The state of Washington has a new Web site aimed at motorcyclists riding without the proper license endorsement.
The new site, endorseyoursport.com, gives riders information about how and why they should be endorsed. If you click on the image of the motorcycle facing the car, and then click on the image on the next screen, you can watch the Public Safety Announcement video (PSA) that will be airing across Washington state.
The Washington Motorcycle Safety Task Force determined that unendorsed riders are overrepresented in fatalites and concluded that the most important factors involving motorcycle crashes are within the control of the rider. Their 2006 study of motorcycle fatalities states “A combination of increased training, greater public awareness, and enforcement targeting the primary risk factors herein should lead to a reduction of fatalities and serious injuries among motorcyclists.”
New legislation in the state, effective July 22, allows law enforcement to impound any motorcycle whose operator is not properly endorsed. The law is expected to encourage unendorsed riders to think about getting the proper license and taking a training class.