The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has been awarded a new four-year contract by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to continue to administer the state's motorcycle safety program through 2012.

"The MSF is extremely proud to have the opportunity to continue to serve the motorcyclists of Pennsylvania under the guidance of PennDOT," said Robert Gladden, director of program administration for MSF. "Our focus has been on continual improvement of the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, and that will remain our overriding goal over the next four years."

Established in 1984, the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program has been managed under contract with the MSF since 1999. Over the course of the contract period, the PA Motorcycle Safety Program has seen a reduction in costs to the state while increasing training availability. There were 28,996 riders trained using MSF's Basic RiderCourseSM curriculum in 2008.

For more than 35 years, 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 curriculum, which is available in all 50 states, and used by the Armed Services to train military personnel worldwide. Including the Pennsylvania program, MSF currently manages four state motorcycle safety programs that deliver training to more than 100,000 students annually - nearly a quarter of all riders trained in the United States.

"We look forward to another four years working with PennDOT," Gladden said. "But most of all look forward to continuing to serve the community of current and prospective motorcyclists of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

The Pennsylvania program currently employs 12 full-time and more than 500 part-time staff, including MSF-certified RiderCoaches, in the state.

For RiderCourseSM locations, call 800.446.9227 or visit www.msf-usa.org.