Hello Region 11 and Visitors!!

ABATE’s Motorcycle Awareness program is a program geared toward new drivers, because it’s the “new” drivers who seem to have the most accidents with motorcyclists. What we do is go into local driver’s education classes and present a 45-minute program to teach these new drivers how to be more “aware” of motorcyclists riding on our neighborhood roads. You may wonder if our program does any good at all, or perhaps you don’t even think Motorcycle awareness should be a top priority. I know most members are more concerned with repealing the helmet law; but, think about it for a minute. If we can reduce the number of accidents that occur between cars and motorcycles, our argument for freedom of choice carries much more weight because we are addressing the very reason the pro-helmet crowd gives for keeping the law.

“Educate, don’t Legislate” is a bumper sticker I have on my car. In my own lifetime, this mantra has been proven time and again. For example, back when I was a teen everybody in my class smoked cigarettes. You didn’t have all the public service announcements and health education classes in school warning of the dangers of smoking, so everybody did it. Today, peer pressure, public service announcements, health classes and other educational methods are aimed at school age kids, and its working! Teen smoking has never been lower and it has nothing to do with any laws that may have been passed and everything to do with a very heavy emphasis on educating kids NOT to smoke!

We can do the same thing with car/motorcycle accidents! By educating these kids to “look twice” we can reduce the number of car and motorcycle accidents, save lives, and save our brothers and sisters from suffering a great deal of pain from injuries sustained in these accidents.

That’s why I believe in ABATE's Motorcycle Awareness Program, and why I volunteered to be the director for Region 11. If you’d like to come out and see what we do, drop me an e-mail at ajacob2549@wideopenwest.com. We are always in need of volunteer instructors, and if we can prevent even one accident from happening, than we’ve accomplished our goal.

The next time you’re out riding, and you see that teen-aged driver next to you, take note of their “awareness” of you. Are they looking over their shoulder to see where you’re at? Are they staying two-seconds behind you as you go down the road? If so you can, thank a Motorcycle Awareness Instructor because it’s a good bet that teen was one of our students! In fact, next time you attend one of our region events, and see one of the individuals listed on this page, why not stop them and thank them. After all the work they’re doing is keeping you safer on the road.