Melbourne, FL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/09/2019 --To say that motorcycles have grown in popularity would be a gross understatement. According to the latest numbers available from the Department of Transportation, there are now over 9 million on-road motorcycles registered in the United States. To put that in perspective, that is 1 bike for every 35 persons in the country.

Along with this growth in ownership has also come a major shift in the demographic makeup of the riding population. Whereas motorcycles were once the venue of blue-collar workers and outlaw types, today's motorcyclists are more likely to be doctors, lawyers or accountants. According to the Harley Owners Group, these three professions make up the largest portion of their membership.

While the statistics have changed, people's — and more specifically, law enforcement's — perceptions have not. In a recent poll, over 70 percent of motorcyclist felt they had been unjustly targeted by police while riding.

To help eliminate this overt discrimination against riders and promote collaboration between the motorcycle and law enforcement communities, Congressmen Tim Walberg (R-MI) has introduced H.Res.318. This bipartisan bill currently has 37 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, is under review by the House Judiciary Committee and is expected to be brought to the floor in the next session of Congress.

Motorcyclist and attorney Brad Sinclair had this to say about the bill. "Two of the founding principles of this great nation are equal protection under the law and that all men are created equal. Profiling by law enforcement violates both of these tenants. I have personally fallen prey to this type of behavior while riding. While you can't legislate away prejudice, you can make sure that people in positions of authority receive proper training and are made aware of the facts as they truly exist. It is in everyone's best interest for this bill to become law, and I strongly urge people, bikers or not, to contact their congressmen and lend their support."