State ABATE Director Killed

[aps45819]

WBAL was a little biased in their reporting:

Crash Kills MD Motorcyclist Who Opposed Helmet Laws
Thursday, August 31, 2006
WBAL Radio and The Associated Press







An Eastern Shore man who was the state director of an organization that lobbies for the rights of motorcycle owners was killed while riding his motorcycle.

A sport utility vehicle struck Martin L. Schultz's bike Wednesday at an intersection in Easton, according to Maryland State Police. Schultz ran off the road and struck a telephone pole. He died at the scene. The SUV driver, Latasha R. Neal, 25, of Hurlock, was treated at Memorial Hospital at Easton and released.

Schultz, 44, of Newcomb, was state director of ABATE. The association's members, according to its Web site, "have joined together to advocate training as the foremost means to reducing accidents and injury, to put an end to discriminatory legislation, to communicate via a bimonthly newsletter, to explore ways to improve the overall motorcycling experience in Maryland, and to provide for and assure a continuing freedom and affordability of motorcycling."

ABATE opposes mandatory helmet laws and has a "Helmet Law Protest Ride" scheduled for October.

State police said a helmet was recovered from the scene of Schultz's crash, but it was not immediately known if he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

 

[kwillia]

I don't see it as "bias" but rather "irony".

 

[aps45819]

The asst. state director took exception to the allegation that Marty wasn't wearing his helmet and no mention was made of the SUV driver pulling out of a side street and killing him.

 

[kwillia]

no mention was made of the SUV driver pulling out of a side street and killing him.

"A sport utility vehicle struck Martin L. Schultz's bike Wednesday at an intersection in Easton"

Aps, rarely do news releases detail "blame" in fatality accidents. Investigations usually last for days before actual fault is determined and charges are issued. :shrug:

 

[Nickel]

I don't see it as "bias" but rather "irony".

 

[aps45819]

The original wire story had no problem with accurate reporting.
Motorcyclist Killed in Easton Crash

08/30/2006 3:42 PM
EASTON- A 44-year-old man is dead after his motorcycle collided with a Jeep in Easton on Wednesday.
Maryland State Police say that at a little after 10 a.m., troopers responded to MD Route 309 at Black Dog Alley in Easton for a motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle.
An investigation determined that a Jeep Liberty approached the intersection of Black Dog Alley and Route 309. Police say that the Jeep stopped at the stop sign and then continued through the intersection. Meantime, the Harley Davidson was traveling northbound on MD Route 309 approaching the intersection of Black Dog Alley. Police say the Jeep continued through the intersection, traveling towards the intersection of westbound U.S. Route 50. According to police, the Harley attempted to avoid striking the Jeep ,but the right front passenger side of the Jeep struck the right side of the Harley. The Harley left the roadway (MD Route 309), striking a Verizon telephone pole.
The driver of the Harley, Martin Leo Schultz, of Newcomb, Md., was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision by Talbot County EMS. The driver of the Jeep, Latasha Rashawn Neal, 25, of Hurlock, was transported to Easton Memorial Hospital for minor injuries.
Police say charges are pending.

Don't think they're planning on charging Mr. Schultz with anything.

 

[Tonio]

"to put an end to discriminatory legislation"

What is discrminiatory about helmet laws? I can sorta kinda understand the group's point about certain laws infringing on personal freedom. But it seems like the wrong issue to try to make that point. It's like defending the right to use a sledgehammer to pound one's own foot into a bloody mess.

Jerry Seinfeld: "There are many things you can point to as proof that the human is not smart. But my personal favorite would have to be that we needed to invent the helmet. What was happening, apparently, was that we were involved in a lot of activities that were cracking our heads. We chose not to avoid doing those activities but, instead, to come up with some sort of device to help us enjoy our head-cracking lifestyles. And even that didn't work because not enough people were wearing them so we had to come up with the helmet law. Which is even stupider, the idea behind the helmet law being to preserve a brain whose judgment is so poor, it does not even try to avoid the cracking of the head it's in."

 

[Lilypad]

Official ABATE release-

ABATE of Maryland State Director

Marty Schultz Killed

It is great sadness that we announce the death of our State Director.

ABATE of Maryland State Director, Marty Schultz, was killed August 30, 2006 at approximately 10 am while riding his motorcycle. He was struck by an automobile at the intersection of Black Dog Alley and MD Route 309. The automobile traveled through the intersection. Marty attempted to avoid the oncoming car, but was struck by the automobile causing him to leave the roadway. Marty was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision by Talbot County EMS.

 

[BlackSheep]

ABATE of Maryland State Director, Marty Schultz, died August 30, 2006.

The Memorial Service for Marty is as follows:

Thursday, September 7th, 2006

St. Mark's United Methodist Church
100 Peach Blossom Rd.
Easton, MD 21601
410-822-0001

Family members will be receiving guests from Noon until 2:00 pm.

The service will begin at 2:00 pm. It will be followed by a memorial ride to the Easton VFW on Glebe Rd.

Please refrain from sending flowers and other contributions until a later date. Letters and cards of Sympathy can be sent to Marty's wife Pam and children at:

PO Box 69
Newcomb, MD 21653

 

[aps45819]

What is discrminiatory about helmet laws?

They're moving violations and add points to your liscense. Not wearing a seatbelt is same as a an equipment violation or a parking ticket.


...but I gotta agree with Jerry

 

[Tonio]

They're moving violations and add points to your liscense. Not wearing a seatbelt is same as a an equipment violation or a parking ticket.

I wonder why the two violations were set with different penalites. Would you support helmet laws if the penalty was the same as for seatbelt laws? (Meaning that either the helmet penalty would be decreased or the seatbelt penalty would be increased.) All this time, I thought you would get points on your license if you weren't wearing your seatbelt.

 

[aps45819]

Would you support helmet laws if the penalty was the same as for seatbelt laws?

I think ANY law that is designed to protect stupid people from being stupid is a bad thing. It interfers with the natural selection process and that's why there are so many stupid people around.

 

[Tonio]

I think ANY law that is designed to protect stupid people from being stupid is a bad thing. It interfers with the natural selection process and that's why there are so many stupid people around.

I agree with you in principle. There is something Darwinian about someone deliberately choosing to ride without a helmet.

I haven't followed the arguments for or against. What arguments do proponents use? Do they argue helmetless riders who kill or hurt themselves end up costing their families and costing society? I can imagine an insurance company wanting the law, only so it can withhold coverage for riders caught not wearing helmets.

Women, if your man won't ride with a helmet, would you resort to the Lysistrata maneuver to make him change his ways?

 

[aps45819]

I haven't followed the arguments for or against. What arguments do proponents use? Do they argue helmetless riders who kill or hurt themselves end up costing their families and costing society? I can imagine an insurance company wanting the law, only so it can withhold coverage for riders caught not wearing helmets.

It's mostly the "burden to society" argument and the insurance companys are much bigger campaign contributers. I've always wondered why insurance companies aren't more proactive in their benefits, no/reduced coverage for drunk driving, no helmet or any other activity that increases risk.

 

[BlackSheep]

ABATE Press Release

September 4, 2006

Marty Schultz who was the State Director of a motorcycle rights organization known as ABATE of Maryland, Inc., was killed by a car driver who violated his right-of-way. Since that time there has been considerable speculation in print and heard over the airwaves about whether or not he was wearing a helmet. Yes, in fact he was wearing a helmet that came off during the collision or its devastating aftermath. Although this topic is especially significant because of Marty’s position with ABATE, the same thing happens every time there is a motorcycle accident.

Why is it always about the helmet?

Whenever there is a motorcycle accident, nearly every person asks whether or not the rider was wearing a helmet. Later on, they might get around to inquiring about the well-being of the rider or the circumstances that caused the accident. Some never bother to go beyond the helmet topic.

The vast majority of motorcycle accidents have nothing to do with whether or not the rider wore a helmet. They are caused by inattentive drivers. More than 64 percent of multi-vehicle accidents involving a motorcycle are due to the actions of the driver of the other vehicle. Additionally, in approximately 10 percent of single-vehicle motorcycle accidents another vehicle was at fault even though no contact occurred.

There is an attitude of indifference and sometimes downright malice towards motorcyclists that many government officials and members of the general public convey through their words and actions. Many times statements made to and by the media infer or blatantly state that an injured motorcyclist is somehow responsible for his or her injuries when the motorcyclist’s only role may have been to attempt to avoid a collision.

What should happen instead?

We live in an environment that presents daily challenges that have a dramatic effect on transportation and commuting. Motorcycles are becoming increasingly more popular as fuel and space efficient vehicles. The number of frequent, daily riders has increased dramatically as people try to cope with rising fuel prices. Many motorcycles achieve mileage rates that exceed 40 miles per gallon making them an attractive, economical transportation alternative.

Over the next months and years it is likely that there will be more incentives for individuals to explore transportation alternatives. Motorcycles have already become part of the evolving transportation landscape. An increasing number of individuals commute almost daily on motorcycles because of rising gasoline prices. Motorcycle parking areas in many workplaces are overflowing now when they were previously under-utilized.

Some of these riders commute year-round and only avoid riding on days when snow or ice makes commuting by motorcycle impossible.

Drivers, law enforcement, government officials, legislators, and the general public need to acknowledge that motorcycles are a viable form of transportation that have many positive attributes when navigating crowded roads and parking lots. They also need to acknowledge that these vehicles are more vulnerable and the consequences should an accident occur rarely favour the motorcyclist.

The focus should not be on the helmet which in many cases provides little or no protection. A helmet can become dislodged or come off during a collision; which is precisely what happened in the collision that took Marty’s life. Instead, shift the focus to what happens before an accident occurs and strive for accident prevention. Rather than perpetual emphasis solely on helmet use, accentuate awareness by all road users of the strengths and weaknesses of each vehicle type on the roads today; whether that vehicle is a car, truck, tractor-trailer, bus, bicycle or motorcycle.

It’s all about safer driving and riding, not safer crashing.