Community Traffic Safety
TEAM OREGON Presenting at 2009 Oregon Transportation Safety Conference
Celebrating its 25th anniversary on May 1, 2009, the TEAM OREGON Motorcycle Safety Program provides statewide training for riders of all ages and every level of riding ability. TEAM OREGON is headquartered at Oregon State University, and partners with Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as well as Oregon State University (OSU) to provide training at 19 locations throughout Oregon. Three mobile training units are deployed to provide courses in less populated areas. The program is funded by student tuitions and a fee on motorcycle endorsements.
In 2008 approximately 10,000 students completed one of TEAM OREGON's courses to learn safe and responsible motorcycling. This represents a 25% increase in training over 2007. In its 25 year history, TEAM OREGON has trained over 86,000 riders.
TEAM OREGON is a nationally recognized leader in motorcycle safety and the only state motorcycle safety program to develop its own proprietary training curricula. In 2005 Oregon was ranked first in the nation for motorcycle safety program administration, education courses and licensing practices by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
While motorcycle crashes and fatalities continue to rise nationwide, Oregon motorcycle fatalities decreased by 10% in 2008. Additionally, Oregon's rate of fatalities per 10,000 motorcycle registrations was about half of the national rate. Unfortunately alcohol involvement continues to be a significant factor in fatal motorcycle crashes. In 2008 nearly 40% of the riders who were killed showed some level of blood alcohol.
The heart of TEAM OREGON is its street-oriented, research-based training courses. All courses are open to the public and most include classroom instruction and on-cycle training. TEAM OREGON has nearly 160 paid, part-time instructors. Each instructor passes a rigorous training program to become a certified TEAM OREGON instructor. All instructors have extensive motorcycling experience and bring a wealth of knowledge to TEAM OREGON's students.
For beginning riders, we offer Basic Rider Training (BRT), a 15-hour introduction to motorcycling that includes nine hours of riding practice. Our Intermediate Rider Training (IRT) is for those who are self-taught or rode years ago and are getting back into motorcycling. For riders who want to raise their skills to a higher level, we offer Rider Skills Practice (RSP). The RSP focuses on advanced techniques for cornering, emergency braking and avoidance maneuvers. Advanced Rider Training (ART) is designed to refine cornering skills on the tight turns and curves of an enclosed track. TEAM OREGON also sponsors advanced training programs for police motorcycle officers.
Oregon riders are required to have a valid motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license. To obtain the endorsement, riders must pass a knowledge test and an on-cycle test at the Oregon Motor Vehicles Division (DMV). Those who complete the TEAM OREGON Basic Rider Training course (BRT) can bypass both DMV tests. Those who successfully complete an IRT receive a waiver for the DMV on-cycle test. The best option is for riders to complete a training course. Statistics show that most motorcycle crashes involve riders who are self-taught or who learned from family or friends.
If you are interested in learning more about TEAM OREGON and their success in keeping Oregon's motorcycle riders safer, attend their workshop at this year's 2009 Oregon Transportation Safety Conference.
Thank you to Bob Reichenberg, Communications Manager, TEAM OREGON Motorcycle Safety Program for submitting this article.
