Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Date: 04/26/17

CONTACT: Sgt. John Villanti
[email protected]
805-594-8066

May is Motorcycle Safety Month
Riders Urged to Get Trained and Ride Safe

Improving Motorcycle Safety Aim of San Luis Obispo Police Department Operation

The San Luis Obispo Police Department is joining law enforcement statewide and across the United States in the National Motorcycle safety awareness month special enforcement operations. In addition, the California Motorcyclist Safety Program is offering special, low cost rider training classes during the month of May.

San Luis Obispo PD will be conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation on May 15th in an effort to lower deaths and injuries. Extra officers will be patrolling areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes occur. Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers and riders alike that can lead to motorcycle crashes. They will be cracking down on both those operating regular vehicles and motorcycles riders that are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, making illegal turns, or any other dangerous violation.

The California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP) training program is offering a “Total Control Refresher Training” course during the month of May. This four-hour riding class is for experienced riders with a current motorcycle license. Riders will use their own street-legal motorcycle during the class taught by CMSP-certified Instructors at a cost of only $95. Log onto the CMSP website (http://cmsp.msi5.com) to register at a location near you.

California motorcycle fatalities saw a phenomenal drop of 37 percent from 2008 to 2010, but then rose 31 percent by 2015. Efforts like these are aimed at curbing any more rises in motorcycle deaths and sending the numbers back downward. Since January 01, 2014 until February 01, 2017, San Luis Obispo Police Department has investigated 25 motorcycle involved collisions that have resulted in zero fatalities and 25 injured riders.
News Riders are urged to get basic training through the California Motorcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at http://www.californiamotorcyclist.com/ or 1-877 RIDE 411 (1-877-743-3411).

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The message to all drivers and motorcyclists is: share in the responsibility and do your part by safely “sharing the road.”