Bikers want to ditch helmet law

BOSTON (WWLP) - Motorcycle advocates are demanding changes to the rules of the road, and they took their case to Beacon Hill on Wednesday. The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association packed about half the hearing room hosted by the Joint Committee on Transportation.

They listed support for several bills, primarily one that proposes to remove the state mandatory helmet law.

A Granby biker, Alan "Tanker" Griswold, was especially supportive of a bill that would issue stronger penalties to motorists who violate the right of way. Griswold says it was a perfect Friday afternoon when a driver cut him off and caused him to crash his motorcycle. The driver was issued a $35 fine. “$35 is just a joke. It's a laughing matter in the person that did create the accident looked at the ticket and did giggle and thought it was kind of funny. It's not a laughing matter when you've got a motorcyclist lying down on the ground,” Griswold said.

Motorcycle advocates are also supporting a bill that would give financial assistance to people trying to obtain a motorcycle license. They are requesting that 20% of their registration fees go toward sending new bikers to training programs.