Motorcycle Safety Foundation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is a US national, not-for-profit organization sponsored by the U.S. manufacturers and distributors of BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM , Piaggio/Vespa, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha motorcycles. It sponsors low cost motorcycle safety training for new and current riders.
[edit] Description
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is internationally recognized as a leading developer of comprehensive, research-based, rider education and training system curricula that promotes lifelong-learning for motorcyclists and continuous professional development for certified RiderCoaches and other trainers. MSF also actively participates in government relations, safety research, public awareness campaigns and the provision of technical assistance to state training and licensing programs.
In many states, the MSF is recognized by the DMV and successful completion of the safety course can substitute for the riding test when getting your license. Most insurance companies also offer discounts to those who have passed the course. Military bases require graduation from an MSF course to ride motorcycles on base.
The courses feature an emphasis on rider mental preparation that enhances road safety. For example, riders are encouraged to ride as if they are invisible, so that they will always be prepared to react if other motorists do not see them. Since this required vigilance is notoriously hard to maintain over long periods of time, a useful mnemonic is for the rider to always try to make eye contact with drivers that may interfere with him or her (although this is not foolproof, as sometimes drivers will "stare straight through" a motorcyclist while appearing to make eye contact). This is also important for automobile drivers, but it is critical for more exposed motorcycle riders, as well as the similarly exposed bicycle riders.
It should be noted that the "stare straight through" technique mentioned here is not taught in the MSF curriculum. The current method taught in the Basic RiderCourse (BRC) is to constantly use the "SEE" method, which stands for "Search, Evaluate, Execute". This method is utilized to keep a safety cushion of space and time around the motorcyclist at all times.
Experienced motorcyclists who might be interested in becoming RiderCoaches should contact their states' Motorcycle Safety Administrators for information on applying for certification.
