Governor Kitzhaber s declaration is the 21st year of declaring May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Porter is particularly pleased that only two riders under the age of 18 have died in motorcycle crashes during the past 10 years. Now the average age is 42. Porter expressed concern that nearly 50 percent of the annual motorcycle fatalities involved alcohol. Any impairment can lead to tragedy.
Speed is also a leading factor in motorcycle crashes.
Typically, the rider entered a turn too fast and did not successfully navigate the curve, either running off the road or into opposing traffic. Cornering skills are a big portion of rider training courses, and one overall fact about the fatally involved rider over the past 17 years is their lack of formal rider training. The fatally involved rider is getting older. Porter suggests that those who are new to riding take a beginning Motorcycle Rider Course and that those returning to the sport after a long absence take either the Intermediate Rider Course or the Experienced Rider Course. The skills and training riders receive in these courses could save their lives and the lives of their passengers.