Motorcyclists at Work
As roadways become increasingly complex and congested, are your employees who ride for work well-trained, equipped and knowledgeable on how to safely ride a motorcycle?
Motorcyclists must wear helmets and other protective gear and equipment, acquire professional rider education and training, maximize their conspicuity through lighting and apparel, obtain the proper motorcycle license, and never drink and ride. Motorcycles must be properly equipped, and maintained. While the reasons for having employees ride motorcycles for work are varied, simply being able to ride a motorcycle is not the same as knowing how to operate a motorcycle safely and legally.
Employers must minimize the risk to their employees and to their organizations to the greatest extent practicable, by implementing a strong safety program that ensures that all riders are knowledgeable and skillful through participation in rider education and training programs and have access to continuing quality education and training. By providing appropriate protective gear and equipment, keeping motorcycles well-maintained, and following careful motorcycle use policies, employers are advocating a safer riding environment.
Police Motorcycle Officers
Operating a police motorcycle greatly differs from civilian motorcycle operation since a motorcycle officer must constantly scan the roadway for motor vehicle violations, criminal activity, operate communications equipment and weave through stalled traffic in response to emergencies. Because of the high-risk riding required by police, motorcycle training is not an area that can be overlooked or ignored.
Unfortunately, some states do not have police officer standards and training (P.O.S.T.) requirements, which means a department, can assign any officer with a motorcycle license to a motorcycle with no additional training.
There are excellent comprehensive courses designed for new or current police motorcycle officers seeking to hone their skills and enhance their safety on the road. It is usually recommended that participants in operator courses have prior motorcycling experience and have completed a basic skills test.
Motorcycle Couriers
Some couriers use a motorcycle to make their deliveries. These couriers travel throughout the city on motorcycles making up to twenty trips a day, covering about 100 miles. They often work in noisy city traffic, sometimes riding for long periods in heavy rain, wind, snow and ice usually carrying a heavy delivery pouch. They also have to deal with difficult parking situations, traffic jams, and road construction. The pressure of making as many deliveries as possible to increase one’s earnings can be stressful and may lead to unsafe riding practices. Because pay depends on the number of trips undertaken, speed, is particularly crucial.
Couriers collect and deliver documents or packages in person that often requires urgent and safe carriage. These messengers receive their instructions either in person—by reporting to their office—or by telephone, two-way radio, or wireless data service. After each pickup or delivery, they check in with their dispatcher to receive new instructions, sometimes they are contacted while they are between stops. Couriers spend most of their time alone, making deliveries, and usually are not closely supervised.
No standard or universal qualifications or training requirements exist for motorcycle couriers. Couriers usually learn as they work, training with an experienced worker for a short time. About 50 to 65 percent of messengers are self-employed. They may be required to have a valid driver’s license, a registered and inspected vehicle, a good driving record, and insurance coverage. Many couriers, who are employees rather than independent contractors, also are required to provide and maintain their own vehicle.
Since couriers experience high risk driving daily, motorcycle couriers could benefit from the techniques and skills that are taught in advanced training courses.
Sources:
Resources for Motorcycling at Work
- Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM)
IPTM was established in 1980 to provide management, traffic and specialized training to municipal, county, state and federal law enforcement officers. The Institute has since become the largest police training center of its kind in the United States, delivering in excess of 500 courses annually to more than 14,000 officers from throughout the world. Operating under the University of North Florida's Training and Service Institute, IPTM was created and designed to provide cost-effective, cutting-edge, high quality training to the criminal justice community. IPTM offers Advanced Motorcycle Officer Skills, the course is directed toward the experienced police motorcycle officer who has successfully completed a certified police motorcycle rider or motorcycle instruction course and Police Motorcycle Instructor for the officer responsible for motorcycle training within an agency.
Site: http://www.iptm.org/
With the tag line, “the best place on the web for police motorcycle officers” this site solicits training information from experienced motorcycle officers to share with others looking for help. The site includes articles on the benefits of a police motorcycle squad, how to establish one, training, vehicle and equipment requirements, manufacturers offering police motorcycles, motorcycle use policies, a listing of police motorcycle units by states, etc.
Site: http://www.motorcops.com/index.asp
- Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF)
MSF is an internationally recognized developer of the comprehensive, research-based, Rider Education and Training System
(MSF RETS). RETS curricula promotes lifelong-learning for motorcyclists and continuous professional development for certified RiderCoaches
and other trainers. MSF also actively participates in government relations, safety research, public awareness campaigns and the provision of technical assistance to state training and licensing programs.
Site: http://www.msf-usa.org/index_new.cfm
- North American Motor Officers Association (NAMOA)
NAMOA is a non-profit organization that has a membership base of approximately 500 police motorcycle officers in Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, and Alberta, Canada. The organization has been around since 1984 and has offered yearly training opportunities to their police motorcycle community. In addition, the organization allows motorcycle officers from around the region to keep in touch regarding training and operational issues that affect police motor officer profession and an annual international training symposium.
Site: http://www.namoa.org/about.cfm
- Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (NUCPS)
NUCPS was founded as the Traffic Institute in 1936 quickly becoming the world leader in traffic crash investigation and prevention and has maintained that reputation ever since. Over the years, the Institute’s scope was expanded to include a comprehensive offering of accident investigation, police operations and management, and transportation engineering courses. Law enforcement agencies have also come to depend on NUCPS for university-level research programs, technical assistance, and conferences on issues such as DUI. To reflect its expanded mission, the Traffic Institute was renamed the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety.
For almost two decades, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Inc. and NUCPS have worked in partnership to present the nation's premiere training programs for police motorcyclists. Students in the NUCPS program spend approximately 90% of the course "in the saddle." They are given practical exercises and riding instruction supplemented with classroom instruction and demonstrations of tactical techniques. Both the Operator and Instructor courses are restricted to law enforcement personnel only.
Site: http://nucps.northwestern.edu/
