A few weeks ago, I wrote a check for $2,000 to ABATE of Michigan in support of their Awareness education program. Why?

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm committed to giving back to the biker community, and to promoting motorcycle awareness and safety. The goal is to contribute to a reduction in motorcycle crashes, injuries, and deaths if I can. My team and I go about this in a variety of ways: we use billboards, our websites, social media, and these magazine articles to spread the word that motorcycles are everywhere; we provide free "Watch for Motorcycles" (and other awareness swag) via our website; and we dedicate a lot of time and effort to educating the public via our websites, press releases, and social media; and that's just a few examples.

 

Last year, I donated one of my personal motorcycles to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Schoolcraft College to be used in their rider education programs. This year, I wanted to find a different way to give back to the biker community that focuses more on vehicle driver education. So, I contacted Vince Consiglio, ABATE of Michigan's president, to learn more about their Motorcycle Awareness Program. According to Vince, ABATE has been teaching their Awareness program to new drivers since 1995, and at this point tens of thousands of young drivers have received Motorcycle Awareness training through ABATE. That's twenty years of vehicle driver education; this program got rolling long before the Nathan Bower Act (5438) took effect this year, mandating that driver education programs must include motorcycle and bicycle awareness training. From what I understand, ABATE of Michigan is now assisting with developing formal programs for driver education in compliance with the Nathan Bower Act.

 

The ABATE Awareness program is centered around the idea that vehicle driver education can lead to a reduction in motorcycle crashes, injuries, and deaths; essentially, that education for vehicle drivers can contribute to motorcyclist safety. The focus of the program is really on teaching vehicle drivers, how, when, and why they need to Watch for Motorcycles. The more I learned about the ABATE Awareness program, the more I wanted to support it.

 

I sent a member of my staff, Debbie Parinello (pictured), to attend an ABATE Awareness class. She said, "it was really entertaining and engaging, not just talking heads at the front of a classroom. They had the kids doing hands-on exercises, had them try on motorcycle gear, they really got them thinking about motorcyclists and bicyclists on the roads." Debbie knows a bit about teaching people to be motorcycle-aware;  she is a lead instructor and instructor-trainer for Accident Scene Management, Inc., teaching their Bystander Assistance Course*. If you ever get the chance to attend an ABATE Awareness class, do it… you won't regret it.

 

As you can see from the photo, it was all smiles when Debbie Parinello, Vince Consiglio (President, ABATE of Michigan), Mark Buchanan (Director, ABATE Awareness program), and Grace Buchanan (Mark's daughter) met me to accept a donation in the amount of $2,000 in support of the ABATE Awareness education program. I am glad to be able to support such a great program, and I hope that through this type of motorcycle awareness education, we will see fewer and fewer motorcycle crashes, injuries, and deaths.

 

*Neither myself nor my firm is formally affiliated with Accident Scene Management, Inc.. However, I provide classroom space several times a year to ensure that Debbie can get this important training out to more motorcyclists; I also provide legal information to course participants. This is just one more way I give back to the biker community.