NY-Establishing an Effective Motorcycle Safety Awareness Program in Your Community
Taken from:
Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Safety Matters! Winter 2009
PDF 8 pages: www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/SafetyMatters/news09-v1.pdf
Pages 3-5:
Establishing an Effective Motorcycle Safety Awareness Program in Your Community
Each year, motorcycle crashes continue to be an increasing problem for many communities, resulting in serious personal injuries and fatalities to local residents.
Establishing a comprehensive motorcycle safety and awareness program in your community may be one way to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes, provide a safer environment for motorcyclists and enhance the quality of life in your community. Following is an example of how one community addressed its motorcycle safety problem.
The Ontario County Traffic Safety Board- Motorcycle Safety Awareness Program
Ontario County’s Traffic Safety Board is headed by Dru Malavase, who also serves as the Ontario County STOP-DWI Coordinator. Dru is no stranger to pioneering new approaches to address problems, so it was no surprise to learn she had already implemented an effective local motorcycle safety and awareness program in Ontario County without benefit of any special funding!
We were interested in the techniques they used and as a result, Dru was invited to present her program at the 2008 New York State Highway Safety Conference held in Syracuse. During the presentation, Dru, and two of her Traffic Safety Board associates, George Herren and Shawn Fenner, discussed how they established an effective motorcycle safety awareness program. After attending their presentation it was clear; the techniques they used could also be beneficial to other traffic safety professionals.
For those who could not attend their presentation, this article will share some of the techniques and activities they used. You may find this useful if you are looking for ways to reduce motorcycle crashes in your own community.
Ontario County Techniques and Activities:
· Established motorcyclist representation on the Traffic Safety Board.
· Established partnerships with enforcement, local and state police and the Sheriff’s Office, ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education), Rotary- “Adopt a Highway”, NYS DOT & local highway departments, Finger Lakes Community College, Motorcycle Dealerships, special motorcycle event organizers and others who share common goals.
· Conducted voluntary motorcycle safety checks in a “ticket free environment” in conjunction with the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office and local dealerships.
· Motorcycles were checked and safety deficiencies were noted for correction by the rider.
· Created publicity and motorcycle awareness campaigns through ABATE, including portable event signage.
· Demonstrated the use of “Fatal Vision Goggles” to show the dramatic effect of impairment to new and existing riders.
· Developed a PowerPoint presentation as a shared resource.
· Created and posted roadside signage that is patterned after the popular 1960’s “Burma-Shave” signs, featuring motorcycle specific safety messages.
Results:
· Increased public awareness of motorcycles.
· Increased promotion of the rider training courses for motorcyclists.
· Displayed the importance of maintaining motorcycle safety equipment in a voluntary and ticket free setting
· Increased awareness of the negative effects of alcohol and drugs on safe motorcycle operation.
· Enhanced the relationship between police and local motorcycle clubs.
· And perhaps most importantly, reduced the number of serious motorcycle crashes.
If you would like a copy of the Ontario County TSB’s
PowerPoint program on CD, please contact Brad Swartz-
DMV Motorcycle Safety Program @ 518 474-9830 or by
email: bswar@dmv.state.ny.us (quantities are limited).
Tips for Creating a Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program in Your Community!
It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3!
1) Establish Partnerships
Begin with your County Traffic Safety Board (TSB)
Do you have a TSB? Do they meet regularly? Do they discuss traffic safety problems in the county? Are you a member or do you attend their meetings? If you don’t already have one, Article 43 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law allows for the establishment of a local Traffic Safety Board.
If your county has a Traffic Safety Board you may consider seeking membership or attending their meetings.
It is helpful for TSBs to have members with specific knowledge of motorcycles as well as DMV’s Motorcycle Safety Program.
This specialized knowledge will allow TSBs to properly analyze and respond to motorcycle related injuries and fatalities as they occur and take steps to counteract specific crash types.
Consider establishing partnerships with: the Governor’s Traffic
Safety Committee; DMV Motorcycle Safety Program staff; your local Traffic Safety Board; your county STOP-DWI Coordinator; law enforcement agencies; high school driver education programs; rider groups/ clubs; rider training organizations; local employers; and state/ county/local highway superintendents to name a few. Find the common ground that makes them a stakeholder in reducing motorcycle crashes.
Remember, due to the wide variety of rider types, motorcycling is a sport that can yield some unlikely partnerships!
The interaction of the Traffic Safety Board and STOP-DWI Coordinator, in conjunction with local motorcycle clubs, dealerships and other local partnerships is paramount to the success of these efforts. For example; when planning for a local motorcycle safety event, you may wish to contact your local NYS DOT Field Office and request the use of a Variable Message Board (VMB) to display a traffic safety message that is consistent with your event. DOT also has an interest in reducing crashes within their regions.
2) Promote Formal Motorcycle Safety Training- DMV’s Motorcycle Safety Program
Motorcycle Safety Program
It doesn’t take an “Einstein” to understand the relationship of motorcycle rider training and rider safety in the time- space continuum called travel!
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) supports a Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner motorcycle rider training education program in the form of Basic RiderCourse (BRC) training. Successful completion of the BRC leads to a Road Test Waiver and a Class M license endorsement. DMV also supports an Experienced RiderCourse (ERC) for seasoned riders. These experienced riders comprise a large percentage of New York’s motorcycle related injuries and fatalities.
In addition to administering a formal rider education program, another goal of DMV’s Motorcycle Safety Program is to provide assistance with establishing local motorcycle safety and awareness programs in counties throughout New York utilizing GTSC funding.
Motorcycle safety training is important for all age groups and should be openly promoted at the local level.
3) Use Media and Other Resources
2009 New York State Highway Safety Strategic Plan- Motorcycle Safety (HSSP) Local Motorcycle safety and awareness efforts have been limited even though Motorcycle Safety has been a component of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) NYS Highway Safety Strategic
Plan for years. Traffic Safety partners should be familiar with the elements of this plan as a tool when developing their local highway safety program. The HSSP can be accessed on-line by visiting:
http://www.safeny.com/HS-Forms/NYSHSSP-2009.pdf
DMV Motorcycle Safety Proclamation:
Each May, the Governor issues a Proclamation- proclaiming
May as “Motorcycle Awareness and You” (MAY) motorcycle awareness month. The Governor’s proclamation is posted on the GTSC web site for public use in conjunction with local media events throughout the state to stress the importance of motorcycle awareness at the beginning of each riding season: http://www.safeny.com/mc-proc.htm
While the proclamation is issued at the beginning of each riding season, awareness of motorcycles on our roadways should be a reoccurring message to all motorists throughout the summer months reminding them of the presence of motorcycles on our roadways and to share the road safely with them!
DMV Publications:
The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles also offers several publications specific to motorcycle licensing, awareness and safety. DMV publishes both Motorcycle and Driver’s Manuals (MV-21MC and MV-21), which both have content specific to motorcycle safety. Additionally, DMV publishes; Sharing the
Road Safely Brochures (C-77), “Tips for Safer Motorcycling” (C-15) and on an annual basis DMV produces “Watch for Motorcycles” (C-95.3) bumper stickers for use throughout the state to increase public awareness of motorcycles. Spanish versions of most publications are available for multicultural outreach efforts.
Many of these publications are available on-line or at your local DMV office:
MV21-MC:
http://www.nysdmv.com/mcmanual/mcmanual.htm
MV-21 (see chapter 11- Sharing the Road):
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/default.html
C-77- Sharing the Road Safely:
http://www.safeny.com/media/share-road.htm
C-15 Tips for Safer Motorcycling:
http://www.nysdmv.com/broch/c15.htm
DMV publications are FREE and printed publications may be ordered by faxing a request to the NYS DMV Records Center @
518 861-6711. Please specify the form (publication) number (generally found on the back page of the form) and title, the quantity desired and a physical shipping address for UPS delivery.
Requests containing a Post Office Box address will not be processed.
Remember, establishing effective local partnerships, employing creative techniques and using media materials can provide the resources you’ll need to establish a local motorcycle safety and awareness program in your community with a minimal budget.
If you have any questions or require additional information, the
DMV Motorcycle Safety Program Staff will be happy to assist you.
Please call or contact us by email:
William F. Pautler
Program Manager
Motorcycle Safety
Program
NYS Department of Motor
Vehicles
6 Empire State Plaza, Rm.
412
Albany, NY 12228
(518) 473-7700
Brad Swartz
Highway Safety Analyst
Motorcycle Safety
Program
NYS Department of Motor
Vehicles
6 Empire State Plaza,
Rm. 412
Albany, New York 12228
(518) 474-9830
Article and graphics provided by Brad Swartz,
Highway Safety Analyst, NYS DMV.
