Motorcycling advocacy

Motorcycling advocacy (colloquially "bikers' rights" in the US) generally refers to the belief in legal rights of motorcyclists, either as citizens or as motorists, or as motorcyclists per se, and to the efforts made to promote or defend those rights.

Advocacy is carried out by individuals and organizations. One issue often in dispute is mandatory helmet laws. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, part of the Department of Transportation) has been the main federal government agency active in the debate over motorcycle rights for such things as off-road riding, vehicle requirements and helmets in the United States.

Motorcycle helmets greatly reduce injuries and fatalities in motorcycle accidents, thus many countries have laws requiring acceptable helmets to be worn by motorcycle riders. These laws vary considerably, often exempting mopeds and other small-displacement bikes. Worldwide, many countries have defined their own sets of standards that are used to judge the effectiveness of a motorcycle helmet in an accident, and define the minimal acceptable standard thereof. In some countries, most notably the United States and India, there is some opposition to compulsory helmet use (see Helmet Law Defense League); not all U.S. states have a compulsory helmet law.

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