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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

CONNECTICUT: Riders Have Mixed View of New Motorcycle Safety Law

OFF THE WIRE
http://westhartford.patch.com/articles/riders-have-mixed-view-of-new-motorcycle-safety-law

Riders Have Mixed View of New Motorcycle Safety Law

Nearly 1,500 motorcycle accidents a year occur on Connecticut roads and by state Department of Transportation numbers, 92 percent of the riders never took formal motorcycle training. The number of untrained riders on the road will soon start to drop, thanks to a new law, and lawmakers are hoping the number of accidents will follow suit. The law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires all riders who have not held a motorcycle license in the past two years to take a training class before they can get one. This replaces a statute requiring all riders under 18 to take the class. But what do local riders think? It depends. Most agree that training is beneficial for beginners and may increase safety. Some have said, however, that the law creates an unnecessary hurdle for riders who are already competent but haven’t recently held a motorcycle license. “Anyone who has a motorcycle endorsement only has to renew their driver license to keep the endorsement,” said John Jarzbek of Canton. “Gone are the days when anyone over 18, with the money and courage could take to the open road. This new requirement will help to ensure that the new motorcyclist, whatever the age, will have the basic knowledge and experience behind the handlebars.” But while the law does not discriminate by age, neither does it recognize the ability of the rider. Dean Scheffler of Avon has held a motorcycle license without incident for 35 years. His record is so good the state once approached him about teaching motorcycle classes. And while Scheffler believes training is a good idea for kids, he said riders who have previously held a license shouldn’t be required to take a class. “On one hand you’re talking about a skill these kids have not acquired yet as opposed to a skill people have but they don’t have the license,” Scheffler said. “Are you telling me if I let my motorcycle license lapse for two years I’d have to take a beginner’s class? That’s ludicrous.” A report by the DOT looking at motorcycle accidents indicates that few riders who have extensive off-road experience get into crashes. “It’s more of a hassle than anything else,” said Spencer Scott, a 19-year-old Farmington resident. “It’s like riding a bicycle – once you know how to do it, you don’t forget.” Scott said he has been riding dirt bikes since he was 12 years old, so when he took a safety class at Tunxis Community College in Farmington, he already knew what he was doing. “I did it for my mom,” he said. Tunxis Community College runs a motorcycle education program from April to October. The class teaches the basic skills of motorcycle riding through a six-hour classroom schedule and 12 hours of riding. The Tunxis class offers the program over a variety of time frames – from one weekend to two weeks. Angelo Santoro, who oversees the program, said he hopes the new law can reach a population of riders who have chosen not to take the class in the past. “Classes have always been available to the public,” Santoro said. “We’ve been running the class for 20 some-odd years but hopefully the new law will make it more recognizable. I believe if you have some type of training it will reduce the number of probable mishaps.” Tunxis instructors are all nationally certified through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and state-approved through the Connecticut Rider Education Program, Santoro said. Northwestern Connecticut Community College holds classes at the Air National Guard Base, Nicholson Road in East Granby. Its program was designed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and sponsored by the Connecticut Rider Education Program. The school offers four levels of classes to help riders advance from beginner to experienced. The basic class, which is what’s required to get a license, teaches the skills that studies show beginning riders lack, such as shifting, braking, and cornering. They run April through October. To register, visit http://www.nwcc.commnet.edu/ce/motorcycle.htm. If you end up having to take the class (which costs $200) take heart – doing so exempts you from the on-cycle portion of the license test and guarantees a 10 percent discount on your liability insurance.