Abate of Arizona

09/30/2026

Phoenix’s 27th Avenue Safety Project Needs Riders at the Design Table

Phoenix has approved a major safety project for 27th Avenue. Motorcyclists should have a voice while the City is still deciding what that project will look like on the ground.

On September 9, 2026, the Phoenix City Council adopted Ordinance S-53177, authorizing the City to pursue up to $25 million in federal Safe Streets and Roads for All funding. The City could contribute as much as $6.25 million, for a proposed project budget of about $31.25 million. The corridor would extend roughly 3.5 miles, from Campbell Avenue to Northern Avenue.

The project’s purpose is straightforward: reduce crashes and serious injuries. Its described features include improved lighting, sidewalks, accessibility upgrades, crosswalk signals, intersection technology, and intersection safety treatments. But the public agenda does not say what those intersection treatments will be.

That missing detail matters because roadway changes can affect different users in different ways. Raised medians, channelization islands, curb extensions, lane narrowing, pavement changes, flexible posts, or altered turning radii may change how a motorcyclist approaches, sees, or travels through an intersection. Signal changes may also require testing to confirm that motorcycles are detected reliably.

This is a request for early participation, not an accusation that Phoenix plans to install unsafe features. The City has already submitted its federal application, while the Council authorized that application retroactively. Publicly available agenda materials do not establish whether motorcycle crash patterns, roadway conditions, or detection issues have been assessed. The appropriate next step is to share the underlying analysis and include riders while design decisions are still open.

ABATE of Arizona supports reducing fatal and serious-injury crashes on 27th Avenue. The organization should ask Phoenix for the grant application, corridor crash data, safety studies, and list of contemplated treatments. It should also request a motorcycle-safety review before final design, signal-detection testing at modified intersections, and an opportunity for riders to review the corridor in person.

Phoenix should make that participation practical. A rider representative should be included in project review, and the City should provide notice before approving raised or fixed channelization features. Crash data should be examined by road user and crash type where the records allow, so aggregate totals do not obscure risks affecting motorcyclists.

A safer street is one whose design reflects the people who use it. Phoenix has an opportunity to improve 27th Avenue while consulting motorcyclists early enough for their experience to inform the work. The City should provide the project information, invite ABATE into the design process, and document how motorcycle safety is considered before final plans are approved.

If you live in Phoenix, contact your city council member and share this with them.

09/15/2026

Yesterday, KNIX radio personality Tim Hattrick made an inappropriate comment about opening a door on a motorcycle. Today he apologized on air.

At the 27:14 mark - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-tim-and-brooke-on-demand-272596010/episode/larry-the-cable-guy-tim-brooke-tuesday-9-15-26-345354479

Transcript:
I got to say something here. This is Tim. And
yesterday we were talking about the new Arizona laws and
I made a offhand comment about motorcyclists and lane splitting.
And some people were very upset by that. You know me,
I would never condone anybody doing anything that would put
a rider in danger or anybody for that matter. So

(27:35):
I just want to apologize for making a joke about
something that could have serious consequences. You know, motorcyclists have
Every right to feel safe on the roads. And I
encourage everybody, drivers, riders alike, to look out for one
another and share the road safely. All right?

Listen to the full Tim and Brooke show from Tuesday September 15 2026 on KNIX radio Phoenix

09/14/2026

Statement Regarding KNIX Broadcast Encouraging Violence Against Motorcyclists

ABATE of Arizona has received reports that KNIX Country 102.5 radio personality Tim Hattrick encouraged motorists to open their vehicle doors on passing motorcycle riders. We are seeking the complete, unedited recording and broadcast information so that the speaker’s exact words and context can be established.

If the reported statement is accurate, it is unacceptable. Deliberately opening a vehicle door into the path of a motorcyclist is not a prank, traffic-management technique, or legitimate response to lane filtering. It is conduct that can cause serious physical injury or death.

Under Arizona law, a person commits assault by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing physical injury, intentionally placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury, or knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult, or provoke. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-1203(A) (2026). An assault may become aggravated assault when it causes serious physical injury or involves the use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument. Id. § 13-1204(A)(1)–(2). A motor vehicle or its door may qualify as a dangerous instrument when intentionally used in a manner readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury. See id. § 13-105(12).

Even when no collision occurs, intentionally creating a substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury may constitute endangerment. Id. § 13-1201(A). If a rider is killed, the responsible motorist could face criminal-homicide charges based on the facts and the motorist’s mental state. See id. §§ 13-1102 to -1105.

Arizona also prohibits solicitation. A person commits solicitation when, with intent to promote or facilitate an offense, the person commands, encourages, requests, or solicits another person to engage in conduct constituting the offense. Id. § 13-1002(A). Whether a particular broadcast satisfies that statute depends on the exact language, context, intent, audience, and likelihood that listeners would understand the statement as a serious request to act.

The First Amendment protects offensive speech, satire, and abstract advocacy. It does not provide an unlimited defense for speech directed toward producing imminent unlawful conduct and likely to produce that conduct. Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444, 447 (1969) (per curiam). Whether this broadcast crosses that constitutional line cannot be determined from a paraphrase alone. The recording must be preserved and reviewed.

KNIX and iHeartMedia Inc. should immediately:

Preserve the complete broadcast recording, including the statements made before and after the reported comment.
Preserve producer notes, internal communications, listener calls, text messages, social-media posts, and complaints concerning the segment.
Release the complete and unedited audio.
Explain whether the statement was live, prerecorded, scripted, or approved by a producer.
Issue an on-air correction stating that motorists must never use a vehicle or vehicle door to threaten, obstruct, or injure a motorcyclist.
Provide equivalent airtime for motorcycle-safety education.

Motorcyclists are vulnerable road users. A vehicle occupant is surrounded by engineered protection. A rider is not. Encouraging a motorist to weaponize that disparity exposes riders, passengers, and nearby motorists to a foreseeable risk of injury.

ABATE of Arizona supports lawful speech, including speech that criticizes motorcyclists or Arizona’s lane-filtering law. The issue here is not whether a broadcaster may express an unpopular opinion. The issue is whether a broadcaster used a mass-media platform to encourage listeners to commit an act of violence against an identifiable class of road users.

We request that KNIX and iHeartMedia respond publicly, preserve all relevant evidence, and use their platform to make clear that disagreement with a motorcyclist never licenses a driver to use a vehicle as a weapon.

09/11/2026

🚨 NEW MOTORCYCLE-SAFETY LAWS TAKE EFFECT TOMORROW

Beginning September 12, two new Arizona laws strengthen accountability for dangerous driving involving motorcyclists:

📵 HB 2109: Distracted Driving
Repeat distracted-driving violations will carry a $400 fine. A driver whose violation causes a crash involving a motorcycle may face an additional $150 assessment. Put the phone down and keep your attention on the road.

🏍️ HB 2941: Reckless Driving Involving Motorcycles
This measure strengthens the legal consequences associated with reckless driving involving a motorcycle. Riders and motorists should understand that conduct placing motorcyclists at risk may now carry increased consequences. LAWFUL LANE FILTERING IS LEGAL! LANE SPLITTING IS NOT! Know the laws.
These laws are not a substitute for attentive driving, enforcement, rider training, or public education. They provide another accountability tool when distraction or reckless conduct threatens a motorcyclist.

Look twice. Put the phone down. Share the road. Save a life.

Information originally published by: Michael Infanzon

09/07/2026

An 80-year-old motorcyclist died on the night of Friday, September 4, 2026, after colliding with a raised barrier traffic chicane on Tucson’s east side.

According to reports from KOLD 13 News, the fatal collision occurred just after 9:00 p.m. in the 2000 block of East Winsett Street.

Details of the Incident
The Victim: The rider was identified as 80-year-old Terrance Yokofich, who was wearing a helmet while operating his 2018 Harley-Davidson westbound on Winsett Street. Yokofich was an active member of the motorcycle community.
Circumstances & Factors: Traveling at the legal 25 mph limit, Yokofich lost control upon striking the raised traffic median, with police citing both the speed and the impact with the physical barrier as primary causes.

As the Tucson Police Department continues its active investigation, the tragedy underscores broader concerns regarding the visibility and safety risks that raised traffic-calming infrastructure can pose for motorcyclists and cyclists.

Now imagine this as a pitch black dark street with no lights.

https://www.kold.com/2026/09/06/tucson-motorcyclist-dead-after-crashing-into-protective-street-barrier/

ABATE of Arizona supports traffic-safety measures that protect all lawful road users. A raised roadway obstruction that cannot be readily identified and safely navigated at night by a motorcyclist traveling at the posted speed presents a preventable hazard. Tucson should immediately improve conspicuity at the Winsett Street chicane, conduct an independent nighttime engineering review, preserve and release the design and maintenance records, and inspect every comparable device in the city. Arizona should require motorcycle-specific safety review before physical traffic-calming devices are opened to public travel.

09/07/2026

Motorcycle Monday: The Hands That Keep Arizona Moving
This Labor Day, Honor the People Who Work, Repair, Serve, and Carry Their Communities
Before sunrise, lights begin turning on across Arizona.

This Labor Day, Honor the People Who Work, Repair, Serve, and Carry Their Communities

08/17/2026

When a legend calls and asks if you want to get some wind therapy, you do not need much time to think about it. You get on the motorcycle. So I borrowed a bike from a cousin and went on the ride. My ride with Rogue
https://michaelinfanzon.substack.com/p/riding-with-rogue-what-a-ride-down

07/21/2026

Ready to be the rider who knows what to do in a crisis? 🏍️ Professional medical help is often 5 to 30 minutes away after a crash occurs, leaving a critical gap where your immediate actions can save a life.

In our latest deep dive into Accident Scene Management (ASM) training by Road Guardians, we explore specialized bystander assistance programs designed specifically for the motorcycling community.

Find your local class schedule today at roadguardians.org/schedule!

Listen to the deep dive here: https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelinfanzon/p/the-training-that-saves-lives