Anti-Crash Course for Cyclists : Consumers: Under a new law, motorcycle and scooter riders under 21 must take safety training to get their license.
California motorcyclists and scooter riders ages 18 to 21, considered the high-risk group for accidents, are about to be taught a lesson.
Actually, a number of lessons.
After Jan. 1, no person under 21 will get a motorcycle or scooter license from the DMV unless he or she completes an approved training course. The current mandatory training requirement affects only riders under 18.
The new law, created through Assembly Bill 55, is specifically aimed at young riders “because all the studies show conclusively that this under-21 age group is the one most in need of motorcycle safety training,” said California Highway Patrol Commissioner Maury Hannigan. The CHP estimates that about 2,000 riders will be affected in 1991.
Young riders have been targeted for training because those ages 15 to 24 are involved in the most accidents nationwide, according to statistics from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), a national nonprofit group.
The law also creates new motorcycle license classifications: M1 for motorcycles and scooters; M2 for mopeds (motorized bicycles), motor-driven cycles and low-powered motorcycles. M1 maintains the original testing procedure for cyclists--written and operating examinations.
But M2 establishes written and driving tests for moped riders. Currently, anyone with a Class C state driver license can operate a moped.
Inexperienced riders can become injury statistics on all kinds of motorcycles and scooters, industry experts say, but some law enforcement officials are especially concerned about the extremely high-powered “bullet bikes,” such as the Kawasaki Ninja, Yamaha FZR600 and Honda Hurricane.
These sport bikes, with 600 cubic-centimeter engines, are street-legal replicas of racing bikes that have a high horsepower to weight ratio. Some can reach speeds of 140 m.p.h.
“We’re aware of the trend toward those bullet bikes,” said the CHP’s Steve Kohler. “There’s a risk involved if they’re being operated by young, untrained riders. The injury risk is much greater with that kind of power. There’s a saying, ‘There are old bikers and bold bikers, but there are no old, bold bikers.’ ”
In 1989, for example, drivers in the 15-to-24 age bracket had the highest accident rate in the state among motorcyclists (including scooters)--9,849 of 20,955 injuries; 248 of 620 fatalities, according to CHP statistics.
There were 845,881 licensed motorcycle drivers in the state this year, riding 643,137 registered motorcycles and scooters.
“Everything goes pretty fast these days,” said Julie Filatoff of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. “The problem is more people who are riding (motorcycles and scooters) are young. They have a lot of bravado when they’re out with their friends. Often, they’re not licensed.”
In an even more specific study published in September by the American Journal of Public Health, teen-agers were shown to have the highest number of fatal and severe-injury scooter and moped accidents in California. Scooters had twice the injury crash rate of mopeds, but half the rate of motorcycles.
The study, performed by the epidemiology department of the UCLA School of Public Health, was based on 1985 figures. It also showed that more than 59% of injured scooter operators, about 41% of injured moped riders and 20% of injured motorcycle riders were under the age of 20.
UCLA has so many scooters and mopeds on campus that a university committee is examining the possibility of requiring student riders to wear helmets, said Jess F. Kraus, Ph.D., who headed the study.
“There are so many scooter crashes here that it’s being studied,” said Kraus, adding that he favors a statewide mandatory helmet law for motorcycles, scooters and mopeds. “They’re economical for short-term travel, but they’re mixing with autos, pedestrians and bicycles.”
The new law also authorizes the impoundment of a motorcycle for up to six months if its operator has a suspended or revoked license. Subsequent convictions carry stiffer penalties.
Throughout the 1980s, nationwide motorcycle fatalities have dropped considerably--there were 30% fewer fatalities (3,105) in 1989 than in 1980 (5,144), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a branch of the federal Department of Transportation.
California fatalities dropped from 816 in 1980 to 620 in 1989.
There is no cause listed for this reduction, but many motorcycle organizations point to the trend in rider education programs in many states.
An earlier NHTSA study concluded that one of the major causes of motorcycle accidents is a general lack of riding skill and knowledge. About 92% of motorcyclists involved in accidents were either self-taught or learned from family members or friends.
“It appears that rider education programs, stricter licensing laws and campaigns against alcohol abuse--those programs that motorcyclists support--have worked,” said Robert Rasor, vice president of government relations for the American Motorcyclist Assn. “But we still have a long way to go. We can’t afford to relax our efforts now.”
Since California began its mandatory safety training program in 1987 for motorcyclists and scooter riders under age 18, 20,000 riders have taken the course. Motorcycle and scooter fatalities in the state have dropped 28% since the program began; injuries, 33%.
The California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP) is administered by the CHP and funded by motorcyclists themselves. Two dollars from each motorcycle registration fee collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles supports the program.
There are 45 sites statewide where cyclists and scooter riders can take the 16-hour course, which includes both written and riding tests. Some of the sites will be mobile. A toll-free telephone number has been installed for information on course locations (800) 227-4337, or CC-RIDER.
The Riding and Street Skills course, for riders without extensive experience, is required under the new law. Currently, the course costs $55 for motorcycle and scooter riders under 18, and will cost the same for riders under 21 when the law changes. Older riders will continue to pay $85 to $150. Early this year, American Honda and BMW of North America began offering reimbursement of the safety course fee to buyers of new motorcycles and scooters who enroll in a course within six months of purchase.
“We’re seeing a lot of folks taking advantage of that offer,” said Mary Barta of American Honda. “The volume (of enrollments) has been incredible.”
The courses were developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation for national use. The curriculum includes seven hours of classroom instruction and nine hours of on-cycle training and testing.
Students learn basic road skills, including riding in straight lines, safe lane changes, avoiding obstacles, cornering and making quick stops, as Mark Holiday, a 16-year-old student from Cerritos discovered when he began the course last Saturday. Holiday recently bought a used Vespa scooter to commute the three miles from his home to Valley Christian High School. “Even though it’s required, it’s just a lot better to take a safety course,” he explained.
Many insurance companies offer 5% to 15% discounts to motorcyclists and scooter riders who take an accredited course.
Under California law, motorcyclists must carry a minimum of $15,000/$30,000/$5,000 in liability insurance, which breaks down to $15,000 for one person injured; $30,000 for two or more injured; $5,000 for property damage.
Optional coverage for medical care and uninsured motorists adds to the expense, as do such factors as the type of cycle and age and driving record of operator.
The required liability insurance for a 17-year-old male who has just bought a new 250-cc Honda is about $168 a year. A 25-year-old rider with the same motorcycle would pay $87 yearly. But a 17-year-old male with a new high-performance bike might pay as much as $589 a year in liability insurance, “because the bikes are fast and the kids are young,” said Mita Patel, an underwriter for McGraw Insurance in Anaheim, which specializes in motorcycle and scooter insurance. “As a person gets older the rates go down,” she added.
Although California requires anyone under 15 1/2 riding on or operating a motorcycle or scooter to wear a helmet, there is no state law requiring all motorcyclists to do so.
