CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546
FOR RELEASE: June 9, 2008	FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:    OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS    TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062    Fax: (860) 594-3066    Web site:www.ct.gov/dot

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

URGES MOTORCYCLISTS TO BE SAFE

Summer weather is in full swing here in Connecticut and motorcyclists and scooter riders are taking full advantage to enjoy riding their favorite routes throughout the state.  Whether it’s to get to work, get better fuel economy or to enjoy a scenic ride along one of the State’s many rural roads, riding a motorcycle or street legal scooter is a great way to stay cool and enjoy the summer.  New safe riding courses allow more Connecticut riders immediate access to life saving training.

More people discover the joy of riding each year, with 89,000 registered motorcycles in 2007. With more riders on the road, there are bound to be more motorcycle crashes.  Motorcycle crashes have increased in number in recent years.  2006 saw over 1,224 motorcycle crashes.  Recent days and weeks have seen a number of highly publicized motorcycle crashes throughout Connecticut. 

In order to reduce crashes and deaths, the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP), provides motorcycle education courses at 16 locations throughout the State.  This year the CONREP program is also including street legal scooter riders in its basic rider course. 

  The focus in these courses is safe riding, and instruction for riders of all skill levels from novice to experienced are offered.  The Basic Rider course (BRC) is the most popular course offered by CONREP and teaches basic riding principles, both in the classroom and on-cycle training to help students prepare to ride in on-road situations.  This course is taught to riders of street legal scooters as well as motorcyclists.

The CONREP program often fills classes in the early spring as people shake off the winter doldrums and get the “itch” to ride.  Typically, spring classes fill up fast and potential students must go on waiting lists.  As the season pushes on, new classes are added allowing for immediate openings at many locations throughout the State.  Currently, the sixteen sites located around the State will all have open classes through late summer and fall.

Benefits of the Basic Rider Course include learning life saving riding skills and waiver of any on cycle skills testing when applying at DMV for a motorcycle license endorsement.  Insurance discounts are also available for course graduates.

Interested individuals can learn more about CONREP by going to the website, www.ride4ever.org or calling 1-800-827-7433.  There is still plenty of time and open space to take a course this year before classes end in November.