Motorcycle safety: machine or operator
By Motorcycle Safety Foundation - Oct 8, 2005

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) has announced plans for the International Motorcycle Safety Conference to be held March 28th through the 30th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach, California.

The Conference will be attended by “The World’s foremost two-wheel experts from traffic safety, research laboratories, education and training programs, enforcement and engineering communities and industry representatives.  This is the first  of two international conferences slated for 2006.  The second will take place in Germany in the fall of 2006.  

The Germany Conference sponsored by the German Institute for Motorcycle Safety is titled “Safety, Environment, Future" and will focus on “accident research, safety technology, environmental aspects, the rider, vehicle and traffic behavior and trends in the development of motorcycles.”

The Long Beach conference, titled “The Human Element,” will address the human factors involved in motorcycle safety.  MSF President Tim Buche states, “In the automotive world, there is immense focus on technology and crash-testing, with relatively little public mention about improving driver skills and safety strategies. With motorcycles, it's the opposite. While safety gear, chassis, tires and brakes all have improved on the technologically advanced motorcycles available today, and have important roles to play, it's still the rider and other roadway users that make the greater difference in motorcycle safety.”

Research and Studies, Human Factors and Countermeasures will be included as topical areas as well as “a review of initiatives related to the ‘National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety’ (a cooperative project sponsored by the MSF and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and an update on MSF Rider Training Curricula and other Training Techniques.”  The forum will be based on safety research and knowledge about rider behavior as an outcome of research. 

Anticipated outcomes of the Conference are to improve rider education programs and tools, guide public policy formulation and enhancing public information.  In this way, MSF is fulfilling its mission: “to make motorcycling safer and more enjoyable by ensuring access to lifelong quality education and training for current and prospective riders, and by advocating a safer riding environment.”

Wendy Larkin, Conference Coordinator, states that “In the coming weeks a webpage accessed through www.msf-usa.org will provide detailed information about the conference.”  Registration will be available on line along with travel and hotel information.  Those interested will also be able to view a conference program.  The conference registration fee will be approximately $500.

The most recent U.S. International Motorcycle Safety Conference, which was also co-sponsored by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, was held in 2001 in Orlando, FL.  Twenty-one countries and 47 states were represented, totaling nearly 400 participants.