JASON'S TOP 3 Simple Ways to Keep Motorcycle Awareness Month Going

As Seen in Thunder Road Magazine

 

 

 Every Month Should be Motorcycle Awareness Month: Three Simple Ways to Keep It Going

The "official" Motorcycle Awareness Month has come and gone, and I want to commend and thank those of you who were able to get out and participate in an awareness event. As always, my team had a presence at Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's annual Motorcycle Awareness Ride and press conference, and we also got out to various events and swap meets around the State to show our support. 

 

As most of my regular readers already know, I'm deeply committed to promoting motorcycle awareness and giving back to the biker community, and I have often asked myself why we as motorcyclists don't act as though every month were Motorcycle Awareness Month. There are so many simple ways to keep motorcycle awareness in the news and in the minds of motor vehicle drivers, I thought I'd share a few in this month's article.   

 

#3: Everybody loves swag, so why not create some? There are a number of websites you can use to create custom t-shirts, stickers, magnets, and other items for very little money. Get your crew together and get some custom shirts made for group riding. Even better, many of these design websites will allow you to create a custom shirt and use it to raise funds, paying for the cost of the shirts and potentially donating the extra cash to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, or your local ABATE chapter, or any other advocacy group. Finally, if you're part of a summer sports league, add a Motorcycle Awareness message to your team shirts. If you don't want to make your own, visit MotorcycleLawyerMichigan.com to request a free "Motorcycles Are Everywhere" bumper sticker, and display it proudly for other drivers to see.

 

#2: Add Motorcycle Awareness to your other summer activities. For example, if you're having a yard sale, be sure to display a motorcycle awareness lawn sign prominently, and talk to visitors about watching for motorcycles. If your child is hosting a lemonade stand, print stickers with "Watch for Motorcycles" to stick to each customer's cup. Print our Motorcycle Awareness Tip sheet and bring copies with you to the events you attend this summer. You can get it by emailing reception@lawyerforlife.com, or from our photos at Facebook.com/TheMotorcycleLawyer. 

 

#1:  Get engaged. Join up with a local motorcycle club or advocacy group, and stay in the loop about motorcycle laws, activities, and news in your area. Post regularly about how important motorcycle awareness is on social media, and share other peoples' posts as well. Get creative in how you spread the word; the more you are thinking about it and talking about it, the better the chances a driver will hear you and remember to be extra watchful for motorcycles. Share your ideas: if you have a creative way to keep motorcycle awareness on the minds of drivers beyond Motorcycle Awareness Month, tell us about it! 

 

Speaking of staying in the loop, I wanted to let readers know about two Bills that have now been signed into law; I mentioned them in my February 2016 article. House Bill 4853 (HB 4853) has been signed into law by Governor Snyder and took effect May 23. The new law allows an increase in the cost of motorcycle safety training, from "up to $25" to now "up to $50". Effectively, public agencies offering these courses, like colleges and universities, school districts, law enforcement agencies or other government entities within the state can now charge up to $50 for their motorcycle safety training course. Because of when the new law took effect, it's unlikely most of these agencies will increase their prices until 2017. As I said in February, any fee increase is usually seen as a bad thing, but in this case the fees hadn't changed since the 1980s even though costs have increased significantly, so it really is about time. Realistically, paying $50 for a rider training course shouldn't deter anybody, especially given the other Bill recently signed into law: House Bill 4854.

 

House Bill 4854 (HB 4854) has also been signed into law by Governor Snyder, and also took effect May 23. This bill allows the Secretary of State to waive the required written test, road sign test, and driving skills test for any motorcyclist applying for an original motorcycle endorsement (CY), provided they have taken and passed a certified motorcycle safety course. The course has to be SOS-approved, and you must pass both practical and written exams as part of the course, but once you've done that you are now allowed to apply directly for your CY endorsement. You can look at it this way: consider the increased cost of the motorcycle safety course a "convenience fee" for not having to take the written, road sign, and riding test with the Secretary of State. 

 

Now that you're up to date, spread the word! Let us know how you are keeping Motorcycle Awareness alive past the month of May by following us on Facebook, or send us your ideas by email. My team and I are working hard to keep readers up to date on motorcycle awareness activities and motorcycle-relevant laws here in Michigan. If you have questions, or you think we're missing something, email  reception@lawyerforlife.com to get in touch. If you've been hurt in a motorcycle crash, call me at 1-877-BIKER-LAW to discuss your situation right away. 

 

July is Women's Motorcycle Month! If you are a female rider, we want to hear from you: Tell us how riding a motorcycle has changed your life. My team and I will read everything you send us, and we may even share some of your stories in July's Thunder Roads article or on Facebook! If you know a woman rider who is making a significant contribution to Motorcycle Awareness, let us know.