YORKTOWN — The Virginia State Police is offering its free program this May in recognition of National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
Ride 2 Save Lives (R2SL) was designed as a self-assessment course for motorcyclists. This free course will teach riders how to handle hazards, special situations, highways, curve negotiations, and other potential safety risks that they may face. Additionally, the class will give participants the opportunity to practice the skills necessary for a variety of situations that they may encounter.
“The sun is out and the beautiful weather is calling Virginia’s motorcycling community to our highways,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, superintendent of Virginia State Police. “Rider safety is of the utmost importance, as riding a motorcycle is a unique experience with its own unique safety concerns.”
According to a 2019 study performed by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Commonwealth had 1,960 motorcycle accidents that year. Of those, there were 1,529 reported injuries and 89 fatalities. To read more about this study, click here.
On May 22 at 8:30 a.m., the Virginia State Police will host the course at Water’s Edge Church, located at 6830 George Washington Memorial Highway in Yorktown. Additional courses will be held across Virginia during that same timeframe.
All participants are required to have a valid operator’s license with a Class ‘M’ endorsement, appropriate riding attire, a helmet, and eye protection. The motorcycles must be street legal and helmets must be Department of Transportation approved.
For more information or to register for the event, visit the Virginia State Police’s Eventbrite page by clicking here. Additional information and resources can be found on the website for the organization, Toward Zero Deaths, which advocates for traffic safety across the Commonwealth.
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