Motorist Awareness Alert

Motorist Awareness Alert from Minnesota! Every year near the beginning of May, we hold our Washout event—motorcycle riders, clubs, chapters, and organizations gather for a day at highway rest areas around the state. Armed with washer fluid, squeegees, safety information and bumper stickers, we wash motorist’s windshields and encourage them to "Start Seeing Motorcyclists." By doing this, we inform and educate the public about motorcycles and show them that there’s a human being under all that leather!

This year we’re trying to turn the Washout into a Midwestern, or even nationwide, event. I’ve been contacted by motorcyclists and motorcycle safety administrators from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia who would like to get involved. Here in Minnesota, I receive a small amount of media coverage of the event; if every state joined in, just think of the blow we could strike for motorcycle safety!

If you’d like to learn more, please contact me right away.(Planning for the Washout usually begins right after the first of the year, and planning a nationwide event will probably need to start even sooner.) I can send you the information you need to get started, or I can send you the contact information for riders in your state who are hoping to participate.

Regards,

Pat

Patrick J. Hahn
MMSC Public Relations
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Office of Communications
444 Cedar St. Ste 155
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 282-2916
fax (651) 215-1111
pat.hahn@state.mn.us
www.motorcyclesafety.org