This year's Safety Hero of the Year, Ben Bruce, initiated a number of programs to tackle the number one killer of active duty military personnel: motor vehicle accidents. One of the programs he implemented was motorcycle training. It's a great idea, particularly during riding season. If your off-the-job safety program includes motorcycle training, or if you're simply aware of new riders in your workplace, share this article with them to reduce their risks of injury.

Why New Riders Are At Risk

Possibly the most dangerous time for new riders is during their first year. Unfortunately, once they gain experience they don't necessarily become better riders. The experience lulls them into a false sense of security and confidence. Either way, they are not riding to their potential. But there are some essential skills a new rider can focus on to help them make it beyond this difficult stage.

These skills can be broken into three broad areas: Awareness, knowledge and technique. Complacency or failure to develop in any of these areas can have potentially disastrous results, especially for the new rider.

1. Awareness

Awareness involves an attitude of safety, a pre-ride self assessment and an active situational awareness during the ride, which involves a continuous scan and assessment of not only your environment but also yourself as a rider. And you must be critical of yourself.

Awareness means being in the moment and requires concentration. Riding with awareness is riding defensively; you don't daydream. You are an active participant in the constantly developing situation. If you are not aware as you ride, then you are along for the ride.

2. Knowledge

Knowledge involves everything you have been taught about riding and everything you are learning up to and including right now, which includes your active awareness.

If you are not learning as you ride, adding to your previous storehouse of information, then you are no longer assessing the situation. As you ride, ask yourself:

This process does not take time nor does it distract from the enjoyment of riding. Far from it. It's instantaneous, keeps you at the top of your game and enhances the riding experience.

3. Technique

Technique is the physical manipulation of the elements that allow the safe and controlled use of a motorcycle; in other words, it's what you do that allows you to ride well.

Technique presupposes full knowledge and mastery of the controls: clutch, throttle, brakes and body movement. All controls must work in unison with a practiced smoothness. Rough usage of any one or several of the controls results in upsetting the ride. At the least it's sloppy riding; at the worst it's loss of control and possible injury.

Like the previous two skills good technique requires concentration, assessment and practice. How will you successfully execute a real emergency stop if you have not practiced and know the feel of the bike on the edge of a controlled stop? Get a refresher course or practice on your own in a safe environment, but do practice.

Conclusion

These three skills are a foundation, and ignoring any one lessens the strength of the others. These skills begin before you get on the bike, they are there as you ride and they are with you afterwards when you review your ride. As you develop as a rider your foundation will strengthen. An experienced rider is one who is always learning. You can never be a perfect rider, but you can always be a safe rider. And you can always be a little better today than you were yesterday.

GO FIGURE
Motorcycling Safety

By Catherine Jones

What does this number represent? 4,553

Answer: It's the number of motorcyclists who were killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2005.

Here are some other motorcycle statistics:

(Source: Traffic Safety Facts from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics & Analysis)

Story Tools:  E-mail this to a friend  Print This Post Top