Motorcyclists Encouraged to Take Free Courses, Start Riding Season Safely

Motorcyclists Encouraged to Take Free Courses, Start Riding Season Safely

3/2/2017-HARRISBURG

With the approach of warmer temperatures and the motorcycle riding season
in
Pennsylvania, PennDOT today urged riders of all ages to prepare by taking a

free motorcycle training course. These courses are available to
Pennsylvania
residents throughout the commonwealth through the Pennsylvania Motorcycle
Safety Program (PAMSP).

Free courses for novice through seasoned riders are offered at numerous
locations statewide to Pennsylvania residents who have a motorcycle
learner's
permit or motorcycle license. All training courses are conducted on a
riding
range, under the supervision of certified instructors.

"Keeping skills sharp and reinforcing the importance of safety through
Pennsylvania's free motorcycle safety classes help both novice and
experienced
riders enjoy a safe and enjoyable riding season," said PennDOT Secretary
Leslie
S. Richards. "Riders can practice and refine their techniques while honing
the
split-second decision making required to safely operate a motorcycle."

For inexperienced riders seeking a license for the first time, PAMSP offers
a
five-day, 15-hour licensing course called the Basic Rider Course (BRC).
This
course consists of five hours of in-class instruction and 10 hours of
practical
riding, provides valuable training for new riders and gives experienced
riders
the opportunity to polish their skills and correct any unsafe riding habits

they may have developed. Students taking the BRC are provided with a
motorcycle
and helmet; however, students are responsible for providing all other
protective gear. Act 84 of 2012 put into place the requirement that all
permit
holders under the age of 18 successfully complete the BRC in order to
receive
their motorcycle license.

More experienced riders who have held a permit for an extended period and
already have a motorcycle, may take a one-day, six-hour licensing course -
the
Basic Rider Course 2 (BRC2). The course is also recommended for skilled
riders
who want to refresh their safety knowledge and hone their on-road skills.
Students taking the BRC2 must provide their own motorcycle and protective
gear.

The Advanced Rider Course (ARC), is a one-day training session modeled
after a
military training course, which offers licensed motorcyclists a chance to
enhance their safety skills through a minimum of 3.5 hours of classroom
instruction and 4.5 hours of practical riding experience designed to
enhance
riding attitude and awareness. Participants in the advanced course are
required to use their own motorcycle.

Rounding out the PAMSP training courses is the 3-Wheeled Motorcycle Basic
Rider
Course (3WBRC), a 12-hour course comprised of four hours of classroom
instruction and eight hours of practical riding. Students must provide
their
own three-wheeled motorcycle and protective gear.

Motorcycle learner's permit holders who successfully complete the BRC, BRC2
or
the 3WBRC will be issued a motorcycle license. Those who successfully pass
the
3WBRC on a three-wheeled motorcycle will be issued a motorcycle license
with a
"9" restriction, meaning they are prohibited from operating a two-wheeled
motorcycle.

For more information or to enroll in a course, visit www.pamsp.com or call
1-800-845-9533. Potential riders looking for a convenient way to prepare
for
their knowledge test can download the PA Motorcycle Practice Test app by
visiting www.pa.gov and searching the mobile apps for the Pennsylvania
Motorcycle License Practice Test, or by using the App Store (Apple devices)
or
Google Play (Android devices). A copy of the Motorcycle Operators Manual
can be
downloaded for free at www.dmv.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Alexis Campbell, 717-787-0485 or Craig Yetter, 717-705-1092

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