Daytona-bound bikers protest State Patrol checkpoints
The American Motorcyclist Association is calling on Gov. Nathan Deal to block a federally funded Georgia State Patrol program to set up traffic checkpoints targeting Daytona-bound bikers next month:
Tens of thousands of motorcyclists from around the nation could be subject to Georgia motorcycle-only checkpoints if those checkpoints are in place before, during and after Daytona (Fla.) Bike Week, which runs March 4-13….
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave Georgia a $70,000 grant to conduct one or more roadside motorcycle-only checkpoints. New York state has operated a similar program. The AMA has been tracking this disturbing development of motorcycle-only checkpoints since it first appeared in New York several years ago.
“The AMA believes that the primary source of motorcycle safety is in motorcycle crash prevention and not in arbitrarily pulling over riders and randomly subjecting them to roadside inspections,” [said Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government affairs.]
The Insider is assuming that helmets are the issue. Georgia mandates their use for all motocyclists. In Florida, bikers over the age of 21 are permitted to ride without them.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
235 comments Add your comment
Zack
February 23rd, 2011
4:06 pm
You all know that the GSP isn’t going to be able to stop everybody. There might be some good chases to be televised if any bikers run. Maybe we can see how many cars the GSP can wreck trying to catch any that do run.
memyself
February 23rd, 2011
4:09 pm
while all the mudslinging’s going on….Bikers: I don’t wish to watch you guys do aerials at 90 mph or more! Futhermore, your dashing in and out of traffic lanes, squeezing through semi’s and what have you are NOT my idea of fun! I’m on my way home from work! Take your little Stunts to the Evel Knevel (however it’s spelled) Tracks for fools, ok?
Rou Lette
February 23rd, 2011
4:12 pm
Most on motorsickles are loud, drunk and stupid. All valid reasons to be hounded by coppers. Actually, I’d be willing to grant these drunk idiots immunity from the cops as long as I get to send them azz over teakettle with the bumper of my Mercedes.
ED
February 23rd, 2011
4:12 pm
Loud pipes are juvenile and obnoxious.
BMW Rider
February 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
I heard that BMW riders are exempt from the roadside checks…Mainly because BMW riders are skilled riders and always wear safety gear. Think about it…When was the last time you saw a BMW rider wearing a “wife-beater” and nothing but a doo-rag on his head?
biker
February 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
Im a law abiding biker—as Im a law abiding cager. This is profiling and should be veiwed as such. If youre goin to traffic drugs its gonna be in a car-truck….Im up for a convoy and yes I also carry a pistol. I hope they get sued by one of these biker lawyers. If youre not wearing a DOT helmet–its your brain—I could care less.
findog
February 23rd, 2011
4:19 pm
Missing @ 3:41
Al only does the one in Myrtle Beach
Bee
February 23rd, 2011
4:21 pm
I bet they are checking for fat chicks
Double Zero Eight
February 23rd, 2011
4:30 pm
How about a checkpoint for illegal immigrants?
roberto
February 23rd, 2011
4:34 pm
All drivers of Smart cars need to be checked for drugs. They have got to be high to put one of those things on a real road. Google images for smart car crashes.
Curmudgeon
February 23rd, 2011
4:35 pm
Can you say illegal search and seizure? What a hick state. Bikers — Don’t stray too far from the hwy. Remember the end of Easy Rider….
GonzoW
February 23rd, 2011
4:35 pm
Remember ALL laws are enacted and enforce with police power of government (not to be confused with THE police who just happen to be the ones charged with enforcement). That means ALL laws no matter how minor they seem are enforced with a gun pointed at you. Don’t believe me? Go to your local courthouse square and park. Don’t feed the meter and allow yourself to get a ticket. Wait a few months with out paying, I mean, its stupid to have to pay for parking in a place you already pay taxes in right. After a couple months get pulled over for something (use your imaginations). When the officer runs your tag and sees you have an upaid parking ticket, he will politely ask you to step out of your vehicle to discuss your bench warrant for faliur to pay your fine. In return, ever so sweetly, refuse to step out of your vehicle.
Here comes the gun….
Cliff
February 23rd, 2011
4:36 pm
I ride a bike with stock mufflers, wear a DOT approved helmet, have the appropriate license (and safety courses), don’t do drugs, and don’t drink if I am going to be on my bike, but yeah I guess it is OK for the police to pull me over when I am on my way to work or vacation just because I choose to use a motorcycle as my preferred means of transportation. (sarcasm) Some say that since I am law abiding that I should not mind, but when I have plans, stopping me without PROBABLE CAUSE (check that out in the Constitution) is an infringement on my rights and liberty.
Jesus
February 23rd, 2011
4:43 pm
What if it’s a gay Mexican Jew biker with a handicap plate?
Frank
February 23rd, 2011
4:44 pm
I ride a bike and I use to be one of the guys that passed out tickets before I retired. A lot of comments on here remind me of when my kids use to fuss over who gets to play with the GI Joe or something. Simple fact is safety is paramount when riding a bike. These check points may just cause someone to put on a helmet or make sure they have checked the pressure on a tire. When you fall off a bike speeding down the road it is not fun and nobody wants the right to feel that kind of pain trust me
Palin 2012
February 23rd, 2011
4:46 pm
But we need money and we want to take it out of bikers hides
wear your helmet
February 23rd, 2011
4:50 pm
so my insurance costs don’t keep going up to keep you on life support
Keith
February 23rd, 2011
4:58 pm
If they (The GSP) where pulling over EVERYONE Randomly it would be fine.. But their PROFILING motorcyclist. It’s UNCONSTITUTIONAL. It has nothing to do with safety.. Name me one motorcycle accident that happed do to faulty equipment. YOU can’t. All accidents have been the fault of a car/truck or the motorcyclist. I believe it’s A.B.A.T.E of NY that is suing the State of NY over the same thing there. If you drive through Ga. Take videos and notes when your stop for Ga A.B.A.T.E. to use in a Suit against the State of Ga.
Rayz
February 23rd, 2011
5:00 pm
Another group of people try to commit crimes and not pay the price. Well… line up behind the immigrants and THAT 80% of the prison population who feel they, too, should be given a free pass.
Robert Elliott
February 23rd, 2011
5:02 pm
The motorcycle only checkpoint should not be legal. It should be an all or nothing safety check. People who use the airport checkpoint should realize that all people have to go through it. If they want to also check cars, trucks, vans, etc then it’s fine, but by targeting a single type of vehicle it is the same as profiling. Spend the DOT money on safety checkpoints that apply to all drivers. There are plenty of people who don’t have licenses (expired, suspended, never had) and it is not restricted to motorcyclists.
Rayz
February 23rd, 2011
5:02 pm
Frank
You are ABSOLUTELY right. Thanks for stepping up.
just thinkin
February 23rd, 2011
5:06 pm
ya know why old jim g has that”i’m wearing lace underwear and there’s nothing you can do about it” smarmy grin in his photo??? it’s because he writes just a short little piece and then everyone outwrites him 10 to 1 with their comments and thoughts. he writes half a page and we are up to 4 pages of comments and counting…..i bet his editor is proud…..
luangtom
February 23rd, 2011
5:07 pm
GA is doing this because they are upset that this state has nothing to draw crowds the magnitude of Daytona Bike Week. It is their way of telling the rest of the country just how desparate GA is…….garner some revenue for vehicular violations. Sure speaks well of GA.
Another dirtbag biker
February 23rd, 2011
5:08 pm
Does anybody out there remember what it’s like to live in a free country? No beer purchases on Sunday, your kid has to wear a helmet to ride a bicycle, no “evil” (but life saving) stem cell research, etc. I don’t pay taxes to be told how to live my life! Just a few thoughts:
Wow, you sure can tell from these posts who rides and who doesn’t. It seems all the non riders out there think that all motorcycle accidents are all self inflicted. Are you all saying it’s never happened that a CAR ran a red light, or a CAR never made a left turn into a biker? Both have happened to me.
OK so let’s stop pretending this is about safety. It’s about revenue, pure and simple. If they were interested in biker (or any vehicle) safety, they would mandate periodic safety inspections tied to your registration, like emissions on your car. Getting drivers off cell phones would save many more lives than this nonsense. Hard to use a cell phone on a bike.
There is no requirement in GA for a DOT approved helment. It should be a choice. Like loud pipes or abortion. (Wow is your face geeting red.)
It is profiling. Read the fourth amendment, or have somebody read it to you.
You don’t need a roadblock to stop reckless drivers in a car or on a bike.
You can carry drugs, illegal weapons, contraband, etc. in a car probably more easily than on a bike (certainly larger quantities).
Who it the bigger threat on the road, a totally exposed 150 pound person on a 600 pound motorcycle or the moron “multitasking” in the 4000 pound minivan with kids in the back?
So tell me again what this road block is for? Remember, the only freedoms that need protecting are the ones you don’t agree with!
truth
February 23rd, 2011
5:10 pm
@Jesus…you still died so he could be free. Jn 6:13
GaBlue
February 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm
FYI: Harley-Davidson is planning more layoffs of American workers, but they are building a plant in India.
Rayz
February 23rd, 2011
5:14 pm
Just Thinkin
You got it AND, on top of that, nobody really commenting gives a darn about this issue or it wouldn’t be one. I do these comment for entertainment (what a joke we all are). Group together and fix it or shut up, huh? On that note— I am shutting up. Good day!
Just Me
February 23rd, 2011
5:16 pm
This is wrong for so many reasons that have already been articulated here. And it makes me angry to see our tax dollars wasted once again. I wish I had a bike and could ride with y’all. I am always a bit envious when I see y’all passing through on your way to FL. Y’all stay safe and have fun, ya hear.
Another dirtbag biker
February 23rd, 2011
5:17 pm
Are they going to pull over people trailering their bikes to bike week? “They’re bikers, but they’re in a car. What do I do Roscoe?”
old biker
February 23rd, 2011
5:20 pm
no helmet? no problem…the fat chicks hips will hit the pavement before my head does….works every time…..
Another dirtbag biker
February 23rd, 2011
5:21 pm
I’m guessing we wouldn’t be having this conversation if they were going to pull over all the pick up trucks leaving Atlanta Motor Speedway for a “safety inspection” after a Nascar race. What a traffic jam that would be!
Hypocrite Hunter
February 23rd, 2011
5:23 pm
Wonder how this debate would go if it was $70k to pull over cars going to Freaknik? or random pickups with Mexican logos on the back glass? The problem is that an American shouldn’t be pulled over without probable cause…outrageous. And, I do not own a bike.
Wheezy Rider
February 23rd, 2011
5:33 pm
Maybe they should all just go through Alabama and spend their money at those gas stations and restaurants along the way. Georgia has become the most unwelcoming state in the south…
Lord help them if they are Hispanic and riding a motorcyle through Georgia. I’m pretty sure that will be illegal soon…
A Taxpayer and Voter
February 23rd, 2011
5:33 pm
Last time I was in a checkpoint on my bike, I put the side stand down went into my bags to produce my insurance and license, the police got tired because I had to put my insurance card back in my bag and I was in no hurry, I had the road blocked in the meantime.
Grumps
February 23rd, 2011
5:38 pm
Not sure this is on topic, but…
Lester Maddox is the guy who closed down the Ludowici speed trap. Not sure he would have approved of the bikes only checkpoints.
from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909123,00.html
TWO large roadside billboards just inside the county lines north and south of town guard the approach to Ludowici. Placed there by Governor Lester Maddox two weeks ago, they warn approaching motorists of “speed traps” and “clip joints” in large black letters on a white background.
Thank the fed...
February 23rd, 2011
5:44 pm
Welcome to the Hope and Change that is BHOs crowning legacy. The police state is here folks, you just haven’t woken up to it yet. ANY stop for ANY reason without Probable Cause is Unconstitutional. Of course, most of you don’t know what a Constitution is, or even care that it’s being summarily dismantled since even before 1913.
I hope you folks that like checkpoints enjoy what’s coming. As for me and my family, we’re already on our way out of the failed (republic) USA experiment in Self governance. AmeriKA is hated by the world and is now its laughing-stock too. So long SUCKERS !!
Damien
February 23rd, 2011
5:49 pm
Julie – you’re an imbecile.
Now pay attention, your brat is distracting you in your minivan again
billysam
February 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
Welcome to the Police State of Obama and Bush..Keeping you safe from your freedom and liberties. This is what they call Government cut backs. Sending grant money to harrass civilians. Looks red as in communist to me.
billysam
February 23rd, 2011
5:58 pm
Julie,Julie,Julie….Poster girl for the New World Order.
GaBlue
February 23rd, 2011
5:59 pm
While American police-state fascism does indeed predate our current federal administration, I am wondering why it’s happening HERE. After all, the good Republican leaders of Georgia have made it clear that they are not accepting federal money. They’ve even hired lawyers to say we don’t have to take federal money! So… why now? Why THIS money?
Damien
February 23rd, 2011
6:02 pm
Nothing to do with Fed money – it’s about state coffers being empty, and the need to write tickets, confiscate property, etc…….it is the state pols who stand to gain here; they can bring in revenue to use for God knows what.
GaBlue
February 23rd, 2011
6:12 pm
But Damien, how can we blame Obama for the heavy-handed fundraising tactics of state and local law enforcement agencies if you explain it logically? If something bad happens, and it’s not Obama’s fault, will the Easter Bunny still rise over Stone Mountain and bring chocolate eggs to [only good Christian] children? I shudder to think of the consequences.
LT 54
February 23rd, 2011
6:13 pm
Hey, don’t forget, quite a few of those “bikers” are law enforcement officers.
In regards to “Helmet Laws”, if you don’t like the law, work to change it.
If it’s the “Law”, respect it and adhere to it.
You can’t pick and choose which laws apply to you or your group.
But what you can do is comply until it is changed or repealed.
Stop whining and enjoy the ride.
Ride & stay safe.
MrLiberty
February 23rd, 2011
6:21 pm
Just another 4th amendment violation courtesy of a govenrment that has no repect for personal liberties or rights. This is just yet another reason why road ownership, operation, and maintenance MUST be turned over to the private sector. Much like the TSA and their violations, the government has claimed ownership and destroyed all private property rights for the specific sake of being able to exert its authority whenever and wherever it wants.
This is not about helmets, not about safety, but about control, plain and simple. The government is always preparing ultimately to protect itself from the people. This is just another test of the system.
TWM
February 23rd, 2011
6:22 pm
The responses on this blog are the exact reasons why innocent people on motorcycles die everyday. Not everyone who rides a motorcycle is a drug addicted drunk. We have just as much rights as the person next to us riding in a cage. If the general public was more aware of motorcyclists and our rights the roads would be much safer. I am a school teacher and I ride. I ride with retired firemen, other teachers, business owners, real estate agents as well as parents, brothers, sons and daughters. We are people and we have families just like the rude stuck up people on this blog. If people would realize that we should be treated just as any other motorist and not like we are riding a 10 speed, the roads would be safer.
PLEASE TAKE US BACK 2 DA 1950'S GUD OLE BOY DAYS
February 23rd, 2011
6:27 pm
AS LONG AS THE POLICE STATE WAS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY,NOW THAT IT IS SPILLING OVER INTO THE WHITE COMMUNITY,THEY DONT LIKE IT VERY MUCH!
THANK YOUR REPUBLICAN-GOP PARTY FOR THIS POLICE STATE! NEW WORLD ORDER!
Dirty Ole Outlaw
February 23rd, 2011
6:28 pm
Everybody knows them Georgia cops are on the take. Just slide them a twenty, fire up a big ole hooter and scoot on down the road.
Mike Hunt
February 23rd, 2011
6:34 pm
It’s amazing that the government wants to support the profiling of motorcycle riders, but not the profiling of potential terrorists at the airport. There are crazy riders, squids as we call them, along with the loud-pipes-saves-lives crowd, that give those of us who are responsible riders a bad name.
Those of us who are responsible riders have a name for the riders who choose to not wear proper gear & helmets: Organ Donors
Having riden 35K+ miles aroound the South the past couple of years on a bike, the safety issues are not the riders, it’s the idiots talking on a cell phone while driving & texting to their BFF that is the problem.
For those who are aware of their suroundings, this also includes cops. How many time have you passed a cop who didn’t have a cell phone stuck in their ear or typing away on their vehicle installed laptop? No interference with multi-tasking there.
Make Mine a Moped
February 23rd, 2011
6:34 pm
“The AMA believes…”
Well right there’s yer first violation. AMA = American Medical Association. Copyright infringement pure ‘n simple. Cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em.
gatorman770
February 23rd, 2011
6:37 pm
Loafer – You are psychologically projecting your stupidity!