Warm weather often prompts motorcycle owners to get their vehicles out of winter storage and back onto the road, be it for running errands, commuting or taking long weekend recreational rides.
At the same time, Maryland’s MOTORS, or Motor Officers Teaching Other Riders Safety, kicks off a season of classes so those motorcycle operators can hone their skills and stay safe on the road.
MOTORS is offered by the Maryland Highway Safety Office, Maryland State Police and 11 different police agencies combined.
According to MHSO, every year, nearly 80 motorcycle operators and passengers are killed in crashes and 1,000 are injured.
First Sgt. Brett Canfield with the Maryland State Police talked to WTOP about the classes that begin April 16.
“We’ll actually even have the time to go outside and work on some slow-speed skills,” Canfield said.
There are 27 free classes scheduled between mid-April through the end of September, according to Canfield.
Each class runs for eight hours and includes classroom instruction and time on the road. The class will also include an hour-on-the-road assessment of each rider’s skills.
Canfield said whether motorcyclists have been riding for years or are brand new to hitting the highway on two wheels, he urges them to take the class.
“Motorcycling itself, in whatever form you’re riding, whether it’s a cruiser, a sport motorcycle or a touring bike, it’s a perishable skill. It’s almost like a sport,” he said.
“You have to practice to keep your level up.”
Canfield said he uses the acronym ATGATT to help riders keep some basic safety in mind before every ride: “It stands for ‘all the gear, all the time.'”
“So whether you’re getting on the motorcycle to run up to 7-Eleven for a soft drink, or you’re going to take that three or four-hour cruise to a special destination, make sure you’re wearing the proper riding attire to be seen by other motorists on the highway, and to protect yourself, should the worst happen,” he said.
Canfield said that includes a Department of Transportation-certified helmet along with clothing that protects the operator and makes them more visible to drivers of cars and trucks.
Drivers also play a role in road safety, he said.
“Drivers going up and down the road now just need to take that extra moment to look in their mirrors, both their rearview and their side mirrors,” he said.
And after that initial check, Canfield suggests that drivers “take the extra second to look one more time to verify that there’s not a motorcyclist beside them that they might have missed the first time.”
Drivers often complain that motorcycle operators use a maneuver called “lane splitting” to ride along the lines on the roadway between two cars.
“That is not legal in the state of Maryland,” Canfield said.
It’s also illegal in Virginia. The only state where it’s explicitly allowed is California.
Canfield said the classes are open to riders from neighboring states as well.
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