Montana Motorcycle Safety Advisory Committee
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Meeting Minutes
October 17, 2000
1:30 – 3:30 PM
Second Floor Conference Room – Scott Hart Building
303 North Roberts Street
Helena, Montana
1. Call to Order
Chairman Dal Smilie called the meeting to order at 1:40 p.m. Present at the meeting were MMSAC members Ladd Paulson, Anita Drews-Oppedahl, Michele Hand, Ken Radovich, and Dal Smilie. Also present were Roger Swearengen, MMRS Director and Michele Calvert, Program Assistant from MSU-Northern; David Huff, Traffic Education Specialist from the Office of Public Instruction; and Ray Paige, Off-Highway Education Coordinator from the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
2. Minutes of January 25, 2000 Meeting
The minutes of the meeting of January 25, 2000 were approved.
3. Election of Committee Chair
Michele Hand nominated Dal Smilie to serve as MMSAC Chairman for FY2001. Dal was elected MMSAC Chairman by acclamation.
4. 2000 Training Season Review
4.1. Instructor Update – March 25th
MMRS conducted an update for instructors on proper administration of the MRC:RSS Level II Evaluation on March 25, 2000. Chief Instructor Carl Spurgeon from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s national staff conducted the update. The Level II Evaluation is comparable to the Alternate MOST skill test administered by Driver’s License Examination Stations to applicants for motorcycle license endorsements. Eleven of the 13 active instructors attended the update.
4.2. Instructor Preparation – May 11-14 & 18-21
MMRS conducted an Instructor Preparation in Great Falls on May 11-21, 2000. Chief Instructors Greg Hedgecock and Bobbi Carlson from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s national staff conducted the IP. Ten candidates attended the IP, and 8 new instructors were certified. All 8 new instructors taught motorcycle safety classes for MMRS in 2000. Twenty-one MSF-certified instructors now teach classes for MMRS .
4.3. Program Performance
The addition of new instructors, sites, and equipment helped MMRS to set record levels of program performance in 2000. The conversion to a directly delivered training program is complete, the program is moving into a phase of capacity building and mature growth.
MMRS conducted a record-setting 75 classes in 2000 (up 66.7% over 1999 and 7.1% over 1997) and trained a record 569 students (up 69.8% over 1999 and 13.8% over 1997). The total program expenditure in FY2000 was $221,417. A comfortable balance remains in the accumulated reserve to provide adequate cash flow through the training season. A detailed chart of program performance was distributed.
MMRS substantially increased its capacity to deliver training to students at sites throughout the state by training 8 new instructors. Recruiting, training, and retaining qualified motorcycle safety instructors is difficult. Montana is fortunate to have a qualified and dedicated group of instructors.
Training sites in Bozeman and Butte were re-opened in 2000. The site in Bozeman was very productive and substantially more classes will be offered there next year. The classes in Butte filled, but almost all of the students came from other communities. No classes were offered in Helena in 2000 due to lack of an acceptable training facility.
MMRS acquired 5 additional enclosed trailers for transportation, on-site storage, and winter storage of its fleet of training motorcycles. The purchase of several additional training motorcycles increases the total fleet of program-owned trainers to 49 units; an additional 22 training motorcycles were loaned to MMRS by supporting motorcycle dealers.
5. New MSF Basic RiderCourse® Curriculum
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation unveiled its new Basic RiderCourse® curriculum at the 2000 State Motorcycle Safety Administrators conference. The new curriculum uses adult learning techniques and focuses more student time on riding and judgment.
MSF will implement the new curriculum in New Mexico and Pennsylvania (where it is the contractor for training) and a few select programs for the 2001 training season. It will be generally available for the 2002 training season when Montana will implement it. Implementation will require new range lay-outs and painting (although about the same physical size), retrained instructors, DVD video equipment at all sites, and a change to Basic RiderCourse® and RiderCoach® terminology. MMRS will need to budget an estimated $20,000 for conversion to the new curriculum.
6. 2001 Training Season
6.1. Schedule & Registration
A tentative schedule with instructor assignments is ready for the 2001 training season. The tentative schedule offers 90 classes to serve approximately 700 students at 9 training sites. Registration for 2001 classes will open in late January.
6.2. Class Fees
Increases in fees for facility use and rental have increased the cost of providing training by approximately $15 per student, and at least part of this increase likely will be passed on to students in higher class registration fees. The Committee discussed ways to reduce the impact of class registration fees on young riders, including a coupon or discount for students enrolled in high school driver education programs.
6.3. Equipment
MMRS will continue to acquire training equipment in 2001 to meet the growing demand for training. The enclosed trailers acquired in 2000 substantially improve MMRS ’s ability to provide training at more sites and to provide itinerant service to smaller communities. However, the demand for classes will require that MMRS schedule more “large” classes to serve more students in a single class.
6.4. Training Sites
All of the training sites open in 2000 will be open again in 2001, with the exception of the site in Butte. MMRS will search for another location in Butte that is better suited to motorcycle safety training. Finding a training site in Billings that can accommodate large classes continues to be a priority in order to serve the large demand for classes there.
Finding a training site in Helena continues to be a priority in order to serve the substantial demand for classes there. MMRS continues to be hopeful that the potential range site at the Rocky Mountain Emergency Services Training Center will be available for 2001. If it is not ready, MMRS will search for an alternate range site.
Acquisition of the fleet of enclosed trailers makes it possible to provide training at itinerant sites offering 2 – 4 classes per year. The logistics of moving this equipment among small sites and recruiting instructors to travel to these sites is a limiting factor in development of these itinerant training sites.
6.5. Personnel
6.5.1. Experienced RiderCourse® Update
Update training for instructors on the Experienced RiderCourse® will be conducted in late March 2001. The ten most recently trained instructors have not yet been trained to conduct the ERC, and several of the more experienced instructors have expressed interest in update training.
7. Update on Off-Road Motorcycle Training
7.1. MSF DirtBike School®
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has established its DirtBike School® throughout the nation. Class logistics, equipment, and student registration are provided by MSF from its national office in Irvine, California using the same model as used for ATV training. DirtBike Coach® training and site development are driven by 800 number requests for training.
7.2. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Ray Paige reported that the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks has launched its off-road rider training program using the MSF DirtBike School® curriculum. Three volunteer DirtBike Coaches® are conducting classes in Butte, Helena, and Billings. Students are not charged tuition to attend. FW&P intends to train additional DirtBike Coaches® in May 2001.
8. Reports
8.1. National Motorcycle Rights Perspective
Dal Smilie reported on his attendance at the annual Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s annual “Meeting of the Minds”, and Harley-Davidson’s new Rider’s Edge® training program. Rider’s Edge® uses the basic MRC:RSS curriculum enhanced with a focus on Harley-Davidson products. Results from Rider’s Edge® appear to be good in Albuquerque, Kansas City, and Milwaukee. The estimated start-up cost for sponsoring dealers is about $40,000.
8.2. Montana Riding Groups
Michele Hand reported that a new contact list of Montana motorcycle clubs had been developed. Michele requested that members send her information that might be useful to these clubs, including brochures and other printed materials. Michele asked if MMRS could place its materials on the list of motorcycle information available through Western Montana College. Addition of a page on the MMRS Internet site that would refer people to active clubs also was discussed.
8.3. Instructors
Ken Radovich reported that some instructors have some apprehensions about transition to the new Basic RiderCourse®, but that most current instructors were eager to adopt a new curriculum if it produced better results for students.
8.4. Driver Licensing
Anita Drews-Oppedahl reported that Montana had just implemented a new 7-year contract for digital driver’s licenses. The new licenses will feature a ghost image of the licensee, better security, and new identification numbers (dropping the use of Social Security Numbers). Also, for the first time, Montana will offer a motorcycle-only driver’s license. Montana driver’s license exam stations will distribute almost 25,000 MMRS brochures in 2000 in every motorcycle endorsement manual and every driver’s license manual.
8.5. Law Enforcement
Ladd Paulson reported that many MMRS referral “business” cards had been distributed in Billings, about 80% of them to young riders. Unendorsed young riders appear to be a significant problem in the Billings area. Ladd also reported that Billings Police are ticketing drivers with license plate tags not clearly visible – this is a problem for many pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles since county clerks are affixing tags to the lower right hand corner of the plates.
8.6. Driver Education
Dave Huff reported that a bill creating a graduated driver licensing system is likely to be introduced into the 2001 Legislature. A graduated driver’s license bill probably will restrict motorcycle operation by 14½ to 18 year old drivers to limited operating hours and limited passenger carrying. This bill also will make failure to use a seat belt a “primary” offense.
9. Plan for the Future of Motorcycle Safety in Montana
9.1. General Purpose and Service
The Committee reviewed the mission, approach, licensing, constituents and target groups, and program delivery statements as published in the meeting minutes of January 25, 2000. The direction that these statements express was generally adopted.
9.2. Key Issues Remaining
9.2.1. Expansion to Rural Sites – Large vs. Small Sites
The Committee discussed at length how best to serve more riders from rural areas, particularly riders in the eastern part of Montana. Successful training sites have a combination of active instructors, suitable classroom and riding range facilities, and training equipment (supported by local motorcycle dealers).
The Committee discussed a general goal of establishing new sites to provide itinerant training within approximately 100 miles of any potential student. Dave Huff suggested that these sites be selected based primarily on location and demand from potential students, not just on availability of a suitable site. Following this suggestion, the addition of three additional training sites in eastern Montana could meet this objective.
The Committee also discussed establishing cooperative training with North Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho. Opportunities may exist to use nearby instructors or send students to nearby classes just across the border. MMRS will follow up on this and report back to the MMSAC.
9.2.2. Public Information and Education
The Committee discussed the role of public information and education in the services that MMRS provides. Although pamphlets and bumper stickers are often used, it is not clear that they have any impact on the safety habits of motorcyclists or provide any particularly useful information. The Committee recommended that MMRS not use pamphlets or stickers.
Michele Hand suggested that MMRS should use its Internet site as a resource for motorcyclists, not just as a promotion tool for motorcycle safety classes. The distribution and lending of safety-related materials and information (discussed earlier) could be part of a “resource center” on the Internet site. The Committee discussed ways that this “resource center” could provide motorcycle safety information not based on any formal class, and that could contribute to the statutory mission of “teach[ing] motorcyclists how to safely operate their vehicles.” The Committee recommended that MMRS concentrate its public information and education effort on developing this on-line resource.
9.2.3. Private Training
The Committee briefly discussed the role of MMRS in encouraging privately offered motorcycle safety training. No private parties are currently conducting motorcycle safety training in Montana. The Committee recommended that no action was necessary at this time.
10. Next Meeting Date
The Committee discussed meeting again shortly after the 2001 Legislature convenes in order to effectively impact potential legislation affecting motorcycle safety. The Chairman will set the next meeting date.
11. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.
