PA Teen Motorcyclists Required to Take Basic Rider Course

[xcel]

A law that should have been on the books long ago is thankfully.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Sept 1, 2012

On the I-5 in LA with the 2010 Kawasaki KLX250SF -- All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT) is only one aspect of a safer ride.

A new law took effect yesterday now requires 16- and 17-year olds seeking their motorcycle licenses to complete Pennsylvania's motorcycle safety training prior to the privilege.

According to the PA DOT, Act 84 was signed on July 2 by Governor Tom Corbett requires these young riders seeking motorcycle licenses to first complete the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program's (PAMSP) Basic Rider Course (BRC), which is offered at nearly 70 sites across the state. The training is free to Pennsylvania residents.

According to the release, approximately 400,000 riders have gone through the proven safety training program since it began in 1984 and graduates rave about how the training has improved their riding skills.

The BRC provides an introduction to the fundamentals of safe and responsible motorcycle operation and consists of 15 hours of classroom and riding instruction – five hours in the classroom and 10 hours on the course. These 15 hours can be applied toward the 65 hours of on-the-road training required for riders under 18 years old who have a motorcycle learner's permit. Young riders who complete the course will be given a certificate-of-completion card. If they have completed all of the learner's permit requirements they can be tested for their motorcycle license at the conclusion of the PAMSP training.

Motorcycle safety information, including videos about the training programs and testimonials from graduates, can be found at PennDOT's Live Free Ride Alive website at Live Free Ride Alive.

I wish there was such a program along with the multitude of MSF new rider courses when I first learned to ride as a kid many decades ago.

[Jay]

I wish automobile drivers were required to take much more rigorous training. One of the things that could be drilled into their skill set is to "see" motorcyclists.

[MPGranger]

having grown up in Pa and having had a bike when I was 16. I can tell you that even though my dad forced me to go to the course before I was on the road and I had an underpowered bike, and I still drove like a jerk. Seriously, if a cop ever pulled me over from age 16 to 19, I still wouldn't have a license at 25.

But I also still don't have my PA motorcycle license, because no one allowed me to flash my MSF card at the driver center. That and the Pa License test was asinine! Q; what will happen when your rear wheel loses traction? A; you will regain control of the motorcycle.
I am not making this up! Nothing about keeping on the rear brake so you don't high side.

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by Jay

I wish automobile drivers were required to take much more rigorous training. One of the things that could be drilled into their skill set is to "see" motorcyclists.

Failure to see motorcyclists is a symptom of the laziness of a driver. It means that they haven't paid attention to their mirrors and they don't look properly when making a maneuver.

So besides getting drivers to do what they should be doing anyway, the emphasis should be on the additional fact (that the Maine's Driver's Handbook warns of) that it's hard to judge a motorcyclist's distance and speed. That, I think, is how my friend hit the side of a car turning left across him.

Then the other thing is to get American motorcyclists to be pragmatic and use high-visibility gear. Look, here's one even hog riders can wear.

[wick1ert]

You'll have as much luck getting people here to ride w/ high-vis gear as you do getting the other 90% to wear a helmet. I don't often wear high-vis gear, but I try my best not to be dressed in all black, either.

[08EscapeHybrid]

I wear high visibility gear with body armor, full finger gloves, and a Snell rated helmet. The basic rider course is great, and I highly recommend that all motorcyclists take it. The Advanced Rider Course is another really good one to take. Its mostly just a recap of the basic rider course, but the focus is on the range, where you do all the exercises on your own bike. I don't care how good of a rider you think you are, you can always benefit from extra training.

"Dress for the slide, not the ride"

Oh, and I ride a Harley too, Here's a short video I shot a couple weeks ago in the mountains of WV, you can see my orange arms...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql9y8Smb55Q&hd=1

[southerncannuck]

Nice road! I love motorcycling.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by ItsNotAboutTheMoney

Failure to see motorcyclists is a symptom of the laziness of a driver. It means that they haven't paid attention to their mirrors and they don't look properly when making a maneuver...

Point taken. Most drivers are crappy drivers not because they don't know better, but because they choose to be lazy, careless hacks. Still, I think not seeing motorcyclists is a "force-of-habit" problem. Drivers pull up to an intersection and look both ways for cars and trucks (the usual traffic) and completely miss seeing the unusual traffic (motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians). I try to improve my driving skills by reminding myself at every intersection to actively look for bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. It's something that drivers could work at by training. But then, the will has to be there to improve...

[xcel]

Hi All:

My Aerostich Darien in the "proper" color for safety.

I wish more bikers would wear the bright and reflective gear vs. the all-black wannabe hell raiser ego crap most wear today

Wayne

[msirach]

A good starter would be if they would wear a helmet. We had 3 killed in traffic accidents last weekend. None probably had a helmet on. Two of the riders hit a guardrail and were the only bike involved. I'm not sure what happened in the 3rd fatality.