The BMF was invited to a Sedation Seminar by a group of medical practitioners in London relating to the treatment of hayfever and related conditions when riding motorcycles. While illegal drugs are a contributory factor in at least 8% of casualties from road traffic accidents, there has been little assessment of the side-effects of legally prescribed drugs.

The first generation of anti-histamine drugs can sedate and significantly affect driving ability. The degree of impairment is dose-related, exacerbated when combined with alcohol and other drugs like tranquillisers, or anti-depressants. More seriously though, users may be unaware they are giving an adverse effect. Anti-histamines have been around for some time, are inexpensive and can be obtained without prescription. More recent developments have produced non-sedating anti-histamines with larger molecules which prevent them from entering the brain after body absorption. It is claimed they treat the symptoms of rhinitis while having no effect on driving ability but are more expensive and less readily available.

Studies comparing untreated rhinitis, sedating anti-histamines and non-sedating hista-mines on productivity at work, learning ability and driving a range of vehicles showed that treatment by non-sedating anti-histamines produced the best results. Accidents involving motorcyclists using sedating anti-histamines was a particular problem - probably because controlling a motorcycle needs more concentration than any other type of vehicle.

So, the moral is, if you suffer from hayfever or another form of allergic rhinitis, have it treated with anti-histamines that are not sedating type. They may be harder to obtain and cost more, but your life could depend on it!

If you have recently moved house and are thinking of sending your driving licence in to DVLC to be altered beware! In a letter in Motorcycle Rider a motorcyclist sent in his licence and on its return he noticed that his entitlement to ride a motorcycle had been omitted. On checking he was informed that as he had taken the motorcycle test before the Licence Department was centralised at Swansea, the local details had been destroyed and Swansea had no record of it. So the only solution was to retake the test.. The moral is obviously to photocopy your licence before sending off to Swansea so that you have some proof of your entitlement.

The BMF is teaming up with the ACE Cafe to provide a camping weekend culminating in the Rockers Reunion on Madeira Drive Brighton. There will be a camp site at Shoreham Airfield with room for 4,000 campers including trade stands and live entertainment and a mass Sunday ride out to Brighton. Camping for Friday and Saturday night will cost £20, or you can just spend the evening there at a cost of £7 for one evening or £12 for two evenings. On Sunday is the now famous ACE day "Rockers Reunion" on Brighton's' Madeira Drive expected to draw a 15,000 strong crowd.

For further information contact BMF Promotions (Ace Cafe), Conwyn House, 14-16 Briton Street, Leicester, LE3 OAA or Telephone 0116 254 8818.

Kent BMF have selected Riding for the Disabled as their charity for 1999. It is hoped to rasie enough money to buy a new set of legs (a horse) for Bradbourne Stables which runs Riding for the Disabled. It is planned to hold a "moped trials event' open to local clubs at the Garden of England Motorcycle Show on 20th June this year. Each team will enter 4 riders, a mechanic and a moped. Heats will be held over a trials course on a relay basis with the winning team from each heat going on towards the final. By way of an entry fee each team will have to raise a minimum of £50 to enter and there will be a special award for the club raising the largest entry fee. Machines will be scrutinised and any machine thought to be tuned will be handicapped.

Places are likely to be filled quickly so if you are interested in entering please let me know as soon as possible, we will worry about the entry fee later! What happened to that Moped Team we had at the BMF Rally last year? Margaret