The SEMA You Don't Know

The annual SEMA show has just wrapped up and for the past week we've had a glimpse into the future of automotive parts and technology. But what you might not have seen, or known about for that matter, is what SEMA does every other week out of the year…protect our automotive freedom.

Behind the displays, flashy paint, and loud music is a team of people, called the SEMA Action Network, who are always looking out for our love of driving. See lawmakers pass laws and regulations that significantly impact the automotive industry of both past and present. Most of the time, these laws are helpful. They help keep us safe in the case of an accident, help preserve our natural resources, and protect automotive history. But occasionally lawmakers get things wrong. For instance the automobile is not the biggest polluter, but it is the most scrutinized. This isn’t so much a democrat or republican issue as it is simply people who are misinformed or have a misunderstanding about our passion.

Thankfully this is where the SEMA Action Network comes in. A team of volunteers, activist, and lawyers who still have their soul pour over pages of bills and regulations to make sure that we motoring enthusiasts are being treated fairly. Their next step is to work with lobbyists and elected officials to make sure a bad idea doesn’t become law. Because of their hard work hobbyists’ rights have been protected. I joined the SAN a few years ago. It’s free to join and they let you know when something unfair is going on in your state. Once you know the issue you simply reach out to your state senators to let them know your opinion. That’s it. Helping to protect your passion really is that easy. The threat of damaging laws is an ongoing struggle for car lovers like us, thankfully SAN is there helping to watch over our best interest on Capitol Hill.

So I encourage you to get involved and help defend the hobby we all love. And I’d like to thank all those who help with SEMA and the SAN. Now not only do we know what to look forward to in the future, but we also know you’re helping to protect our past.

Happy Motoring.



photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdmfactory/