MSF to Bring Motorcycle Safety Awareness to Lifesavers Conference
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 14, 2020 — Motorcyclist safety will be the focus of a session at the largest gathering of highway safety professionals in the United States. Dr. Ray Ochs will showcase the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s recent efforts at the 2020 Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities, March 15-17 in Tampa, Florida.
Ochs, vice president of MSF training systems and a well-known expert in traffic safety education, will discuss how the MSF uses self-assessment and adult-learning activities to help students hone perceptual skills and make safety a priority. This will help them become better motorcyclists and better car drivers.
“After the classroom portion of the course, many students tell our RiderCoaches that it has immediately changed the way they ride and drive,” Ochs said. “Students learn through fun, timed activities how quickly their eyes and minds can work if safety is a conscious priority. It helps them realize the importance of always searching for hazards and staying alert. Other activities have students discussing choices they make to avoid dangerous distractions or other risky behavior.”
“While MSF classes also teach proper, safe motorcycle operation with maneuvering, turning, and stopping exercises, hallmarks of MSF curricula are the learner-centered methods that help students understand that being a safe rider or driver is a choice, a choice they must constantly make while on the road,” Ochs said.
The Lifesavers Conference brings together thousands of traffic safety and public health professionals, researchers, advocates, practitioners, and students looking to share best practices and policy initiatives.
“That’s why it’s essential for the MSF to participate in Lifesavers,” said Robert Gladden, MSF vice president of training operations. “We can help traffic professionals better understand motorcyclists and keep them in mind as they work to reduce injuries and fatalities on the road. The MSF has been the leader in motorcycle rider education and training since 1973, and we want to share our knowledge and contemporary practices with others.”
Members of the MSF training community, including state program administrators and RiderCoaches, are encouraged to participate in Lifesavers to gain insight into emerging trends in highway safety.
More information about the Lifesavers Conference can be found at lifesaversconference.org.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation® promotes safety through rider training and education, operator licensing tests and public information programs. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. Standards established by the MSF® have been recognized worldwide since 1973.
The MSF is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; BMW Motorrad USA; BRP, Inc.; Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Inc.; Indian Motorcycle; Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.; KTM North America, Inc.; Piaggio Group Americas, Inc.; Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.; Triumph Motorcycles America; and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. For safety information or to enroll in an MSF Basic RiderCourse nearest you, visit msf-usa.org or call (800) 446-9227.
