Motorcycle Safety Awareness Workshop
Equipment and Materials
- Motorcycle Safety Awareness Video
- Presenter’s Script
- DVD Player (preferably with remote control)
- Screen Suitable for a Classroom
- Tape Measure (Activity 2.)
- Dry Erase Marker or Chalk and Eraser (Activity 2.)
- White Board or Chalk Board (Activity 2., see Script page 15)
Procedure
- Confirm Operation of Equipment in the Classroom
- Transcribe Script page 15 to Board (You may wish to have a laminated poster made which can be taped to the board.)
- Adjust Presentation Time Accordingly
- Provide Interested Students with Information on Available Motorcycle Rider Training Courses:
On Facebook search Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program
Follow-up
- For Quality Assurances, Please email to :
Driver Education Teacher(s) Name(s) and Presenter’s Name (if Guest Speaker)
School Name and City. Number of Participating Students.
Date of Presentation
Dixie ABATE of Alabama Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program
University of Montevallo AlabamaState Department of Education
Presenter’s Script To Be Used With
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Video
Goal: After completing the driver education motorcycle safety awareness workshop, the participant will demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to successfully share the road with motorcyclists.
- Please,just raise your hand to agree, disagree and comment.
- We all do manythings without thinking about them like,breathing or blinking your eyes.
- The first thing I did this morning was check my phone andget some coffee but, I don’t remember doing it. Tell me something you did this morning that you didn’t have to think about. (call on someone if no one volunteers)(laughing, scratching your head, swallowing).
- We all have our routines. Who actually thinks about each and every tooth when they brush?
- Raise a hand if you agree with this statement: “It’s good that we can think about things while we are doing other things”.(repeat if necessary)
- Think about times we shouldbe totally focused on only one thing?
- Name some times when we need to be focused onone and only one task at a time? (Provide one example, then call on random members of the class: firing a gun, brain surgery, disarming a bomb, juggling sharp knives,operating a motor vehicle, taking a test)
- This first videohas two scenarios, each with a conflict between a car and a motorcycle.
I want you focus on what the drivers could do to avoid the conflicts?
You will not see actual bloody crashes in these videos. We assume the audience can imagine the death or injury potential shown in these examples.
Play Video Aid 1. How Busy Is Too Busy
9.In that first scenario, what are someroutinebehaviors of the girls before they leave?(Hair, makeup, chatting on the phone). Do any of these behaviors continue in the car and are they distracting to the driver?
10. Let’s have a vote. Raise your hand if you say the driver is totally focused on driving the car. (If some raise their hands, then ask how they could tell the driver is totally focused).
11. Did anyone see anything that shows she isn’t totally focused on the task of driving? (Having a conversation, looking at passenger). At the intersection, what momentarily hides the motorcycle? (The bushes, utility pole.) Did she turn her head toward the stopped motorcycle? (Yes).Did she see the motorcycle? (No)
12. In the second scenario, does the driver of the red sports car have music on? (No.) Does he have a passenger?(No.) Does he seem to be paying attention to the task of driving? (Yes.)
Then, what does he do or fail to do that results in the crash with the motorcycle? (He proceeds into the intersection without determining that no traffic is approaching.)
13. Somebody describe what actually happened here. (The motorcyclist is hidden by the truck and the driver assumes his path is clear as soon as the white truck makes the right turn.)
14.What could this driver have done to remove the risk for this crash? (Proceed only after assuring entire intersection is clear.)
15. Raise your right hand for Trueor your left hand for False: This crash would be less likely if the motorcycle had been a car/truck. (Point out that a motorcycle is much easier to hide than a car or truck. Size difference is a major factor in vehicle crashes involving motorcycles.)
Activity 1.
Everyone, hold up both hands at eye level with palms facing and spread them out as far as possible. Look toward either hand. Could your hand partly or fully block your view of a motorcyclist that is 50 feet away? (Yes.) What structural member of a car/truck do your hands represent? (Forward pillars either side of the windshield.)
16. In this next video, there are four scenarios.
In each of them, the motorcycle is not hidden from the driver’s view. But yet, each of these segments shows common factors that result in crashes with motorcycles. Let’s work as a team.
(Divide the class into four groups. Assigneach group one of the scenarios on which to concentrateso that each group has a different scenario. Tell the groups that they will have the opportunity to describe what happens in THEIR scenario.)
Play Video Aid 2. How Did We Get Into This Situation?
17. Okay, we just saw four encounters back to back:
The first one involves a white car and a motorcycleat an intersection with a traffic control signal. The second one has a yellow car at a stop sign. The thirdshows an SUV being driven in town. The fourth shows a dark SUV on a four-lane country road.
18. Group one, you have the white car at the traffic light. Please tell us what happened at the intersection. (Response should include that the car driver turns left into the path of the motorcycle.)
19.Why do you think the driver drove into the path of the motorcycle?(Some factors are: Not focused on the task. Not expecting a motorcycle. Motorcycle blends into the background. Driver in a hurry.)
20. Raise your hand if you agree with this statement: “The size of motorcycles is important to consider when sharing the road.”(Repeat if necessary.)
21.Group two, you have the yellow car at the stop sign. Please describe exactly what is happening leading up to and including the crash. (Good answers include: The Driver and passenger are horsing around. Driver goes when the horseplay stops and not when he determines the road is clear.)
22. To what two things is the driver paying the most attention?(He is paying attention to his passenger and to his driving.)
23.So, to which does he seem to be giving the most attention? (His passenger.)
24.In your own words, what is the primary goal of driving? (Call on several individuals.) (Answer: To arrive safely at the destination.)
25. Raise your right hand for True and left hand for False: Under certain circumstances, one can lose sight of the primary goal while driving.
26. Group three, you have the big SUV driving around town. What happened? (The SUV driver unexpectedly turns left in front of the motorcycle causing the motorcyclist to avoid that crash by riding into the oncoming lane where another car barely misses crashing into the bike.)
27.On a 1-7 scale with 7 being high, how would you rate this driver overall? (Get some individual responses). What are some specific issues with his driving? (He adjusts the sound system, not wearing seatbelt, looking around, and no turn signal before the turn.)
28.What seems to be the attitude of the SUV driver? (He behaves like he owns the road. Appears not to be concerned with the consequences of his driving behavior.)
29. Right hand up for true, left hand up for false. “There are some drivers who just don’t want to share the road!”(Repeat the statement if needed.)
It is important to understand the consequences of our own behavior.We can never truly know what others are thinking.
30.Group Four, you have the dark SUV on the four-lane country road.
What is happening here? (The SUV driver makes an unsafe lane change causing the motorcyclist to brake and swerve to avoid a crash.)
31. Other than checking the side mirror, what should the SUV driver have done to be sure the lane was clear?
(A driver should always perform a head turn to be sure nothing is in a blind spot.) Mirrors give us some but, not all the information we need.
32. What is the advantage of a convex mirror? (A convex mirror provides a wider view.) What is a disadvantage of a convex mirror?) (Objects are closer than they appear to be.)
33. In the last four scenarios the motorcycles arenot hidden from view. However, the drivers of the other vehicles just don’t see them.
SOMECOMMON FACTORS INVOLVING MOTORCYCLES ARE:
- Motorcycles are smaller.
- Fewer motorcycles are on the road (we are not as used tosharing the road with motorcycles).
- Motorcycles are more easily hidden than larger vehicles.
- Attitudes make a difference in sharing the road.
- Mirrors don’t tell the whole story.
- Less attention to driving means greater chance of having a crash.
- The chance for a crash is even greater if we encounter a motorcycle.
34. In the next video aid, we are going to see one familiar scenario.
Hands up if you have used your phone while you were a passenger.
Okay, now hands up if you have been a passenger and the driver used a phone.
Right hand up for True, left hand up for False. Cellphone use is something most people take for granted.(True) Why does texting while driving carry greater risk?
(Mental and physical distraction from driving).
35. Somebody, please name another example of “distracted driving”.
(Call on severalto answer. Examples: Reading, Writing, Eating, DUI, Angry, Worried, Tired.)
36. Based on what we’ve covered so far, who can explain why distracted driving is even more dangerous if a motorcycle is encountered? (Call on someone if there are no volunteers and continue to challenge the class to come up with as many reasons as possible.) (Try to relate the responses to Common factors in #33 above.)
Play Video Aid 3.
Understanding the Consequences of Our Driving Behavior
37. What does the driver try to do at first? (He tries to not use the phone.)
38.Texting while driving is a big safety issue. Why can’t people seem to resist answering a text message?(Call on several students and ask others if they agree with their peers’ responses.)
39. What is the safest way to answer a text message while driving? (Stop in a safe place and then use the phone.)
40. Right hand for True, Left hand for False: Is it okay to text while waiting for a red light to change. (Safe driving requires full attention all the time. It is not safe to text while operating a vehicle.)
Activity 2.
(Have board prepared as shown on page 15)
41.(From the Main Menu, select Extras.
Now, scroll to 2. “The Looming Effect”but do not open it just yet.
42.First, let’s measure how easy it is to NOT SEE a motorcyclist coming.
You will see a motorcycle coming straight at you at thirty miles per hour.
43. If you multiply the speed in MPH by 1.5, you get feet travelled per second.
30 mph x 1.5
44. At the speed of 30 mph, how many seconds does it take a motorcycle to travel 75 feet? (Have a student calculate 75 ft. divided by 45 ft. /sec and report to the class. Write this number down on the board or paper.)
= 1.66 sec
45. (With a tape measure, have a student come up and measure in feet, the height and width of the screen you are using. Have a seated student multiply to find the area of the screen in square feet and report to the class. Write this number down on the board or paper.) Screen area: h x w = ___ sq ft (A)
Play Extras 2. “The Looming Effect.”
46. (Press PAUSE when the motorcycle stops at the 90 feet mark. Have the student measure the height and width, in feet, of the motorcycle and rider on the screen.
Have a seated student multiply to find the area of the motorcycle andrider at 90 feet and report. Write this number down on the board or paper.)
Motorcycle & rider area at 90 ft. h x w =___ sq ft (B)
Press PLAY to continue this segment. Then PAUSE at 15 ft.
47.(Press PAUSE when the motorcycle is at the 15 feet mark. Have the student measure the height and width, in feet, of the motorcycle and rider on the screen.
Have a seated student multiply to find the area of the motorcycle and rider at 15 feet and report. Write this number down on the board or paper.)
Motorcycle & rider area at 15 ft. h x w =___sq ft (C)
Press PLAY to finish this segment.
48. The motorcycle goes from a tiny speck to appear very large as it gets closer. Let’s compare the size at 90 feet with the size at 15 feet anddiscover how easy it is to NOT SEE a motorcycle coming.
49. (Have a student divide the motorcycle and rider area(B) at 90 feet by the screenarea(A) and then multiply the result by 100. This gives the percent(D)thatthe motorcycle and riderfill the screen at 90 feet away. Write this percent on the board or paper.)
50. (Have another student divide the motorcycle and rider area(C)at 15 feet by the screen area(A) and then multiply the result by 100. This gives the percent(E)that the motorcycle and rider fill the screen at 15 feet away. Write this percent next to the percent just written.)
51.(Now, have a student subtract to find the difference in the two percentages.)
(Write this this on board or paper.)
52. Let’s compare:
How many seconds does it take a motorcycle moving at 30mph to travel 75 feet? (1.66 sec)
What percent of the screen area does the motorcycle and rider occupy at 90 feet?
(State the smaller percentage.) %D
What percent of the screen area does the motorcycle and rider occupy at 15 feet?
(State the larger percentage.) %E
What is the percent increase in the size of the motorcycle and rider from 90 feet to 15 feet? (State the difference in the two percentages.)
53.True or False? It is (state the difference %) easier to NOT SEE a motorcyclist at 90 feet away than at 15 feet away and it takes 1.66 seconds for the motorcyclist to travel from 90 feet to 15 at 30 mph. (True)
54. True or False? A motorcycle and rider appear tiny until they almost crash into the vehicle you are driving. (True)
55. True or False? A motorcyclist is much easier to see than a car. (False)
NOTE: If time is short, you may proceed to Activity 3. (# 60), which takes 3-5 minutes.
56.Okay, let’s review. I need two volunteers to come stand here beside me. (Choose two class members who have not participated as much as others.)
57. I am going to replay four of the scenarios. At the end of each scenario, we will hear a gong sound. Then our volunteers will take turns picking one of you to answer to this question: “What should the driver have donedifferently?”
Play Video Aid 4.
What Should Be Happening?
58.(PAUSE at the gong sound at the end of the first scenario.)
(Have a volunteer choose someone to answer the question.):
“What should the driver have done differently?”
(When properly answered, repeat for each of the next three scenarios and alternate among the volunteers.)
59. Today we have become more aware of how to share the road with motorcycles.
In Extras, Play “The Looming Effect” With No Pause
Note: (If ending the program here, go to Main Menu, then “1. Motorcycle Safety Course”,
PLAY “5. When we all work together.”)
Activity 3.
60.(From the Main Menu, select Extras. Select and play1.“Motion Blindness”.)
61. Everyone look at the three motorcycle headlights that are not blinking. Now, look only at the blinkingone in the middle and concentrate on it.
What seems to happen to the motorcycle headlights? (They disappear and reappear. But, they never really disappear.)
62. How does this visual animation relate to learning to share the road with motorcyclists? (Call on someone. Encourage discussion. By keeping our eyes moving, we are better able search the roadway, evaluate what we see and apply that to our driving.)Try it now! If you keep your eyes moving over the screen, the three dots remain steady. They don’t blink!
63. True or False? It is possible to look at an oncoming motorcyclist and not see it. (True)
64. Can anyone guess what the most common statement by a car/truck driver is after crashing into a motorcyclist? (“I just didn’t see it”.)
From Menu 1. “Motorcycle Safety Course”,
Play 5. “When We All Work Together”(Six scenarios are shown with no driving errors)
65. (You can let this run without comment, direct students’ attention to correct driver actions, or have student(s) identify the corrected driver actions.)
Copy this chart onto board or prepare a laminated poster for use with Activity 2.
From 90 feet, the motorcycle and rider take ______% of the view.
From 15 feet, they take ____ % of the view. It takes _____ seconds to travel from 90 feet to 15 feet.
In _____ seconds, the motorcycle and rider become ____% more visible.
1