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Safer Motorcycle Riding

By Steve Lombardi

Iowa has a program titled MRE or Motorcycle Rider Education.

What is the Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) Program? Iowa has a Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) Program administered by the Office of Driver Services of the Department of Transportation. Iowa's MRE program teaches Basic Rider Course (BRC) of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). This course has a minimum 15 hours of core instruction - 5 spent in the classroom in preparation for 10 hours of range activities. You must successfully pass a knowledge test as well as a skill test to receive a certificate of completion..

Basic skills taught are: Riding in a Straight Line + Turning + Shifting and Stopping

The next level of instruction is the application of these basic skills to on-street riding conditions.

Who teaches it? Only Iowa-licensed, MSF-certified rider coaches teach the BRC program.

Who can or must take it? Any person 14 years of age or older, with or without a Class M license, may take the course to learn, refresh or improve safe riding skills. And the licensing skills test may be waived upon successful completion of the course.

Iowa Code section 321.180B requires any person under the age of 18 who wants a Class M license - valid for the operation of a motorcycle - to successfully complete the motorcycle rider education course before the Class M license will be issued.

What does it cost? Motorcycle rider education in Iowa is supported in part by an additional fee of one dollar per year for the Class M license. The balance comes from student tuition. Your out-of-pocket cost, which varies by sponsor, ranges from about $85 to $115.

Where can I take it? The training season, somewhat weather dependent, varies throughout the state. However, the course is generally available from early April through mid-October. Sponsors of the BRC include 13 of Iowa's 15 community colleges, ABATE of Iowa, Inc., and ARIES, Inc. Iowa also has the Harley Davidson Rider Edge Program, currently with 3 sponsors, Zysltra's Harley Davidson of Ames, Harley Davidson/Buell Cycle Center of Waterloo and Wilwerts Harley Davidson of Dubuque. The course is taught at all 15 community colleges, either by the college or the mobile programs of ABATE and ARIES.

Office of Driver Services, Park Fair Mall, 100 Euclid Ave., P.O. Box 9204, Des Moines, IA 50306-9204
800-532-1121 Toll-Free in Iowa, 515-237-3153 Local Des Moines, 515-239-1837 Fax, ods@max.state.ia.us

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on March 06, 2008 (boomark / email).