"Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."
- Mark Twain
I check the comments on this blog regularly. The idea is that we're going to have a conversation about the ideas I've presented. You should be aware of the fact that when someone emails me an interesting comment, the odds are good that I'll post that in the comments anonymously and reply to that comment on the blog rather than in email.
Aug 13, 2016
The "Test?"
Not only is this the test that so many motorcyclists take the BRC to avoid failing, but this is a pretty typical "rider" who can pass this embarrassingly simple collection of skills and become a licensed motorcyclist.
It is both embarrassing and discouraging that our license test is so remedial. Having taught the MSF's "Experienced Rider Course" (renamed a couple of years ago "Basic Rider Course II" and this year "Intermediate Rider Course") for 15 years, I am here to tell you that having a US motorcycle license is almost a badge of incompetence. You would not believe how poorly people who have been street-legal handle their motorcycles.
What I can't determine is if requiring better skills translates into lower morbidity/mortality statistics. It seems like almost every country's motorcycle stats are close to the same, although I did read something a few years back about Japan's morbidity/mortality numbers being way down because, at least in part, because of their increased testing and tiered licensing.
2 comments:
In the UK they'd fail the test before they started. No gloves and by the looks of it no jacket either. A pitiful level of skill required.
It is both embarrassing and discouraging that our license test is so remedial. Having taught the MSF's "Experienced Rider Course" (renamed a couple of years ago "Basic Rider Course II" and this year "Intermediate Rider Course") for 15 years, I am here to tell you that having a US motorcycle license is almost a badge of incompetence. You would not believe how poorly people who have been street-legal handle their motorcycles.
What I can't determine is if requiring better skills translates into lower morbidity/mortality statistics. It seems like almost every country's motorcycle stats are close to the same, although I did read something a few years back about Japan's morbidity/mortality numbers being way down because, at least in part, because of their increased testing and tiered licensing.
Post a Comment