Cycle Rider Safety Training Program |
ILLINOIS |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In 1976, the Illinois Department of
Transportation (IDOT) found that motorcycle ridership was increasing, as
were the number of crashes and fatalities involving motorcycles. Research
indicated that motorcycle riders involved in crashes were essentially without
training; 92 percent were self-taught or learned from family or friends.
Formal motorcycle rider training was found to reduce both crash involvement
and the severity of injuries in the event of a crash.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Cycle Rider Safety Training Program was developed to reduce the incidence
of motorcycle crashes in Illinois. Specific objectives in reaching this
goal included:
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
For more than two decades, IDOT's Cycle Rider Safety Training Program has
functioned as a national model for motorcycle safety programs. Specific
activities have included:
RESULTS From 1976 to 1996, the Cycle Rider Safety Training Program has trained 136,800 MRC and ERC students. Up to 1,500 students per year are on waiting lists due to class size restrictions. From 1976 to 1995, crashes involving motorcycle riders declined more than 45 percent (from 6,625 in 1976 to 2,963 in 1995), and fatalities declined 57 percent (from 178 in 1976 to 101 in 1995). |
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Spring 1997 |