Motorcycle accidents have one instructor talking safety

By Candice Nelson
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: May 2, 2008

State Police say, according to the Virginia DMV, deadly motorcycle accidents rose 80% in 2007. They say in 70% of those, the main cause was either speeding or failure to maintain control.

An accident Friday morning hurt one motorcyclist on Franklin Road. Police say a truck cut out in front of him, causing him to slam on his brakes and fly over the handles. But police say he was lucky.

“He was wearing his helmet. There were a lot of scrape marks on his helmet. If it was not for his helmet, it would be his head that was scraped up,” said James Hearn with Roanoke Police.

With predictions more motorcycles will be on the road, thanks to gas prices, officials warn safety goes beyond wearing a helmet. They say motorcyclists need the “Class M Endorsement,” which is required to operate a motorcycle. You can get this through the DMV or through a safety training course.

Leo Cullen is a safety and training course instructor through Virginia Western Community College.

“We like to see people come take our course because we also administer the “M” for people who need it. But we offer a lot of training, about 15 hours worth of training,” Cullen said.

The class teaches awareness.

“You can’t reduce the risk involved in motorcycles completely, but you can get it down to a manageable level with education and training,” he said.

And for anybody thinking about riding one, he said, “You should do it with training in mind, get with people who know what they’re doing, for example, the Motorcycle Safety Federation, talk about how bikes are different than cars.”

The training course is offered on weekends and is a 3-day, 15-hour course.