Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rolls Out Satellite Media Tour to Launch Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May
IRVINE, Calif.--April 29, 2002--Film, Stage and Television Star, Perry King, a 38-Year Motorcycle
Riding Veteran, Is Spokesperson in Nationwide Broadcast Blitz
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) today announced that it is conducting a satellite media tour May 3 to launch national MAY (Motorcycle, Awareness and You) Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
Perry King, the veteran stage, film and television actor ("Riptide," "Melrose Place" and "Titans") most recently guest starring in television's "Spin City," is hosting the tour, to be taped and aired live by selected local news stations nationwide. King is an avid motorcyclist with nearly 40 years of experience, he owns over 20 bikes, and is an advocate for safe, straight riding.
As motorcycle sales are booming (nearing 10 straight years of consecutive sales growth) and May is the start of the riding season in many areas across the country, this is an ideal time to broadcast information about motorcycle safety.
"MSF's mission is to make the nation's streets and highways safer for motorcyclists through rider training programs, operator licensing programs and public information campaigns," said Elisabeth Piper, director of corporate affairs at MSF. "This satellite media tour is one of our best opportunities to reach motorists so that they will become more familiar with the motorcyclist's view of the highway, and ask car drivers to share the road with riders."
Piper said that NHTSA statistics reveal that more than two-thirds of car/motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers, not by motorcyclists. The car driver either doesn't see the oncoming motorcyclist or doesn't see the motorcyclist in time to avoid a collision.
Piper added that other goals of the satellite media tour are to encourage motorcyclists to:
| -- | Wear the proper riding gear, such as full-face helmets with eye protection, full-fingered gloves, boots, a proper jacket, and long pants. |
| -- | Take an MSF Basic RiderCourse(SM) (www.motorcycles.org or 800-446-9227 for more information), which provides valuable information in a participant-centered training environment for riders of all levels, and focuses on basic riding skills (straight-line riding, turning, shifting, braking) and on practicing traffic management strategies (SEE -- search, evaluate, execute). |
| -- | Ride straight -- don't drink and drive. |
Since its inception in 1973, MSF has supported state and independent programs in providing instruction to more than 2.2 million motorcyclists. The number of students has grown steadily, including an increase of nearly 12 percent in 2000 versus 1999, and an increase of 19 percent in 1999 versus 1998.
The media tour is funded by MSF using a partial grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to complement funding from MSF's member companies.
About the Motorcycle Safety Foundation
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is a national, not-for-profit organization promoting the safety of motorcyclists with programs in rider training, operator licensing and public information. MSF is sponsored by the U.S. manufacturers and distributors of BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Piaggio/Vespa, Suzuki, Victory and Yamaha motorcycles.
NOTE TO MEDIA:
The MAY motorcycle awareness television broadcast is available nationwide on May 3 and can be scheduled by contacting MediaLink (Tina Pashos, 800/562-7315). Other media please contact MSF for interviews and more information (Elisabeth Piper, Director, Corporate Affairs, 949-727-3227, ext. 3077).