New Law Requires Motorcycle Training Courses
New Law Requires Training for Oregon Motorcyclists
Want to know the best way to win in a traffic accident? Learn how not to get in one.
Mandatory motorcycle training has arrived in Oregon. The recent passage of SB 546 means would-be motorcyclists will have to complete a TEAM OREGON Basic Rider Training course to be licensed. Until now, training was required only for riders 21 and under. The new law, which will be phased in over the next six years, will initially apply to riders under age 31, but will cover every motorcyclist in the state by 2015. Oregon is only the third state in the nation to enact such a law.
Serious bikers welcome the change. According to the Northwest Harley Blog, Oregon has more than 131,200 registered motorcycles and scooters, twice the total in 1999 and an all-time high. Last year, 14,268 people received motorcycle licenses. Up to one-third of those new licensees, however, hit the road for the first time without ever going through a single motorcycle training or safety course.
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, during 2005, motorcycles accounted for 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled, but riders were 37 times more likely to die in a crash, and eight times more likely to be injured.
Nationally, an estimated 137,000 motorcyclists died between 1966 (when the Highway Safety and National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was passed) and 2005. And locally, just last year, the Oregon Department of Transportation reports that 1,363 motorcycle riders were injured, and 66 died.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, motorcycle riders are at higher risk than motorists, since a two-wheeled vehicle is more difficult to operate and more unstable than one with four wheels. Additional hazards come from the design of certain roadways, and still more danger arises from motorists who may not watch for riders. When a crash does happen, a motorcycle provides almost no protection to the rider.
The FHA cites several factors in the high rate of motorcycle fatalities; one of them is inexperience. That’s where TEAM OREGON comes in.
TEAM OREGON, a motorcycle training program run by the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon State University, offers a Basic Rider Training course, which will be required under the new law. They also offer advanced courses.
The Basic Rider Training course is a 15-hour program that includes six hours of classroom instruction and nine hours of actual riding experience. The course begins with the basics, such as turning, shifting, and braking, then progresses to more advanced street riding skills and emergency maneuvers. It also teaches riders to be aware of motorists who may not see them, and how to make themselves as visible as possible while on the road. To pass the course, which costs about $150, riders must attend all classroom and range sessions and pass knowledge and skill tests.
Biking advocates are hopeful that the new training requirement will save lives. As Nic Oliver of BikePAC of Oregon told KUOW News: “A trained rider is a safe rider.”
As Portland injury attorneys who believe in sharing the road, we want everyone to be educated about safe driving, new laws, and how to protect yourself before and after an accident. Our book, 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case, can help in dealing with the legal side of an accident: statutes of limitations, how to deal with insurance adjusters, and of course, protecting yourself with adequate insurance before a crash ever happens.
Shulman DuBois LLC is located in Portland, Oregon, and serves clients in all Oregon cities and counties, including: Portland, Beaverton, Multnomah County, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Troutdale, Sellwood, Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, Milwaukie, and Albany.
