About Us
 


 

Motorcycle Ohio (MO) remains the premier motorcycle safety and education program in the state, having enhanced the riding skills of over 115,000 motorcyclists since it first began in 1987. Established through the passage of House Bill 291, MO, today, has 20 permanent training locations throughout Ohio and a mobile program. MO's fleet consists of 450 training motorcycles, helmets and over 250 instructors to assist you in learning to ride a motorcycle.

In addition to establishing the program, the bill required 16- and 17-year-olds to complete a motorcycle safety course to be eligible to receive a motorcycle endorsement or license to operate a motorcycle. The bill also required that $4.00 from each annual motorcycle registration fee be deposited in the Motorcycle Safety and Education Fund to support the operation of the program. This fee was later increased to $6.00 per motorcycle registration. The Basic Rider Course or "Riding and Street Skills" (RSS) was first made available to the public in September 1988 and the Experienced Rider Course (ERC) was added in 1992. An Instructor Preparation Course is available for experienced motorcyclists interested in becoming a Motorcycle Ohio instructor. In 1996, Motorcycle Ohio began charging a $25 registration fee, per registrant, to help offset the cost of the course. Individuals under 18 years of age are entitled to take the course free of charge.

In 2001, Senate Bill 271 was enacted to permit the State of Ohio to waive the state motorcycle skill test for those individuals who successfully complete the Motorcycle Ohio's Basic Rider Course. Individuals under 18 years of age must also meet additional standards.

The Need for Motorcycle Ohio
The need for motorcycle training is evident. Research shows that 92 percent of motorcyclists involved in crashes were either self taught or trained by family or friends. The "Motorcycle Accident Factors" study conducted by the Traffic Safety Center of the University of Southern California researched 1,100 crashes over a two-year period.

Significant findings of this study include:
  • More than half of the involved riders had less than 5 months experience on their
    motorcycles.
  • Motorcyclist errors were the primary cause for single vehicle accidents.
  • In an emergency, most untrained riders will over brake and skid the rear tire while
    under-braking with the front tire thus greatly reducing their ability to stop.
  • Untrained motorcyclists do not understand and have not practiced how to use
    motorcycle brakes effectively.
  • The untrained rider's ability to swerve around an object is essentially absent. Worse yet, because the untrained rider didn't understand counter-steering, they essentially steered their motorcycle into the object they were trying to avoid.
In addition, the study found:
  • Crashes involve motorcyclists who typically did not have a motorcycle license, did not have any license, or had their license revoked.
  • Almost half of the fatal motorcycle accidents show alcohol involvement.
  • Helmeted riders and passengers showed significantly lower head and neck injury for all types of injury at all levels of injury severity.
The motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of an accident. Don't be a part of the accident statistics; take a Motorcycle Ohio Rider Training Course offered at sites throughout Ohio.