BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Public Safety is providing safety courses to hundreds of motorcycle owners this year with hopes that increased training will slow the steadily rising death rate involving the popular two-wheeled vehicles.

In 2009, 104 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in Louisiana, a 28-percent increase from 2008 and a 30-percent jump from five years ago. Forty-one percent of the 2009 deaths were in alcohol-involved crashes and 46 percent were single-vehicle crashes.

State safety officials have seen an increase in motorcycle-related serious crashes and fatalities in the last few years and point to the growing popularity of the two-wheeled vehicles as a possible contributing cause. The number of motorcycles registered in Louisiana increased by 12.6 percent between 2008 and 2010.

“Regardless of what’s causing the increase in deaths, we know that a certified safety training course like the one offered by DPS makes graduates safer motorcycle operators,” said Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. “An automobile crashing into another vehicle at 20 miles per hour will often result in only property damage. But the chances of injury or even death are considerably higher when a motorcycle crashes at that same speed.”

Earlier this year, DPS began offering two-day, 15-hour courses designed for beginner or returning motorcyclists with emphasis on the special skills and mental attitude necessary for navigating safely in traffic. A similar course was previously conducted by the Louisiana Department of Education, but responsibility for the course was transferred to DPS as part of a governmental reorganization.

“Operating a motorcycle is more complex than driving a car,” explained Col. Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police superintendent. “People sometimes buy a motorcycle and believe they can just hop on it and drive away. Being a good automobile or truck driver doesn’t necessarily mean you’re qualified or have the skills to properly operate a motorcycle. Far too often we see inexperienced riders involved in serious and sometimes even fatal crashes. This valuable training will provide motorcyclists with the necessary skills to prevent not only crashes and injuries but most importantly, unnecessary deaths.”

A 2006 study conducted by the University of California for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 92 percent of motorcycle riders in the crashes studied were self-taught or learned from family or friends. The study also found that a leading cause of crashes between automobiles and motorcycles involved motorists’ failure to detect or recognize motorcycles in traffic, and that the typical motorcycle crash allows the operator less than two seconds to complete all collision avoidance action. The study concluded that “motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.”

The Department of Public Safety motorcycle training courses for beginners are offered across Louisiana and consist of five hours of classroom study and 10 hours of practical experience on a motorcycle. Instructors are nationally certified and classes typically consist of about a dozen students. DPS anticipates it will train up to 1,800 people this year. The course costs $25 for students who use their own motorcycle for the training and $100 for those who need to have one provided to them. Advanced courses are $25.

Under Louisiana law, motorcycle operators are required to have a motorcycle “endorsement” on their driver’s license. Applicants for such an endorsement are required to pass both a written and driving test. Graduates of the state training program are not required to take the driving test to obtain an endorsement. Motorcycle owners are required to have an endorsed driver’s license in order to obtain insurance for their vehicle.

For the remainder of 2010 courses are scheduled in or near Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Thibodaux, Hammond and West Monroe. Additional information and registration forms can be obtained at www.lahighwaysafety.org or by calling 225-925-6113, Ext. 224.