Motorcycle Safety

How to Give your Motorcycle Helmet a Safety Inspection

Bad versus good helmets. The helmet is your most important piece of safety equipment. Is it up to the task of protecting your head? Age, damage, and wear can all affect your lid’s ability to do its job. As you gear up for racing, make sure your helmet is as ready to ride as you are.   Step 1 Helmet makers say that lids have a service life of five years from the date of manufacture. Your helmet’s birthday is printed on a label applied to the EPS liner. Arai prints the date of manufacture on one of the chinstrap…
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION PETITION CALLS FOR RETURN OF LANE-SPLITTING GUIDELINES TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT WEBSITES, OFFICES

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association initiated a petition drive today to convince the California Office of Administrative Law to allow state agencies to once again disseminate important information on safely and responsibly executing the motorcycling technique called lane splitting. The online petition can be found here: https://cqrcengage.com/amacycle/app/sign-petition?1&engagementId=55066. A recent Office of Administrative Law order resulted in the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Motor Vehicles and other agencies removing CHP lane-splitting guidelines from their websites and ridding their offices of pamphlets, fliers and other documents that contained the safety information. "Removal of the DMV brochures is a big…
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LONE COMPLAINT FORCES CHP TO REMOVE LANE-SPLITTING GUIDELINES FROM WEBSITE

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A single complaint from a Sacramento man has forced the California Highway Patrol and other state government agencies to remove information from their websites that was intended to help motorcyclists safely execute the allowed lane-splitting maneuver. Kenneth Mandler, a longtime state employee who now conducts training sessions on how to get a state job, petitioned the California Office of Administrative Law in 2013, claiming the CHP created an "underground regulation" by formulating and distributing guidelines for safe lane splitting. Lane splitting, also called lane filtering, is the practice of riding a motorcycle or scooter between lanes of…
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ARIZONA OFF-ROADERS, OFFICIALS FIND DANGEROUS REBAR SPIKES IN TRAILS

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Federal authorities in Arizona are warning off-highway-vehicle riders to be wary of trails in the Coconino National Forest near Happy Jack, Ariz., the American Motorcyclist Association reports. This past weekend, trail riders reported the tires of their all-terrain vehicles and off-road motorcycles were punctured by rebar spikes, sharpened and partially buried in trails heavily used by responsible enthusiasts and their families. No injuries were reported. But the sabotage endangers riders, hikers and even animals. "The end of the rebar has been flattened and sharpened to a point, and the exposed point has been painted to blend in…
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FAULTY COMPARISONS PLAGUE CDC TASK FORCE PUSH FOR UNIVERSAL HELMET LAWS

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A new recommendation for universal motorcycle helmet laws by a task force of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based on faulty reasoning, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The Community Preventive Services Task Force asserts that universal motorcycle helmet laws will reduce the rate of motorcyclists killed in traffic crashes. The recommendation is based on studies of U.S. states and foreign countries that require all riders to wear helmets, those that require only minors to wear helmets and those that have no helmet requirement. "Researchers examined evidence from the United States and other high-income…
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION HONORS THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR COUNTRY

Safe driving urged for holiday weekend PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association joins all Americans this Memorial Day, May 26, in expressing deep gratitude to the families and friends of those who gave their lives in service to the United States and in honoring their memories. "The freedoms that we enjoy, as motorcyclists and as Americans, came at great personal cost and sacrifice and are defended daily by military personnel dedicated to protecting our principles," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. "It is important to pause and reflect on Memorial Day, remembering those who helped make possible the…
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CALLING ALL CREATIVE KIDS TO ENTER THE “DO THE RIDE THING” VIDEO CONTEST – $8,500 IN PRIZES

  Kids Helping Kids Ride Safe/Ride Smart   IRVINE, Calif., April 28, 2014 – With the busy summer riding season upon us, the ATV Safety Institute, the Right Rider Access Fund and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Dirt Bike School encourage kids to enter the "Do the Ride Thing Video Contest”. The contest, in its fifth year, runs June 1 to August 15, 2014 and offers 19 prizes totaling $8,500. Students ages 6 to 18 may enter. The winning videos will be used as public service announcements to highlight the importance of dirt bike and ATV safety.   "What better way to…
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AMA GO RIDE SAFELY! WEEK FOCUSES ON RIDER RESPONSIBILITY AND DRIVER AWARENESS

  PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- AMA Go Ride! Month, sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association, rounds out its month-long motorcycling celebration with AMA Go Ride Safely! Week. Motorcyclists nationwide are encouraged to take rider training and use appropriate riding gear while motorists are urged to watch for motorcycles as millions of riders take to the roads. "The AMA strongly encourages its members and all motorcyclists to learn everything they can to manage riding risks so that every outing is safe and enjoyable," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "When it comes to riding responsibly, that means taking training and wearing…
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MSF BASIC RIDERCOURSE LAUNCHES NEW PHASE IN RIDER TRAINING

Kansas Site First to Coach with Updated Curriculum OVERLAND PARK, KA – The next phase in motorcycle rider training launched in a Kansas suburb over the weekend. Johnson County Community College became the first site to use the updated Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse that now includes online training, greater emphasis on rider behavior, and additional focus on emergency responses in real-world traffic. A student receives instruction from an MSF RiderCoach, during MSF’s first-ever, updated Basic RiderCourse, taught over the weekend at the Johnson County Community College motorcycle safety-training site in Overland Park, Kansas. One of the major revisions to…
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FEDERAL TASK FORCE PREPARING RECOMMENDATION FOR MANDATORY MOTORCYCLE HELMET LAWS

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A federal task force is poised to recommend that all states have mandatory helmet laws for all motorcyclists, which the task force says would reduce injuries and deaths as well as result in economic benefits, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The AMA has repeatedly expressed its belief that motorcyclists would be best served if regulators and legislators focus on programs to prevent motorcycle crashes from occurring in the first place. The AMA also said that any economic benefits would be insignificant since health care costs related to motorcycle crashes are miniscule in the context of total health…
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ATV SAFETY INSTITUTE AND MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE DO THE RIDE THING VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS

Youth Across Country Earn Cash for Public Service Announcements IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2013 – Young riders across America used their creativity and video skills to produce public service announcements and be in the running to win a total of $8,500 in this year's Do the Ride Thing competition. Fifteen-year-old Jacob Sestak of Prague, Okla., won the $2,500 Grand Prize in the fourth annual contest to promote safe and responsible riding, sponsored by the ATV Safety Institute, Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Right Rider Access Fund. Sestak's video stressed the importance of safety while using ATVs in agricultural work. “I am…
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MSF BASIC ECOURSE OFFERS CONVENIENT ONLINE TRAINING FOR POTENTIAL AND CURRENT MOTORCYCLISTS

  MSF Basic eCourse Available in Conjunction with Hands-On Basic RiderCourse or as Stand-Alone Rider Education   IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 14, 2013 – Designed to promote lifelong learning in a convenient, informative online format, the new Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic eCourse is now available for $19.99 on MSF’s homepage. The highly interactive three-hour MSF Basic eCourse incorporates photos, graphics, video and more to provide participants with the basics of motorcycling with emphasis on personal safety and responsibility. The MSF Basic eCourse can be completed on its own as a stand-alone program or it can be taken in conjunction with the…
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U.S. AGENCY ADMITS DEMAND FOR ETHANOL-GASOLINE FUEL NOT AS HIGH AS ANTICIPATED

  PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that demand for ethanol-related fuel probably isn't enough to meet the requirements of federal law and changes may need to be made next year, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. In a regulatory announcement released Aug. 6, "EPA Finalizes Renewable Fuel Standards," the EPA said that for 2014 "the ability of the market to consume ethanol in higher blends such as E85 is highly constrained as a result of infrastructure- and market-related factors. EPA does not currently foresee a scenario in which the market could consume enough ethanol sold in blends…
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ATV SAFETY INSTITUTE TRAINS MORE THAN 300 AT 2013 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE

ASI Provides Boy Scouts of America with First-Ever All-Terrain Vehicle Training Sessions at Event IRVINE, Calif., July 31, 2013 – The ATV Safety Institute introduced 311 Boy Scouts to the positive experience of riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Piney View, WV. Despite several cancellations due to thunderstorms, ASI conducted a total of 46 ATV RiderCourses throughout the 10-day event, which marked the first time the BSA authorized a motorized activity at a Jamboree.   ASI offered the ATV RiderCourse to both Scouts and Venturers, young men and…
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STEERING COMMITTEE SELECTS PRESENTATIONS FOR 2013 INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CONFERENCE

  Worldwide Safety Experts Comprise Prestigious Committee IRVINE, Calif., July 31, 2013 – The Steering Committee of the 2013 Motorcycle Safety Foundation/ifz International Motorcycle Safety Conference (IMSC) is pleased to announce the final selections for papers to be presented at the IMSC conference in Orlando, Fla. The conference will be held October 16 and 17 and will coincide with the inaugural American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), October 16 through 20, in Orlando, Fla. The 10-person committee, chaired by Motorcycle Safety Foundation President and CEO Tim Buche and formed by Buche and Dr. Achim Kuschefski, Director of the Institut für Zweiradsicherheit,…
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ATV SAFETY INSTITUTE REMINDS ENTHUSIASTS TO RIDE RESPONSIBLY WHILE CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY

IRVINE, CA - July 1, 2013 – With the Fourth of July holiday falling midweek, many all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts are expected to celebrate their independence by taking a long weekend. As a result, the ATV Safety Institute and the major manufacturers and distributors of ATVs remind enthusiasts to ride safely and responsibly any time they ride an ATV, but particularly over the approaching busy holiday.   Enthusiasts of all skill levels can minimize their risk and increase their fun by taking the ASI’s half-day, hands-on ATV RiderCourse and interactive E-Course to better understand how to safely operate their ATVs. The…
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