Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Motorcycles
10-year ban for popping a wheelie in Miami
South Florida has a motorcycle problem, and lawmakers are introducing legislation to show bikers that they'll go a long way to punish those who break the rules. Stunt riding (including wheelies), excessive speeding, and concealable license plates will get you a 10 year ban on your motorcycle license, mandatory jail time, and an impounded bike. If the punishment sounds like the medieval practice of cutting off the hand of a man for stealing, that's exactly how State Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera wants it.
Lopez-Cantera witnessed firsthand a variety of incidents during which reckless behavior was on display, including bikers flying down the highway at 120 mph, high speed wheelies, and more. Police officers can't even run plates since bikers will often flip them up to avoid detection, and it's very difficult to catch a motorcycle on the open road with a squad car. We like motorcycles, even though our focus is on cars, and it's disappointing to see that things have apparently gotten so out of hand in South Florida that draconian enforcement policies are being seriously discussed.
[Source: Visor Down via Paultan]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
ryan 11:16AM (11/28/2007)
i dont' know why, but this story made me smile. probably not smart for them to be riding like that, but i applaud their creativity for avoiding detection.
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Andrew 11:18AM (11/28/2007)
I actually think this is a good policy, but lets be honest, it is pretty obviously classist, for the simple reason that THESE RULES SHOULD APPLY TO CARS TO. A motorcycle capable of incredible speeds and stunting can be had for very cheap. So a (low income, more likely brown/black) guy who buys a $4k gixxer gets caught doing 120 gets jail time and a TEN YEAR suspension, while a (silver spoon wielding, more likely white) kid doing the same in Daddy's bimmer gets to take a 40 minute online driving class?
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DriftPunch 11:27AM (11/28/2007)
Yes, Carlos Lopez-Cantera sounds like a guy who has a grudge against the brown man... Sheesh...
Jeff 11:39AM (11/28/2007)
Andrew your statement made no sense, but I don't believe you said that on purpose or to be raciest, but out of ignorance. You were implying that black/brown people ride motorcycles because they only cost $4000 and white people drive BMWs. Even though that wasn't your main point it was ignorant, very inaccurate, and did not need to be included. That being said I'm a rider and although I don't think people should really be stunting dangerously within traffic the fact of the matter is that a lot of people will be severely burned because the punishment is way to heavy handed compared to the crime. If similar laws were outfitted for cars people would be pretty damned upset, yet once you get up to 120 mph the chancing surviving a bike or car crash is the same...0
Luis 12:04PM (11/28/2007)
You sir are not right.What does being brown/black/white/red have to do with ANYTHING! As you have very clearly shown, ignorance both on and off the road, has no color.
Jason 12:22PM (11/28/2007)
Around here, I see far more 'white' guys on bikes stunting and 'brown/black' guys driving BMWs (or more likely a Benz), than the other way around. Race/class has nothing to do with it.
Andrew 12:25PM (11/28/2007)
SO you are saying that in all instances the police and prosecutors in the American justice system evenly apply jurisprudence to people of all races?
Ignorance is bliss, etc.
Zane 12:50PM (11/28/2007)
Andrew, stop faffing around and go ride your bike. :-P
JD 1:20PM (11/28/2007)
No, Andrew, actually, no one said that at all. They were saying you're wrong, and you are. Cars aren't nearly as fast as bikes unless you get waaaaaaay high end, think porsche territory, and cars clearly aren't as much of a problem, or they would be pushing laws for cars too. And let's face it: If you do a wheelie in your car, then yeah, you probably should get a 10 year license suspension. Lol.
Owain Ozymandias Buck 3:39PM (11/28/2007)
I don't mean to fan any flames, or say anything racist, but in my experience, all the really stupid, psychotic stunts I've witnessed were done by white boys. The really stupid tricks anyway.
Francis 11:18AM (11/28/2007)
Being a rider who has been hit by another rider, trying to stunt ride; I can tell you these laws will effect those who break them, not those of us who ride as perhaps you should.
My shoulder has been permanently damaged because of another rider's inability to use his machine correctly and his inability to control it once he decided to be an ass. His childish actions have left me "different" and as a result I have little love for the "Stuntaz" of the world. Doing it well also means doing it right and that means the right conditions.
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Menice 11:20AM (11/28/2007)
DO IT.
Here in NY I see a lot of stupid drivers on a daily basis.
things that leave your mouth hung open in amazment.
But the most careless, stupid things I see are done on bikes. there ought to be an IQ test given along with a bike license.
i know there are a lot of good bikers out there, but its amazing what some do.
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EJ25RUN 11:27AM (11/28/2007)
i can understand looking for a way to patrol things but 10 years and jail is to much. Besides, typically when a car and bike come to getter the bike losses!
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Francis 11:44AM (11/28/2007)
Sorry but if you took the time to read the HURT study, you'd know that most motorcycle injuries and nearly all fatalities occur when the ride fails to negotiate a curve, where rider speed is the aggravating factor.
As this translates to states without mandatory motorcycle helmet laws is simple, injury is down because fatalities are up. How up? Try a 200% increase in fatalities with roughly the same number of incidents.
As this translates to these riders is even more direct, they are creating unstable conditions where none should exist. As a result, they stand a greater chance of dying. Indian Larry is a prime example.
These penalties are in direct proportion to the problems these riders cause with excessive speed, erratic operation and willful disregard.
Operating a motor vehicle is a privilege not a right, operating a motorcycle is even more so given the level of awareness you must use and request from others. I see no problems with a 10 year ban for riding like an ass. Jail is gravy in my opinion. And I feel that I can preach from the pulpit here as I average ~10k miles a year on a bike.
How much do you ride?
787B 3:38PM (11/28/2007)
@Francis:
"Operating a motor vehicle is a privilege not a right, "
WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!!!! So wrong it's scary.
You have swallowed the propaganda foisted on you by politicians with an agenda to gradually habituate you to believe that your only rights are those granted you by the government. Go read the Constitution and Bill of Rights. All rights not expressly allowed the government belong to the PEOPLE. That means driving *IS* a right. Certainly a right that you can lose by driving like an idiot, but a right nonetheless.
Don't give up your rights because somebody with a vested interest tells you it's not a right.
Ryan 4:05PM (11/28/2007)
To the above person:
"All rights not expressly allowed the government belong to the PEOPLE. That means driving *IS* a right."
You have a right to drive, sure... just not on the roads that the government provides. Nobody is going to take away your right to drive your car back and forth in the driveway - but once you get onto public roads you don't have a god-given right to drive on them.
787B 4:26PM (11/28/2007)
@Ryan:
"Nobody is going to take away your right to drive your car back and forth in the driveway"
Check up on that, you are wrong. In most states, that right has already been unconstitutionally usurped. You can be ticketed, even arrested, for driving your own vehicle on your own driveway. Even just having a car motionless in your driveway can get you a ticket.
"just not on the roads that the government provides"
The government did not "provide" the roads. They were built by the government for, at the request of, and at the expense of the citizens. Therefore citizens absolutely have the right to use those roads. Unless they drive like idiots and forfeit that right.
Eisenfaust 11:27AM (11/28/2007)
I predict a sharp increase in the number of pursuit-related injuries and fatalities in Florida.
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Dan 11:30AM (11/28/2007)
That's too bad, but on the good side, I just saved a ton of money on my motorcycle insurance by RUNNING FROM THE COPS
It's getting silly. People in CA are getting pulled over for riding with their left hand on their hip instead of the handle bar.
Eisenfaust 11:42AM (11/28/2007)
Dan:
Thankfully I havent been pulled over for anything quite that ridiculous here in the Bay Area, but some of my riding buddies have stories. O_O