Ore. motorcycle training classes aim to save lives

13 people died in motorcycle related crashes in Oregon last month. That’s the highest one month total since 1986.

One motorcycle safety program in Bend, approved by ODOT, helps train new, even expert riders, all in the hopes of keeping the road safe.

This year, 34 people already have died in motorcycle-related crashes on Oregon roads. That compares to 40 in all of last year.

“I can’t tell you why, but August was a tough month,” Bill Rodgers, an instructor for the Team Oregon motorcycle training program in Bend,, said Wednesday.

But Rodgers added, “I think most motorcyclists take way too much for granted.”

The report says many of the fatalities are the result of rider error such as speeding, improper cornering or impaired driving.

Rodgers says 75 to 80 percent of crashes are caused by the motorcyclists themselves.

“That’s a good thing to keep in mind, because through better awareness and more training, we can affect that statistic,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers is one of a dozen Team Oregon instructors in Central Oregon who train about 550 motorcyclists a year.

The training takes place every week from March 1st to November 1st, excluding holidays.

Basic rider training costs $179 and takes place Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday.

“Operating a motorcycle requires a lot more skill than operating a car,” Rodgers said.

Experts say it takes an estimated 2,500 tasks to ride a motorcycle, and only 800 to drive a car.

The classes include the basics of operating a motorcycle then riders hit the range in the JeldWen parking lot. It’s the only one in Central Oregon and started in 1991.

“Our program is designed to address the issues and the skills that are shown to be absent in accident involved drivers,” Rodgers said. “I believe, and Team Oregon believes that training is the shortest way to get there for motorcyclists.”

Some additional data from the ODOT report: The average age of a motorcyclist killed in August was 45. Of the 13 people killed, 12 were men and one was a woman.

Oregon lawmakers recently decided to require safety training for all riders, phased in over the next few years. Previously, it was required only for riders under 21.

If you would like take a motorcycle training course, or learn more, visit the Team Oregon website at http://team-oregon.org.