FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
w: 207-626-8404/ c: 207-441-7638

Motorcyclists to benefit from federal grant for Experienced Rider course

AUGUSTA ? Next weekend, motorcyclists throughout the state will be improving their riding skills ? for free ? thanks to a federal grant administered through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The federal 2015 Motorcycle Experienced Rider Training Course Sponsorship provides $20,000 for rider education. Using this funding, nine rider education schools are offering scholarships for the Experienced Rider Education Course at 12 different locations during the weekend of Aug. 22-23.

The Experienced Rider Education Course is for licensed riders who have their own motorcycle and want to improve their skills, to be safer and more confident on the road. It features nine different exercises, including collision avoidance, slow speed maneuvering, maximum braking and cornering exercises. 

?Even those who have been riding for years will learn new skills in this course and gain a higher level of confidence with operating their motorcycle,? said Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap. ?With the growing prevalence of distracted driving, it?s become increasingly important for motorcyclists to improve their collision-avoidance skills, and there?s no better way to hone those skills than on the range with professionally trained RiderCoaches.?

John Kohler, Motorcycle Safety Program coordinator for the BMV, said the scholarship spots are filling up quickly ? and that?s good news for improving motorcyclist safety.

?Many people involved in fatal motorcycle crashes have not had any formal training, so they are less prepared to swerve or to brake without skidding when a situation arises,? said Kohler.

As a condition of the grant, the BMV must contribute $5,000 of in-kind funding, which Kohler is providing by painting motorcycle courses and providing safety instruction.

For more information about the Experienced Rider Education Course, as well as introductory motorcycle safety courses, visit msf-usa.org. To find a motorcycle education school near you, visit http://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/licenses/.