With Snow Melting CDOT Promotes Motorcycle Training for Fall Riding

STATEWIDE ­– Motorcycle deaths have increased by 58 percent in the last four years. In 2016, there were 125 motorcycle fatalities in Colorado, up 17.9 percent from the previous year. Of those 125 crashes 28 percent occurred between September and October.  This is why the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is launching a fall motorcycle safety campaign to remind riders of the importance of getting trained.  Last month CDOT launched a campaign aimed at drivers to be safe around motorcyclists.

“With motorcycle fatalities at an all-time high in Colorado, we are committed to increasing the number of riders who enroll in motorcycle safety training classes,” said Sam Cole, Traffic Safety Communications Manager for CDOT. “The campaign is called ‘The Best Never Stop Training’ and is in market during the fall to serve as an important reminder to motorcyclists who take advantage of the good riding weather before the winter months arrive.”

CDOT first introduced ‘The Best Never Stop Training’ during Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May. The campaign embraced motorcycle enthusiasts of all ages, from your typical novice to the veteran roadster, and encouraged riders of all skill levels to continue to learn how to improve their expertise.

So far in 2017, 6,905 motorcyclists have been trained by 12 Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) program vendors.

“Here’s a tip: it never hurts to take a riding course – you always learn something new and improve existing skills,” said Ken Bingenheimer, MOST training course participant. “If you haven’t ever taken a riding course there’s probably a ton of stuff you’ve never learned. I don’t care if you’ve been riding 40 years I bet you’d learn something new. And you’ll be a better rider.”

This fall’s campaign is an extension of ‘The Best Never Stop Training’ and uses the same concept, but features updated creative assets that give the campaign a fresh, fall look and feel. Positive messaging like, “condition for every condition,” and “only the skilled survive” aim to resonate with riders and raise awareness of, and enrollment in, MOST training courses. In the fall, wet leaves or wet surfaces are just as slippery as an ice patch. MOST trains motorcyclists to ride safely through just about anything they’ll encounter on Colorado roadways.

Motorcyclist fatalities represented 20.6 percent of Colorado’s total traffic fatalities in 2016. Of the 125 riders who were killed in motorcycle crashes in 2016, 78 percent were determined to be “at fault.” More, 63 percent of motorcycle operators killed were not wearing a helmet and 18 percent had a blood alcohol content (BAC) equal to or greater than 0.08.

The Colorado MOST program is available in 17 counties across the state and provides motorcycle training classes for various riding abilities. The curriculum incorporates classroom education with real-life application on controlled courses and includes instruction relating to riding sober, the importance of wearing protective gear, motorcycle laws and more.

Additional resources for riders, including class information and available upcoming dates, are available at COMotorcycleSafety.com.