If you’ve been riding the highways and backroads of Northeast Ohio long enough, you’ve seen it. Hell, maybe you’ve been the one picking gravel out of your skin because some distracted driver “didn’t see you” before turning left across your lane, or because they blasted through a stop sign like it was a suggestion. Too many of our brothers and sisters have gone down hard—or not gotten up at all—because someone behind the wheel couldn’t be bothered to look twice. And when that happens? In Ohio, the so-called justice system treats it like a parking ticket. Vehicular assault and vehicular manslaughter are minor misdemeanors—a fine smaller than what most of us spend on gas for a week. The killer drives off with a slap on the wrist. We’re left with busted bones, totaled bikes, and empty seats at the clubhouse.
That’s why House Bill 357 matters. Introduced on June 11, 2025 by Rep. Brian Lorenz (R– District 60), HB 357 would take vehicular assault and vehicular manslaughter and crank the penalty up to a first-degree misdemeanor. That means real consequences—up to $1,000 in fines, 180 days in jail, and license suspensions that can run from 1–5 years. In other words, if you maim or kill a biker because you couldn’t be bothered to pay attention, you don’t just write a check and head home—you answer for it in a way that might actually make you think twice next time.
Right now, HB 357 is sitting in the House Judiciary Committee, and that’s where the battle is. The committee’s got the power to hold hearings or quietly let it die. The key players? Chair Rep. Jim Thomas (R), Vice Chair Rep. D.J. Swearingen (R), and Ranking Member Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (D). These are the folks who decide if our fight for justice even gets a voice. If the Chair doesn’t schedule it, HB 357 goes nowhere, and drivers keep walking away from killing us.
This isn’t about revenge—it’s about respect. It’s about making sure every driver out there knows that our lives are worth more than a piece of paper with a fine on it. “I didn’t see them” shouldn’t be a free pass to destroy someone’s life. We’re not asking for special treatment—we’re asking for equal treatment. You kill someone with a car? You face the music, just like you would with any other weapon.
So here’s the deal: pick up your phone, fire off an email, write a letter, and let these committee members know you ride, you vote, and you’re watching. Tell Jim Thomas, D.J. Swearingen, and Dani Isaacsohn that HB 357 needs to hit the floor now—not six months from now when it’s too late. The longer they wait, the more names get etched on headstones instead of rally rosters.
Our roads are dangerous enough without the law giving a hall pass to the ones who kill us. HB 357 is our shot at changing that. Let’s ride together—loud, united, and relentless—until it passes. Because the next name on the casualty list could be yours.
Ride hard. Ride smart. Demand justice.
