PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has
announced that Iowa has enacted a law supporting the goals of the AMA's
"Justice for All" campaign, increasing penalties for drivers who injure
or kill others as a result of traffic violations and adding motorcycle-
and bicycle-awareness information to the state's driver-training
curriculum.
AMA members joined ABATE of Iowa in lobbying for the law, which was
signed by Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack just a day after a similar law was
signed by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.
The Iowa law adds a fine of $500 or a driver's-license suspension of up
to 90 days, or both, for traffic violations that result in serious
injury. If a driver causes a death, penalties increase to $1,000 or a
license suspension of up to 180 days, or both. These penalties can be
imposed in addition to any other fines.
"This is exactly the kind of law the AMA aims to see passed in all 50
states as part of Justice for All," said AMA Legislative Affairs
Specialist Imre Szauter. "All Iowa motorcyclists who worked to get this
law approved deserve a lot of credit for bringing justice and awareness
to their state."
Responding to the disturbing nationwide trend of inadequate sentences
for motorists who kill or seriously injure other motorists, the AMA
launched Justice for All in 2004. The campaign's goals include
increasing each state's penalties for violations that result in serious
injury or death, as well as incorporating motorcycle-awareness modules
in driver-education classes.
Iowa and West Virginia join seven other states in passing legislation
that supports the goals of Justice for All: Arkansas, Maine, New York,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.
For more information about the AMA's Justice for All campaign, visit
www.AMADirectlink.com/justice.
The American Motorcyclist Association: rights. riding. racing. Founded
in 1924, the AMA is a non-profit organization with more than 270,000
members. The Association's purpose is to pursue, protect and promote the
interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs of its members. The
AMA also is the world's largest motorsports-sanctioning body. For more
information, visit the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com, or call
1-800-AMA-JOIN. For the latest news releases, visit the AMA News Room at
http://home.ama-cycle.org/newsroom. 
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