MSF to Conduct NY Motorcycle Safety

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

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Rider Training Under New MSF Contract to Begin in March

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has been deemed the winning bidder for a five-year contract by the state of New York's Department of Motor Vehicles to administer the state's motorcycle safety program beginning this spring. Established in 1996, the New York State Motorcycle Safety Program trained 16,363 riders in 2008 using MSF's Basic RiderCourseSM curriculum.

The MSF proposal outlined its 20-plus years of combined management of four state motorcycle safety programs, which currently deliver training to more than 100,000 students annually - nearly a quarter of all riders trained in the United States. For more than 35 years the MSF has been the nation's preeminent motorcycle safety organization, with a growing international presence. More than 400,000 riders nationwide take training each year using Motorcycle Safety Foundation curricula, which is available in all 50 states, and used by the Armed Services to train military personnel worldwide.

"In each state program it has managed, MSF has increased student-training numbers through more sites, more RiderCoaches, and improved operational efficiencies and quality control, while reducing operating costs and lowering costs to these rider-funded state programs," said Robert Gladden, director of program administration for MSF. "We are excited to have the opportunity to do the same for the New York State Motorcycle Safety Program."

MSF's overarching goal is to increase availability and accessibility of training to prospective or current riders, to help reduce the number of motorcycling accidents and injuries in the state.

"We are also looking forward to working with the dedicated, high-quality training providers in the state," Gladden said. Gladden added that the MSF RiderCourse Enrollment System, an online enrollment program for riders, will be made available at no charge to all New York State Motorcycle Safety Program subcontracted training sites to permit students to enroll in courses via the internet. This will enable MSF to transmit pertinent course completion information to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles within one business day of course completion.

A Quality Assurance Program will be implemented to provide for process improvement and oversight of facilities and equipment, RiderCoaches and curriculum delivery to ensure the best possible learning experience for the students.

"The Motorcycle Safety Program, the state of New York, and especially the riders and potential riders of New York will realize the many benefits of the state-of-the-art training and administrative practices MSF provides," Gladden said. "We intend to provide both easy access to safe, high-quality training as well as a renewed emphasis on motorist awareness of motorcyclists on the roadway."

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Comments

Barry Schecter -getting the approval June 3, 2009 11:43 AM
The course was good. I did learn a lot. I really did. I've been driving a long time illegally. Now, I passed the test. I'm waiting over 3 weeks to get my license. I'll drive to Albany if that would help. I think every rider should take some basic course.

James -Manys vs Msf March 22, 2009 06:14 AM
I took the course 2 years ago and I thought they did a great job. My son and a friend was going to take the course this year untill they found out they took the insurance incentive away. They now are just going to take the test. It is a real shame because I did learn quite a few things about riding I had not known.

Ralph -MSF in NY February 25, 2009 02:34 PM
Might work better than MANYS. This past year has seen some ugly situations come to a head at training sites all over lower ny and on the island too. Like our Federal gov perhaps this change is good

Phil -MSF in NY February 3, 2009 08:37 PM
The first sentence of my previous should have read "proposal was leaked to MSF which then sent its proposal after the original closing date to do so."

Phil -MSF in NY February 3, 2009 08:30 PM
I have heard, but can't verify, that the MANYS proposal was leaked to MSF would send files at proposal after the original closing date. Naturally, the DMV refuses to comment on this. Perhaps the Attorney General's office should spend as much time investigating this as it used to do investigating MANYS because, at the time, the DMV's commissioners were appointed by a Republican in the Attorney General's office was run by a Democrat. I'd love to see what this would turn up.

Joker -MSF in NY February 3, 2009 03:40 PM
Wow, imagine that; the government in NY and the MSF dealing in an underhanded way to cut out yet another program we need...Thanks! Way to go, NY! I hope the knife wounds in MANYS' backs heal quickly...

Highside -MSF in NY January 29, 2009 04:53 PM
Holy crap! Manys isnt running the program? I worked with bill and joe a bunch of times and thorse were 2 standup guys! I would always be happy to have them running things. Noone worked as hard as those guys and knew as much about safety and business. I dont know much about the dmv people but the few i met at shows were shifty and liars. I asked them a question and they couldnt even give a strait answer. Then i asked joe and he gave me an asnwer rite away.

Anthony -MSF & DMV - Two of a Kind January 29, 2009 12:15 PM
Lets see… The motorcycle program will now be MORE expensive since the MSF has stated that they will be keeping tuitions the same and raising them in the third year, yet will not offer the points and insurance reduction program that MANYS offered. So students will NOT get the 10% insurance reduction for 3 years that they did in the past. They will offer less curriculum in the State of New York since MANYS was going to offer the entire MSF curriculum AND other programs that the MSF will not. Additionally, the MSF will now disallow any sites from using their own range for non-MSF curriculum. The MSF will NOT provide motorcycles to the training sites as MANYS did, so now all of the sites must immediately find and purchase their own training bikes. The NY DMV takes money from motorcyclists by adding a surcharge to their license and registration fees and is not only sending all of that money out of state, but also forcing the closing of a NY company and the unemployment of NY residents. The MSF, true to form, used information gathered and shared by MANYS (since MANYS always did report information and numbers to them) to put them out of business. As of 1/29, the MSF still has not contacted all of the training location in NYS to explain the terms of the upcoming training season. The MSF and the DMV have no plan in place on how to deal with the issues of supporting students that previously took the course but need reprinted cards or insurance reduction forms. The MSF and the DMV have no plan in place on how to deal with the military and issuing waivers for people who take safety course on base outside of NY. The MSF doesn’t even have personnel or even a professional presence in NY. But then again, you are dealing with the DMV that mismanaged every aspect of the program they were involved in, still cannot account for funds they removed from the program and still cannot explain what they will do with the over 3 million dollars left after the next contract. Is it any wonder they are in bed with a firm that will sponsor training for only their own curriculum, won’t allow any other curriculum, will require the use of only their insurance company and has made (unsuccessful) attempts to crush other state programs that refused to use their programs?

Pete -MSF in NY January 29, 2009 11:52 AM
It's interesting that the biggest complaint that was heard was that the cost of the course is too high. Now, they are not going to lower the cost, but in 2 years they plan to raise it. Plus, they eliminated the points and insurance reduction for the students so it is going to in effect cost them more money-not less. The Dept of Motor Vehicles made such a shamble out of the program and the funds that the only way for them to save face is to eliminate the Motorcycle Association of New York so they can blame them for all the problems and they won't be able to defend themselves. Another case of bloated government in NYS not being able to take care of their own house. It's a shame the students and sites will suffer for their incompetence.

John -MSF in NY January 29, 2009 11:10 AM
What the MSF fails to mention is how they back doored the Motorcycle Association of New York to take the contract away. It's a shame that between Oregon and New York the MSF is setting a trend for underhanded dealing. Great training...sneaky business.