The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has been tracking a trend in driving, especially for those who take to motorcycles in their 20s and 30s. Statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that as life happens to these younger riders, they often change over to transportation that is more suited to family travel. However, after a few years have passed and kids get older, many of them are returning to two-wheel recreation. Now 60-somethings are showing a renewed interest in riding bikes. These statistics have showed that the number of people 50 and older killed in motorcycle crashes has risen from three percent of all rider deaths in 1982 to 13 percent in 1997 and 36 percent in 2016. And in 2016, 91 percent of all motorcyclists killed were male. The DOT is supporting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in promoting some keys to riding safely in the latter stages of life. The most important factor being an understanding of how things have changed, both in physical abilities and in the equipment. They say riders need to be realistic about their bodies and that with age comes a natural reduction in reaction times and a change in equilibrium that may make balancing a bike more difficult. Changes in strength and flexibility may also influence the ability to handle a 500 plus-pound machine. “The first thing I advise someone to do who wants to renew riding after some time off is to take a rider safety course,” says Kala Shipley, the Iowa DOT motorcycle safety program coordinator. “These courses are designed to help you assess your skills, learn new things and help you test your riding limits in a more controlled environment,” Shipley adds. The Basic Rider and Advanced Rider Courses are offered through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and more information on both can be found through the link included below.
___________________________________
https://iowadot.gov/mvd/motorcycle/motorcycle-rider-education
