Increasing Number of Motorcyclists Demands Increased Attention to Rider Safety

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 11, 2010… Summer’s here and more motorcyclists are hitting the roads than ever before.  According to a recent survey by the Motorcycle Industry Council, the number of motorcycles owned and used in America grew 19 percent since 2003.  That means an estimated 25 million people – equal to the population of Michigan! – swung a leg over a bike and rode last year.

Baby boomers, many with their children grown and more time or their hands, make up 44 percent of all riders, according to the survey.  Unfortunately, riders 40 and older also make up a large portion of motorcycle accidents, with fatalities in this group nearly quadrupling in the last 10 years, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Forty-five percent of those fatalities were caused by rider error.

“Summer is a prime time for motorcycle accidents,” says Jim Millard, lead motorcycle instructor at the BMW Performance Driving School in Greer, S.C.  “More motorcyclists and automobiles are sharing the road than at any other time during the year.”

Millard suggests that riders take a refresher course with a qualified instructor before venturing out, and offers these rider safety tips:

• When riding, keep the eyes scanning!  It’s imperative that you look way ahead and gather information early so you have time to react.   Always “lead" the bike with your eyes by looking where you intend to go. This means looking through a cornerbefore you ask the bike to negotiate the corner.

• Understand your bikes braking capabilities. It’s a good idea for riders to know their bike’s ability to slow down.  This can be a scary thing to learn, so a lot of riders don't learn it until they NEED their brakes’ full potential and that is not the time to learn it.  Good rider training classes will have a session on braking techniques and these exercises will give you the confidence and understanding of how to utilize your brakes effectively in an emergency situation. This should include bikes with and without ABS.

The BMW Performance Center offers motorcycle training classes for on- and off-road enthusiasts.  Sessions range from classroom instruction and drills on-site at the BMW Performance Center’s on- or off-road courses to an all-inclusive guided three-day GS Adventure Ride traversing the back roads of the western Carolinas and eastern Tennessee.

For information or reservations, call (888) 345-4269, or click on the following

link: http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Experience/Events/PDS/ProgramsandCourses/Motorcycle.aspx

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BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW

passenger car centers, 336 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 99 MINI passenger car dealers, and 31 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

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