Tallahassee Patriot Guard Mission

The family of MSGT Shawn Simmons has asked the PGR to stand in honor of this American Hero killed in Afghanistan.

Monday, July 7 - stage at Texaco Station, corner of W. Pensacola St. and Capital Circle, Tallahassee, FL, at 3:15 p.m. EST. KSU @ 3:40 p.m. to meet the casket at Tallahassee Regional Airport. The body, family, and Honor Guard will arrive at 4:15 p.m. Escort to Strong and Jones Funeral Home.

Friday, July 11 - Viewing and visitation at Bethel AME Church, 501 W. Orange Ave., Tallahassee, from 5p-7p. Flag Line.

Saturday, July 12 - Funeral begins @ 12:00 noon EST. Staging and escort plans forthcoming when all is finalized.

Mike Donohoe

Sr. Ride CaptainAdd to Technorati Favorites

You pay for what the Dept of transportation doesnt know about rider training

Note the date of this little missive from Mary Peters, Secretary of the Department of Transportation .

USDOT logo
U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary Of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20590

November 2, 2007

Dear Reader,

As with any mode of transportation, motorcycle riding brings both benefits and risks. As an avid motorcycle enthusiast myself, I know first hand the joy and the pain that can come with the freedom of the open road.

In August 2005, I suffered a broken collar bone in a motorcycle crash. Had it not been for my protective gear - including my helmet - I am convinced I would have suffered severe injury, or even death.

Unfortunately, many motorcycle crash victims aren't so lucky. While we have been successful in reducing automobile deaths in recent years, our progress is being negated by a rise in the rate of motorcycle fatalities - which have more than doubled in the last decade. I believe that overcoming this tragic trend is the greatest highway safety challenge our nation faces today. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Transportation is launching a comprehensive new initiative to curb the rising rate of motorcycle fatalities and to protect the joy and freedom that motorcycling can bring.

This new plan will help reduce motorcycle fatalities with new national safety and training standards, curb the use of counterfeit helmet labeling, place a new focus on motorcycle specific road improvements, provide training for law enforcement officers on how to spot unsafe motorcyclists, and create a broad public awareness campaign on rider safety.

We have much work to do, but I am confident this new initiative will give us the kick-start we need to enjoy safer roads ahead.

Safe Riding,

Mary E. Peters
U.S. Secretary of Transportation

In FY 2008 and 2009, NHTSA will work with State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) to analyze State motorcycle crash and licensing data to identify the State motorcycle crash problems and develop safety programs that address the problems. In addition, NHTSA will assist States in preparing applications to receive Section 2010, Motorcyclist Safety grant, funding, and planning for the most effective use for those funds.

Following are goals/strategies for
Conducting the Motorcycle Crash Causes and Outcomes Study, a comprehensive examination of the factors that causes crashes, which will help the Department develop stronger programs and strategies to combat the rising trends in motorcycle crashes.

No news there, governmental bureaucracies spend much of there time studying and then study the outcomes of their studies to insure that the study said what they wanted it to and if not start another study.

Developing National Standards for Entry Level Motorcycle Rider Training that will set the baseline for novice motorcycle rider training programs conducted in the United States.

Hello are not many of us in many state being required to take Basic Rider Training courses now at our own expense? Why are we doing that if there is not even a federal baseline by which providers of training should adhere???? So what baseline are we going by now??? Is it some arbitrary baseline set by some arbitrary organization, oh say like the M$F?

Convening an expert panel to document the content and methods of selected existing initial entry training courses (both in the United States and abroad), and examine strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to evaluating the safety benefits of motorcycle rider safety training programs.

Whoops, once again we must asked why are U.S. citizens being forced to comply with a law that compels you to spend your money on a vague and unproven exercise? We probably have more trained riders on the streets at this point in time than at any time in the past. Motorcycle fatalities continue to rise.

Creating a training program designed to educate police on motorcycle safety and the specific enforcement efforts they can undertake to reduce motorcycle crashes.

O.K. I know this is nitpicking, but how many police officers are moonlighting as motorcycle instructors?

Developing and promoting motorcycle safety educational materials to encourage older (50+) motorcyclists to take novice and experienced rider training, wear helmets and proper gear, get properly licensed, and not ride after drinking alcohol.

O.k. now the gelatinous gloop of grey substance referred to as brain matter has congealed into something approximating head cheese. So all this safety garbage they be talkin about only applies to those over 50? If your under 50 you can ride after using alcohol and if your over 50 you shouldn't. Good God I hope they don't go to tryin to regulate piss stops.

DOT HS 810 855
You ride safe now ya here!Add to Technorati Favorites

Florida Motorcycle school owners be in the money now-at your own peril

As most Florida motorcyclists or future motorcyclist know this is the month that all persons seeking a motorcycle endorsement on their license "MUST", "BY LAW", do something that may result in increasing their chances of being in a motorcycle crash and make the persons that teach them how do that rich!

Tampa Bay Online
Riders Race To Escape Sitting In Safety Class

School Owner Riding High

Dan Derringer, owner of the Motorcycle Rider Association, which has offered motorcycle safety classes for six years in the Bay area, said demand for the classes has grown in recent years, mainly because of rising gasoline prices.

"We have historically taught between 40 and 50 people a week and most of the time we're full," he said.

"We have added two to three sessions each week, and so now, we're teaching about 60 a week."

The change in the law will mean even more demand, he said.

"I could teach more classes if I had more ranges and more instructors," he said, which he is considering. People are on a month long waiting list.

"We're busier now than we've ever been," he said.

"I think the Legislature did a good thing when it passed this law," Derringer said. "It probably will save lives in the long run.

"It's like the helmet law. It's difficult for some people to conform to right away. But it saves lives."

Well yippe-ki- yay little doggie, lets all get out there and start us one of them there motorsickle schools after all, business by law, will be booming and inn the end as in the words of the above Motorcycle School owner it " probably will" save lives??????

Well hello buckaroo's I'm not so sure that "probably will" is quite as reassuring as an "it will"! Especially when it comes out the mouth of a riding school "owner." Is that what the legislature went on when they passed this "discriminatory law" (you don't need no training to drive a 4 wheel drive pick'em up). Yeah lets pass this law they agreed, after it all, it probably will, it might, save a life or two. Oh yeah, well check this out From:

Effectiveness of Motorcycle Training and Motorcyclists’ Risk-Taking Behavior
Accession Number: 01044883
Record Type: Component

Which states in the preface:

Persistent increases in motorcycle fatalities and injuries in recent years have heightened safety awareness and have focused attention on the role that motorcyclist training and education can play in reducing accident rates. In this study a 2005 sample of Indiana motorcyclists was used to estimate statistical models of the effectiveness of existing training programs in reducing accident probabilities. Statistical models relating to motorcyclist speed choice and helmet usage behavior were also estimated. The findings showed that those individuals who took beginning rider training courses were more likely to be involved in an accident than those who did not and that those who took the beginning course more than once were much more likely to be involved in an accident. Although explanations for these findings can range from the use of ineffective course material to changes in risk perception as a result of taking the course, another explanation is that riders who take the course are inherently less skilled than those who do not. The findings underscore the need for a careful and comprehensive study of rider skills and risk perceptions to maximize the effectiveness of motorcycle training courses.

You can get the whole gig by paying $25 or go to Wendy Moons site and see her dissection of the information and some of comments such as:

"The most interesting finding was that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse was “found to be significant with three variables in the accident model” of the study. The first finding was that those who took the BRC Basic Rider Course) were 44% more likely to be involved in a crash while those who said they had no need to take the course were 51% less likely to be crash-involved."

"The second finding was that those who took the BRC multiple times were 180% more likely to be crash-involved. Iow, a higher probability to be involved in an annual crash than those who drink and ride, go over 100 mph, or refuse to wear a helmet. "

"Worse yet, while those who took the BRC for the first time and those who took it multiple times were the same average age (45 yrs old), those who took it multiple times had an average of 12 more years of riding experience."

"However, the study found that there was absolutely no effect either positive or negative in terms of crash involvement for the 12% who had taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s ERC."

"Iow, rather than produce safer riders on the road, yet another study finds that M$F’s curriculum is correlated with higher crash-involvement rather than safer riders on the road."

"What should concern rider educators, the motorcycling safety community and riders in general is simple—what is supposed to make us safe may put us more at risk:"

"The untrained rider is less likely to be wearing a helmet but 51% less likely to be in a crash while the trained rider—who is more likely to be wearing a helmet—is 44% more likely to be in a crash. Whether this is risk compensation at work is unknown, but there does appear to be a dual offset; two safety factors—helmet and training—correlate with higher crash-involvement. "

"This throws a different light on DOT Secretary “A Helmet Saved My Life” Peters’ experience: it could very well be that had she not taken the course and not worn the helmet, she may never have been in the crash in the first place."

" To sum up so far:
* M$F has prevented any other curriculum from being used in the USA—therefore mandatory training solidifies M$F’s monopoly.
* M$F curriculum has a high student-instructor ratio compared to the UK and plans to push it even higher.
*M$F’s curriculum does not include on-road training.
*M$F’s licensing tests are far easier than the UK’s tests.
*M$F curriculum has been proven to have no benefits and may put riders at higher risk of injury or death.
*Every in-the-field rider educator knows it does not produce riders ready for the road.
*Mandatory training would break already scarce resources.
*The temptation to cut corners and use inadequate ranges and instructors would be exceedingly high--and training has already become more and more deadly under the BRC.
*It would drive up the cost of training to the student.
*It’s likely to create gray or black markets.
*And result in more rather than less unlicensed riders.
*Mandatory training for adults riders is discriminatory on that basis alone and only applies to one class of road users.
*Laws establishing mandatory training by holding out carrots such as bike purchase/registration or helmet use, etc. and burdens only one class of road user. This is discrimination.
*Such laws add a burden to law enforcement."

About Wendy Moon (From her site):
I ride a H-D Sportster 883 and a '93 Honda VFR 750 and went for the past 4.4 years without a car--though I now own one. I have written investigative journalism articles for Motorcycle Consumer News, published more than 400 articles--many of them investigative pieces--on various topics. For several years, I was a part-time lecturer at the University of Southern California, and a first and second round judge for the Nicholl Fellowship through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts. I currently live in St. Louis, MO.

You all git yerselves trained up ya hear. Ride safe now.Add to Technorati Favorites