Additional Benefits

A safety course also teaches you how to avoid bad situations and how to properly control your vehicle. Every new rider should take one.

It’s easy to assume a passenger vehicle is more often at fault in motorcycle accidents, but that is not the case. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides these scary statistics for fatal motorcycle crashes from 2005:

• Motorcyclists were most often at fault: Motorcyclists striking passenger vehicles caused three-fourths of fatal motorcycle crashes that year.

• Motorcyclists sped more often: 27% of motorcycle operators were speeding, while just 4% of the passenger vehicle drivers were speeding.

• More motorcyclists lacked valid licenses: 24% of motorcyclists killed in accidents that year were without valid operator's licenses, compared to the 4% of passenger vehicle drivers without licenses.

Also consider the following potential benefits of a motorcycle safety course:

• Motorcycle license exam waivers, in some states.

• Many states have free or very inexpensive courses.

• The courses meet the requirements for military members driving on base.

• Courses offer improved safety and confidence while driving your motorcycle.

In the end, the potential for saving on insurance premiums and the certainty of gaining valuable riding skills makes motorcycle safety courses worth the time and any cost.