Foundation Aims at Reducing Rider Deaths During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

The Auto Channel ^ | 5/1/07

[martin_fierro]

Foundation Aims at Reducing Rider Deaths During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month Through New Wide-Ranging Media Efforts

IRVINE, Calif.--Spring marks the traditional start of the riding season and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is continuing and expanding its efforts to reduce crashes through the annual Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May. Motorcycle sales have steadily increased for the past 14 years and, needlessly, so have the fatalities in recent years.

This spring and summer, beyond the traditional methods for spreading consumer information, the MSF will use new technologies to reach a wider and younger audience through YouTube and Break.com, with several safety video placements. And the MSF will distribute a freshly cut video news release nationwide to local TV stations. It also will release “Intersection,” a dramatic new short film, targeting driver ed programs, that examines a car/bike crash from the perspective of every one of the motorists involved.

As it has done before, the foundation will: make expert safety spokespeople available for interviews; post newswire releases; seed and facilitate coverage with print, broadcast and online media; host rider training demos for media; and post information on its Web site and that of Discover Today’s Motorcycling.

The MSF staff is asking news media across America to view cycle safety as an important story and help spread important messages to all kinds of motorists.

“The overwhelming number of motorcyclists who wind up in solo crash statistics are there because they aren’t following basic but important rules about riding,” said Tim Buche, president of the MSF. “The level of risk involved is different for each rider, depending on the decisions he or she makes. And we also know that car drivers and other motorists are at fault most of the time in multiple-vehicle crashes that involve a motorcyclist. We have life-saving messages for everyone, whether they are behind a handlebar or behind a steering wheel.”

For motorcyclists, the MSF has five critical messages:

•     Get Trained and Licensed - Take an MSF RiderCourseSM and get licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. See www.msf-usa.org. Call (800) 446-9227.
•     Wear Protective Gear - Wear proper protective riding gear, most importantly a helmet made to Department of Transportation standards.
•     Ride Unimpaired - Ride unimpaired, never drinking or using other drugs before getting on a motorcycle.
•     Ride Within Your Limits - Stay within your personal limits, never riding faster or farther than your abilities can handle.
•     Be a Lifelong Learner - Be lifelong learners, regularly returning for refresher riding courses.

For car drivers and other motorists, the MSF says:

•     Look Out for Motorcyclists - Use your eyes and mirrors to see what’s around.
•     Don't Be Distracted - Hang up and drive, put down the food, the pet, the personal grooming gear, the CD, and the reading material and save it for later.
•     Give Two-Wheelers Some Room - Don't tailgate or get too close side-by-side.
•     Use Your Turn Signals – Signal your intentions. It's also the law.
•     Keep it in the Car – Don’t throw trash and cigarettes out the window, and securely latch down cargo that can fall out on the road and be a deadly hazard.

“All of these are all doable, real-world actions that will cut down crashes and fatalities right now,” Buche said. “Above everything else, it’s about the human element, the attitude, the mind-set that motorcyclists and motorists have, and the choices they make out there on the road.

“All of the crash studies we’ve seen and all of the experience we have, going back to 1973 when the MSF was founded, tell us that these actions save lives,” he said. “There’s a tendency to seek a magic pill, a silver bullet or some new technology to solve problems. New research should continue, but past research tells us that focusing on the fundamentals of riding and driving is the best solution and it can be done now.”

“We’re grateful to editors and broadcasters who have truly done a community service by informing their audience about the important rules for riding and for sharing the road with motorcyclists,” said Ty van Hooydonk with Discover Today’s Motorcycling, a media outreach program for the motorcycle industry. “Do it right and chances are the only thing you’ll get out of motorcycling is a great time. We think the phrase ‘serious fun’ best describes motorcycling.”

Since 1973, the MSF has set internationally recognized standards that promote the safety of motorcyclists with rider education courses, operator licensing tests, and public information programs. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders may enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. The MSF is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by BMW, BRP, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha. For RiderCourseSM locations, call (800) 446-9227 or visit www.msf-usa.org.

[martin_fierro]

Let's be careful out there!

[martin_fierro]

Visit the FMH Swag Store & support FR!
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list
The List of Ping Lists

[demsux]

We’ve had 4 deaths since Thursday, here in STL.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

I ride this thing like everyone on the road is TRYIN to kill me

[GeorgiaDawg32]

on a related note, don’t know if y’all saw this thread I put up a few days ago..if you haven’t done it, good idea to do so

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1825156/posts

[JoeSixPack1]

[AlaskaErik]

Wear Protective Gear - Wear proper protective riding gear, most importantly a helmet made to Department of Transportation standards.

I'll wear a helmet when they put it on my cold dead head.

[Poser]

“I ride this thing like everyone on the road is TRYIN to kill me”

Um... They are.

[martin_fierro]

Ooooh, purty whitewalls.

I've got the VT1100-T:

[brooklin]

All I’ve got is a “77 Honda CB 750f. No white-walls though.

[BraveMan]

Three in the greater Milwaukee area in the last two weeks . . .

One drunk driver (who blew a Stop sign) tried to flee with the motorcycle still wedged under the front bumper. He traveled another block or so until he gave up & fled on foot.

[BraveMan]

Yea, whitewalls wouldn't work on a 750F. A red stripe on the other hand would look cool.

[BraveMan]

-snip-
Marvell Thomas has never bothered to get a driver's license. Two years ago, he was involved in a fatal crash that killed a police chief's son. He didn't go to prison. He wasn't even charged with a crime.

Police gave Thomas the stiffest punishment the law would allow - two traffic tickets. One for failure to yield, the other for driving without a valid license.

The crash occurred on September 20th, 2005, at the intersection of 13th and Highland in Milwaukee. Police say Thomas pulled out from a stop sign into the path of a motorcycle driven by 20-year-old Nicholas Dams. Thomas walked away unharmed. Nicholas Dams died.
-snip-

Wisconsin's driving law may be giving unlicensed drivers a "license" to kill.

http://www.nick-dams.memory-of.com/

[zipper]

Thanks for that. Good idea.

[zipper]

I was talking with a bike dealer the other day — he told me that half of all GSXR-1000’s are wrecked within the first three weeks of sale.

For Pete’s sake, people — if you ride you must have formal training. There’s just too much at stake.

[demsux]

Cager almost hit me on Sunday...didn’t even look, just came over into my lane.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

people go in, buy a crotch rocket with one intention..go fast

people that ride them truly pi*s me off because they, for the most part, have no respect for anyone else on the road including other bikers. very high incident rate of accidents in the first few weeks because they don’t know how to properly slow down, can’t operate at very low speeds, u-turns are out of the question as are figure 8’s.

When I ride, at least once a week I’ll find an open parking lot, (such as a school on saturday/sunday) and practice swerving (which has saved my a*s before), braking, turning etc..one thing, when you ride, you can never practice enough..

[wita]

First recorded death in the state, just two days ago, a 79 year old on a three wheeler, single vehicle accident on city streets I believe, and a rollover accident as well.

[Wings-n-Wind]

Cager almost hit me on Sunday...didn’t even look, just came over into my lane.

I am mounting the Stebel Compact Nautilus air horn on my sport tourer...

It sounds like the Ferrari euro-tritone and roars at at 140dB...

In other words --
It will PUT THEM BACK IN THEIR OWN LANE ...
...SOOOOOO fast they will wonder what happened...

For my next farkles I am going to mount two of these: one on the front fender and one on the the topbox:

[StarfireIV]

I’ll be nearing the 25k benchmark in a few months on the 05 Triumph, did about 25k on the 98FXD before I let that one go. In the 4 years I have been racking up the miles, I have come to a few conclusions regarding those unwilling to share the road. The nearest I can figure, most accidents are caused by 1. drivers who are too distracted to pay attention, 2. drivers who have chosen to make their anger management issues/passive agressive issues...everybody else’s, and 3, riders of all types of rigs who have something to prove, but in the end only display their lack of consideraton and sound judgement to the public. Also beware of those who use the “donorcycle” label, or feel the need to complain about this type or that type of bike. More often than not, these are the people who will intentionally drive like an Adam Henry out of the conceit borne of their inflated sense of superiority.