A new Florida law takes effect tomorrow: New motorcyclists and scooterists are required to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course before being granted a motorcycle license. Bravo.
In Utah, also starting in July, riders under 19 will need to get a 2-month learners’ permit before getting a full endorsement, and all riders will not be allowed to operate a motorcycle bigger than the one they passed their test. Both these rules are steps in the right direction, though a “tested displacement” limit seems a bit unrealistic even to supporters of stepped displacement licensing.
I am not against the required MSF course, but I would rather see an overhaul of the standard DL test. For every bad two wheel driver there are dozens of bad 4 wheel drivers. 2 wheelers are mainly going to hurt themselves while a bad car driver can cause real damage to everyone and everything around them. As someone who holds a truck driver’s license as well, the commercial driver’s license test is frighteningly easy to pass. We don’t need more laws that tell us how, where and what to ride. Motorcycles and scooters are easy targets for legislation because we are a minority. Lawmakers need to stop taking the easy way out.
I live in Florida and I agree with setbuilder. Florida has some of the most dangerous cagers I’ve ever seen (and I’ve lived all over the USA). This new law is discriminatory. Florida should require the exact same level of professional training to obtain automobile licensing as they are requiring for motorcycle licenses.
Doesn’t Florida require professional training to obtain automobile licensing? I remember when I got my drivers license in MN I took 40 hours of classroom training to get my permit and 6 hours of one on one behind the wheel training.