"This is quite an honor for Mark and for our publishing unit," said Steve Hedlund, president of Elhert Publishing. "Mark has been Rider's editor for the last fourteen years. He makes a very powerful contribution to the motorcycle riders with this column."

Tuttle originally studied to be a photographer, then a motorcycle mechanic and finally a journalist. As he says, "My 20-year stint at Rider has meant that I never had to make up my mind."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA), in single-vehicle motorcycle crashes in 2001 - the type of accident the rider is most capable of preventing - 41 percent of the fatally injured were intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater, the legal limit in most states. Motorcycle riders in fatal crashes also had higher intoxication rates than any other type of driver, and the fatality rate among motorcycle riders is higher to start with.

Before launching Ride Straight last year, the AMA previewed the program to dozens of motojournalists. They encouraged these influential editors and publishers to support the don't-drink-and-ride message, either through editorials or by including Ride Straight public-service announcements in their publications.

"One of the first to get on board was Rider magazine," said AMA President Robert Rasor. "Editor Mark Tuttle's column entitled 'The Ride is Enough' spoke directly and intelligently to the issue of impaired riding. The AMA recognized his eloquent support with its first-ever 'Excellence-in-Media Award,' presented at the recent Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis.

In his One-Track Mind column Tuttle asks, "Isn't the ride enough?" Tuttle challenges fellow riders to follow his lead when it comes to drinking and riding. "I never drink alcohol and ride. It just isn't done, and I simply can't understand those who do or would even want to," stated Tuttle.

For a copy of the column and more info on the subject see www.ridestraight.com.