SC promotes Motorcycle Safety during Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May

LIVONIA, MI – May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Throughout May and all year long, Schoolcraft College encourages motorists to share the road with motorcyclists and be extra alert when motorcycles are nearby.  One out of every nine U.S. road fatalities in 2010 involved motorcycle riders resulting in one of the country’s greatest safety challenges on the roads. That is why the Continuing Education and Professional Development Department of Schoolcraft College continues to work with Federal, State and local highway safety, law enforcement, and motorcycle organizations to encourage motorcycle safety.

“Improving the safety of motorcyclists on our roads is our primary goal, and with winter behind us, motorcycles are back on the roads.  Drivers of all vehicles need to be extra alert,” says Jennifer Bodurka, programming coordinator.  “Motorcycles are some of the smallest vehicles on the road so folks in other vehicles need to really look out for them—and to take extra care and share the road.”

Schoolcraft College offers motorcycle safety classes all throughout the spring, summer and early fall. The classes are taught by professional, certified instructors who are passionate about riding and rider safety.  There are a variety of motorcycle safety trainings to choose from including the Basic Rider Course, the Three-Wheel Basic Rider Course, and the Performance Based Course for people looking to get their motorcycle endorsement to the Advanced Rider Course.

In addition to the motorcycle safety classes, Schoolcraft College promotes educating the community on motorcycle safety by offering these tips for automobile drivers:

1. Remember the motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any other motor vehicle on the roadway.  Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane width—never try to share a lane;

2. Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections;

3. Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic;

4. Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a mo¬torcycle – motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed;

5. Remember that road conditions which are minor annoyances to other vehicles pose major hazards to motor¬cyclists;
 
6. Allow more following distance, three or four sec¬onds, when following a motorcycle, so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emer¬gency. And don’t tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

“Motorcyclists have responsibilities, too.  By following the rules of the road, being alert to other drivers, and always wearing DOT-compliant helmets and protective gear,” says Bodurka, “our programs are intended to teach safety and the rules of the road.”

Registration is going on now and classes run through September.  For more information on the
Motorcycle Safety Program go to www.schoolcraft.edu/cepd/motorcycle or call 734-462-4448.

The motorcycle safety education courses at Schoolcraft College are offered by the Detroit-Metro
Regional Consortium and are conducted with state funds from a motorcycle safety grant administered by the Michigan Department of State. The Detroit Metro Motorcycle Safety Consortium was formed in 1999 to offers hands-on, comprehensive motorcycle safety training in a safe and comfortable environment. Since 1999, the consortium has trained over 46,000 students.

Schoolcraft College is a two-year college offering classes in Livonia, Haggerty Road between Six and Seven Mile Roads, at the Radcliff Center in Garden City, and online at www.schoolcraft.edu.
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