MSF Turns 30

Press Release from MSF:

Irvine, CA - More than 2.5 million motorcyclists have received a proper start to riding or boosted their existing skills during 30 years of operation of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). Since 1973, MSF has worked to promote the safety of motorcyclists on American streets and highways, through rider education, training and public information programs. Both today and for the past three decades, most of the motorcycle training courses in states across the country offer only the highly regarded MSF RiderCourses .
“We’re proud to celebrate 30 years of ongoing work to improve rider skills and increase motorcycle safety,” said MSF President Tim Buche. “It’s been a vast collaborative effort, from key government representatives to our funding member companies to local dealerships to individual MSF-certified RiderCoaches who work with students day-in and day-out. Together, we’ve created ever-evolving courses and educational programs, put millions through training and raised public awareness. There are more, innovative programs to come.”

MSF released its first rider training curriculum in 1974. The long-running Motorcycle RiderCourse: Riding and Street Skills® was made available in 1985. At the 3rd International Motorcycle Safety Conference in 2001, MSF introduced the Basic RiderCourse (BRC) now used in 47 states. The BRC is the heart of the MSF Rider and Education Training System (MSF RETS), an array of training courses and educational programs that work together to provide access for motorcyclists to lifelong skills improvement. Currently, MSF has RETS curricula product release dates scheduled through 2008.

During the 1980s and ’90s, the MSF also hosted the first two International Motorcycle Safety Conferences and established the RiderCourse Insurance Plan for MSF Rider Education Recognition Program training sites. In 2000, MSF and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) co-published the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS), a consensus document developed by motorcyclists that looks toward the future of motorcycle safety efforts.

In 2003, MSF began its yearly National Agenda Grant Program to support the safety recommendations of NAMS, and it looks forward to announcing a new National Agenda collaborative effort with NHTSA later this year. Other exciting initiatives include: testing an evaluation framework for the MSF RETS, substantially revising the MSF Guide to Motorcycling Excellence, and planning the next International Motorcycle Safety Conference counterpart abroad. MSF also will debut its redesigned and even more user-friendly web site this summer (www.msf-usa.org).