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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Connecticut - New CT Motorcycle Law Receiving Mixed Reviews

OFF THE WIRE
Megan Bard Morse
Source: mansfield.patch.com
A new law that requires motorcycle riders to take a training course before they get their license is meant to make riders safer.

A new law that went into effect Jan. 1 requires that all new motorcycle riders, no matter the age, take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation training course before they are granted the necessary endorsement on their license to ride a bike.
In addition, the new mandate requires that any experienced rider who lets his or her endorsement lapse for two or more years must also take the course.
While many applaud the law's intent – to make it safer for riders and their passengers – some question whether it’s excessive and said that regardless of the requirement, whether someone is safe on a motorcycle comes down to the driver’s personal decisions.
There are about 1,500 motorcycle accidents annually on state roads and roughly 92 percent of the riders involved never took formal motorcycle training, according to state Department of Transportation statistics.
Previously, only riders 18-years-old and younger were required to take the safe driver training course. An accident a few years ago that took the life or an East Hartford man changed that.
The man’s mother lobbied the legislature to change the law. She believed that had her son been compelled to take the training course in order to get his motorcycle operator's endorsement he would still be alive; the man was 19-years-old.
Norm LeBlanc of Enfield has been riding a motorcycle for about 40 years. Last week, he said he has a “tendency” to agree with the changes, but he does not want them to be perceived as a “cure all.”
“What it comes down to is everybody is responsible for their [sic] own actions on a bike,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a bad law, but riders make their own decisions. I hope that the training does help save lives, I really do, but it’s hard to say because it still comes down to operator.”
LeBlanc, the marketing and motorycle event coordinator for Trantolo and Trantolo of Hartford, also questioned why the law focucsed the motorcycle endorsement and is not required for operators of other vehicles.
Larry Friedman, president of the Connecticut River Valley BMW Riders, a club that has members from throughout the region and promotes motorcycle safety, said, in general, long-term motorcycle riders are fairly conservative.
Friedman, who typically rides about 10,000 miles a year, said new riders, and those who return to riding after a long hiatus tend to account for a disproportionally higher number of accidents. He supports the new law and its intent, but like LeBlanc, said its benefits have yet to be seen.
“There are so many factors in motorcycle safety now, it’s very difficult for legal system to address them all,” said Friedman, who is also an officer with the national BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, a group that encourages safet and fun in riding.
Since its passages, the state Department of Motor Vehicle's call center has been receiving asking about the new requirements and qualifications necessary to be certified to drive a motorcycle, according to department spokesman Bill Seymour.
The training courses run, on average, $200 and are offered through the community colleges system and at a couple other state-sanctioned facilities.
Once the course is completed, the student is given a certificate as proof that he or she passed. The course instructor will also send a special document to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which will in turn send verification to the DMV.
In north central Connecticut, TSI Harley-Davidson in Ellington and Manchester Community College offer the course.
Harry Levesque, owner of TSI, said, overall, he thinks it’s a great law, although he does think that the time frame that requires an experienced rider to take the course after a two year lapse in his or her license might be a “little short.”
The TSI course is a five-day course that runs seasonally beginning in April. It’s a smaller course, class size is limited to six people and the hours involved are a bit more than the ones offered at the community colleges. In addition to being certified be the safety foundation, TSI instructors are also certified in safety practices by Harley-Davidson. For these reasons, it costs about $95 more than the classes offered at the community colleges.
The Manchester Community College Basic Rider Course is a mix classroom and course riding instruction. The combination is meant to help riders with various skill levels improve their riding habits, according to the college’s website. The course covers the fundamentals of riding a motorcycle, such as how to operate a bike, to how to actually operate the vehicle.
About 70 to 80 percent of people who take the course successfully complete its requirements, according to the website. It is the instructor’s discretion whether to ask a student, for that person’s safety and the safety of others, to leave the class and not pursue a motorcycle driving endorsement.

Farmington Patch Local Editor Kaitlin McCallum contributed to this report.