Ok gang, we have traction. It has been refereed to committee, so it is not dead. The committee will debate it and the modify it and pass it to the general assembly or it will kill it. We need to continue to move it along. I wrote another wall of text that you can copy and paste and email to the committee members. Yes there are a bunch but come on it will only take five minutes to do them all.
When it goes to hearing we need to be there, I know for a fact they will look around the room to see if there is support. We will need to get @NinjaDoc there as our medical expert. No, he isn't a ENT but he as Dr. in front of his name it will bring credibility to what he says.
I have also pinged ABATE to help, if you are a member ping them too.
Here is the link to the committee members and the wall of text to paste...or say your own thing. Just click the members on the right and paste into a message.
http://www.ohiohouse.gov/committee/transportation-and-public-safety
Hello,
I see that House Bill 280 has been refered to the Transportation and Public Safety Committee on which you serve. HB 280 addresses an issue with ORC 4511.84 that needs to be corrected. This law prohibits the use of earphones and earplugs while riding a motorcycle. While prohibiting earphones may make sense, the prohibition on earplugs does not. This law is antiquated and does not account for the medical community’s better understanding of hearing loss and it’s causes.
Ohio is one of only five states that still have a law like this in effect.
The Ohio BMV handbook for new motorcycle riders says:
“Long-term exposure to engine and wind noise can cause permanent hearing damage, even if you have a quiet motorcycle and wear a full-face helmet. Whether you choose disposable foam plugs or reusable custom-molded devices, properly worn hearing protection reduces noise, while allowing you to hear important sounds like car horns and sirens.”
I have a quiet motorcycle, and I wear a full face helmet. When I don’t wear ear plugs I can clearly tell my hearing has been impacted after a day of riding. They ring and buzz, just like being at a loud concert. Yes, I ignore the law and wear ear plugs as do a great many other riders I know. One of whom just got a $95 dollar ticket for doing so.
I can assure you we can hear sirens, horns and the traffic around us when we wear ear plugs. Ear plugs are selective in what noise they block.
Simply put the State has a law forcing a motorcycle rider to expose themselves to noise levels far in excess of what OSHA allows in the work place. It is forcing us to suffer permanent hearing loss. It has no moral right to do so. HB 280 needs to be passed to correct this issue.
Please let me know what I can do to help make this happen and thank you in advance for your help in this matter and thank you for your service to our State. It is genuinly apprecaited.
