'll fill you in more and what I discover over the course of the next few days.
Even though I live in Alberta, I think having all of the facts and being educated about what is going on around us vital - no matter where we riders live.

Until tomorrow, stay safe and warm

Belt Drive Betty

Tired but Happy!

I am happy to have finally gotten our phone book yesterday and that we were able to get a decent amount out to the riders even though we missed the heaviest traffic days.
We had a small type o in one of our business partners ads - Purple Slice's phone number is wrong. The last digit in their phone number should be a 5 not a 6 sooo it means going through all of the books we have on hand and us manually fixing them.

Show schedules are grueling and I am a tired girl today.
I am working on the paper today so it can be printed tomorrow.

With any luck we will be able to print the events calendars this week. I am just waiting to hear from the component developer to ensure we can pull end dates properly for all of our 2 and three day events.

I look forward to the Edmonton show and seeing old friends and making new ones this coming weekend and hope in the mean time that you stay safe and warm.

Belt Drive Betty

What a weekend

Our phone book got held up in customs for three days, then got held up by avalanches in the pass but the truck driver called last night and he is here in Calgary and I am looking forward to being able to get them into the hands of riders today.

I have been gathering signatures to help our brothers and sisters in Ontario fight to squash Bill 117.
I remembered I had the petition at 1pm yesterday and in 5 short hours was able to gather about 250 signatures.

If our gathering signatures does nothing else for this community than help foster a tighter sense of community I think it's well worth the effort. The guys and dolls that live in Ontario need to know they have our support and I encourage every rider out there, no matter where you live in Canada to sign the petition. We can not let this law go in to effect - if it passes in Ontario it is only time before that fight will come to all of our door steps.

To read the Bill: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=2098&detailPage=bills_detail_the_bill


To sign the On line petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/Cruise08/petition.html
Anyway - I have a truck driver to meet so I'd best go run through the rain locker and get ready for the day!

Stay safe and warm and if you live in Calgary - enjoy the warm weather and come visit us at the Calgary Motorcycle Show.

Belt Drive Betty