2001 Annual Report

The Commonwealth's motorcycle safety program is known as the Massachusetts Rider Education Program (MREP). The program's mission is to reduce the number of motorcycle-related fatalities and injuries and the resulting economic loss in Massachusetts by expanding the statewide availability of Motorcycle Safety Foundation-approved rider education courses as well as by increasing public awareness of the need for drivers and motorcyclists to share the road. The program also addresses the dangers of impaired riding, the benefits of helmet and protective riding gear use, as well as the need for compliance with permit and licensing requirements.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) assumed administrative control of the MREP from the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau (GHSB) in the summer of 2001. It is anticipated that legislation will be adopted in 2002 to give the RMV formal control of the MREP.

About 250,000 licensed motorcyclists, who had approximately 120,000 registered motorcycles, composed the program's customer base in 2001.

MREP-approved sites are located in Acton, Beverly, Bourne, Brockton, Haverhill, Seekonk, West Boylston, and Westfield. MREP sites trained 7,419 students in 2001, a 16.5 percent increase from the year before. The program trained approximately 38,400 students between 1990 and 2001.

Along with the Commonwealth's universal helmet law, MREP programming has helped to reduce motorcycle-related fatalities by 37% and injuries by 21% between 1990 and 2000. These improvements in safety took place even as the number of registered motorcycles in Massachusetts during this time period increased by almost 60%.

The MREP is primarily funded from a dedicated state fund, the Motorcycle Safety Fund, which was established in 1987. The Motorcycle Safety Fund receives $2 of every $20 annual motorcycle registration fee the RMV collects. The MREP also applies for and typically receives an annual federal highway safety grant through the GHSB. The program's state and federal budgets for the 2000 training season totaled approximately $246,000. The program's eight training sites are almost entirely dependent on student tuition to cover their expenses.

Year 2001 Program Highlights

• MREP sites trained 6,888 Beginner Rider Course students and 531 Experienced Rider Course students.
• 60,000 copies of the 2001 MREP brochure were distributed to legislative district offices, RMV branches, insurance agents, motorcycle dealers, motorcycle clubs, police departments and to individuals from phone and web inquiries.
• Eighty-three instructors, administrators, and guests attended the MREP's Start-of-Season Update; a national-recognized speaker on rider training issues was at the awards luncheon.
• Sixteen new training motorcycles and two storage containers were acquired for MREP sites in March.
• Start of Rider Training Season news release issued in March.
• 30-second Share the Road video public service announcement released to all TV stations; also to select cable stations.
• Live appearance by GHSB public affairs director to promote Share the Road Campaign on auction held by Springfield's PBS station in April.
• Share the Road Campaign news release issued in May. This release accompanied by gubernatorial proclamation and related photo promoting May as Motorcycle Awareness and Safety Month.
• 500 Share the Road poster distributed to RMV offices, dealers, clubs, instructors and driving schools in May-June.
• 1,000 Share the Road bumper stickers distributed in May-June.
• Share the Road Campaign ride followed by a community event attended by 400 people held at Springfield mall in May.
• 8-minute Share the Road training video distributed to all driving schools in June.
• Seventeen new instructors trained in May and June. Eleven current instructors attended Experienced Rider Course update in May.