MSF Updates RiderCourse Curriculum

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation announced it has updated the curriculum for its Basic RiderCourse training program. The updates include new classroom content as well as new practical exercises, with a strong emphasis on collision avoidance.

The MSF‘s updates are the product of $2.4 million worth of research which began in 2010. The new curriculum includes approximately 40% more content on rider perception and finding escape paths, 30% more on negotiating curves and cornering and 15% more practice time for swerving and other crash-avoidance skills.

“We continue to increase our understanding of rider and other roadway user behaviors to direct improvements in our curricula that lead to improved student outcomes and a safer riding environment overall,” says Dr. Ray Ochs, vice president of training systems for MSF. “We’ve just completed a significant update to our most popular course, the Basic RiderCourse, with new classroom content focused on rider behavior, risk awareness and risk management. And, we’ve added new range exercises that focus on earlier acquisition of fundamental skills with an emphasis on the traffic situations that students will encounter on the road.”

The updates come just as the Governors Highway Safety Association released a report projecting an increase in motorcycle traffic fatalities in 2012. According to the report, motorcycle deaths in the U.S. in 2012 are expected to reach 5,027 riders, up from the 4,612 fatalities reported in 2011.

“The numbers released [yesterday] are a somber reminder that motorcyclist safety should be everyone’s responsibility,” says Tim Buche, MSF president and chief executive officer. “Each of us must do our part in making good decisions on the road so we can eliminate these needless and tragic motorcycle fatalities. Every roadway user needs to be a trained, alert, and active participant in the traffic mix.”

The MSF has also recently published two electronic iBooks, available on Apple’s iTunes store. “ Intersection” is about motorcycle awareness and is designed for both riders and other motorists, and “ Rider Choices” is designed to help new riders understand the risks involved with motorcycling and how to make informed decisions to ride safely. Both are available for $0.99 for iPads and computers with iTunes.

[Source: MSF]

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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