Here We Go The status of Indiana Motorcycle Rider Education

Reprinted from the March 2010 issue of "Hoosier Motorcyclist" magazine

Every month we have been able to reveal a little more about what’s going on with motorcycle safety. We have released information in a measured manner to make certain that we don’t inadvertently, or prematurely, make the situation worse and mostly because we just haven’t had solid, factual information to share. Now here we are in March, when we would typically have begun registration in February and started our earliest classes in late March, still looking for some answers.

Changes in the administration at the Indiana Department of Education in the last year, combined with the economy, will result in some differences in rider education in the state. Countless hours have gone into insuring that we continue to offer Hoosier motorcyclists the finest training available. Our goal throughout this process has been to present a program that appears exactly the same as it has been, at least from the perspective of students and instructors.

Rider course students and motorcycle safety instructors should not notice any real changes as we start the 2010 season. However, administratively there are a number of things that will be different.

Although ABATE of Indiana has been conducting rider education for more than 30 years, has been the primary contractor for the DOE program since its inception (23 years), and amassed hundreds of awards and national recognition for the success of our program, this year the state felt compelled to open the program for bids. From the beginning, our biggest concern with this process was the timing (proposals were due January 6, 2010 with the target date for awarding the contract in February).

Historically, we start preparing for the next year just as we end the current season near the end of October. There are hundreds of bikes and about 20 facilities to maintain, more than 200 instructors to update and verify certification for, insurance and property use agreements to get in order, materials and supplies to acquire, student and instructor schedules to prepare, enrollment to organize… and the list goes on.

Despite the fact that ABATE of Indiana was the only response to the DOE’s request for proposals (RFP), we have yet to receive a contract for the 2010 season as of this writing (mid-February).  

While there are some good people at DOE, at the time the RFP was drafted there was no one with any rider education experience or background involved with drafting the RFP. In fact, there was no motorcycle experience of any kind and the DOE Motorcycle Operator Safety Education Program Advisory Committee was not even consulted.

We remain confident that a contract will be issued at some time. Furthermore, come hell or high water, ABATE of Indiana will insure that Hoosiers will continue to have access to affordable, quality, rider education.  

There will be changes. Despite a history in rider education that dates back to the 1960s, Indiana State University was unable to participate in the “bid” process. Due to our long-standing relationship with them, we included ISU as a sub-contractor in our proposal so that they may continue their tenure in motorcycle safety.

Other sites were not so fortunate. There will be no rider education in Angola, Bloomington or Kokomo in 2010. This is related to the numbers and dollars specified in the RFP, which reflect a decrease of more than 20% from the previous contract of nearly 7,000 in 2009 to 5,500 Basic Rider Course students allowed for in 2010. Indiana set a record for motorcycle registrations in 2008 with more than 200,000 and was off by less than one percent in 2009. Each of these registrations adds seven dollars to the fund (non-reverting, dedicated fund), yet the RFP for 2010 only provides $655,000 for rider training.

We reiterate, that from the student and instructor perspective there are virtually no changes other than the 20 percent reduction in numbers. However, we (Indiana motorcyclists) have got a lot of work to do. The 2011 session of the Indiana General Assembly will be a “budget year” when they will craft the budget for the next two years. We have asked for more of “our” money in each of the last three budget cycles. We are going to need your help in this next year, and perhaps sooner. Continue to monitor the ABATE website for ABATE ALERTS.

I wish we had more facts to share, but this is where we are right now. We appreciate your patience and support. Regardless of what happens, we will have a wonderful training season because that is up to us.

Ride Safe,
Jay Jackson