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Blogs by Mark C. Carroll
Where I stand. 7/19/2004 11:31:19 AM
1. I have nothing against the BRC, in fact I have very little knowledge of it so I couldn't talk intelligently about it. As far as I am concerned the BRC, MRC:RSS, and Learn to Ride course are all great courses which develop skill. To that extent I will not refer to any of them as safety courses because they do not make you safe. They are skill training, which allows you to participate in the sport of motorcycling at a higher level, accept more risk, and have more fun.
2. I believe the MSF knowingly misrepresents themselves as a safety organization, because the word "safety" sells products. If they would change their name to the Motorcycle Skills Foundation, I would have no problem being a part of their leadership and working to change other minor things from within. I do not want to work with people who lack integrity or misrepresent themselves.
3. I believe that licensing should not be part of a training program. To that end I will not License riders any longer. This responsibility should be the DMV's not delegated to instructors. It is interesting that of all the car driving schools available none of them are permitted to waive the driving test, why should motorcycle schools? It seems the answer is that we want to make it easier for motorcyclists to get a license than automobile drivers. The DMV skills test is an objective measure of skill level, many riders think it is very difficult because after failing there, because they didn't have the skill, they pass our courses and get a license anyway.
4. I believe that some people should not ride. Friends, family, dealers, and the whole motorcycle culture pressure many riders into riding. I think students should make an informed decision about whether to ride or not. Many times the decision not to ride is the best decision a student makes. Someone has to discourage riding and I accept that responsibility, but if they are determined to ride then I work very hard to help them develop their skill. An organization like the Navy should strongly discourage motorcycling, as there are enough high-risk activities to challenge sailors without motorcycling. The best way to do this is to make it difficult for more riders to ride in the navy. In this scenario only the most skilled and determined will ride if it is inconvenient, LESS RIDERS = LESS FATALITIES.
