All 50 states and the District of Columbia issue special licenses to those looking to operate a motorcycle. And, like many other states, Florida requires license applicants to pass a motorcycle safety course to obtain theirs.
The state waives the class for new residents with licenses from other states, but only if the applicant’s home state also requires completing a safety course to issue the license.
In any case, inexperience is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents, and a safety course will improve your odds of surviving or outright avoiding a collision.
On that note, should you ever be injured in a motorcycle crash in St. Petersburg, FL, Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys can evaluate your claim by determining what happened and who bears the fault. Contact our law firm or call us at (727) 933-0015 for more information by scheduling a free initial consultation.
How Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in St. Petersburg, FL
Founded in 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida, Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys works to assist accident victims in pursuing compensation from those who injured them. Our St. Petersburg motorcycle accident lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injured clients.
After sustaining an injury in a motorcycle accident, our attorneys can help by providing you with the following:
- A free consultation in which you can explain your injuries and understand your options for compensation
- A legal team with over 25 years of combined experience to prepare your insurance claim
- Seasoned litigators who will negotiate a settlement or litigate in court to recover damages
A motorcycle crash can happen regardless of your experience should another driver act negligently. Contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys to discuss your injuries and the compensation you may be able to pursue for them.
Do Motorcycle Safety Courses Work?
Every state requires that motorcycle applicants take a motorcycle safety course or pass a road test, barring Alabama, which grants motorcycle licenses to applicants based solely on a written test. As such, Florida does not grant motorcycle licenses to holders of Alabama motorcycle licenses unless they prove they took a motorcycle safety course in addition to the written exam.
States require passing a safety course because motorcycle training is shown to work and protect riders.
About 20% of motorcycle operators are unlicensed, and multiple studies have shown that these individuals have a higher likelihood of getting into accidents and dying while on the road. In fact, one study showed that 33% of fatal accidents involved unlicensed operators, and another found that 55% of all motorcycle crashes involved riders without licenses.
Motorcycle Safety Course Requirements in Florida
Motorcycle license applicants in Florida must take a version of the Basic RiderCourse (BRC), and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) approves all course providers. As such, if you take a safety course from an unapproved provider, the FLHSMV will not accept your completion certificate.
The BRC includes five hours of classroom instruction and ten hours of riding instruction, and the FLHSMV requires that providers follow the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s (MSF) course syllabus, which takes 15 hours to complete.
Most providers spread the course over two days, administering a written test at the end of the classroom portion and a skills test following the riding portion. These tests substitute for written and road tests formerly administered by the FLHSMV.
When you take the BRC, you must wear clothing appropriate for riding a motorcycle, such as:
- Long pants
- A long-sleeve shirt
- Gloves
- High-top shoes or boots
You do not need a motorcycle, helmet, or protective glasses, as the course provider will supply these to all students. Due to safety and insurance concerns, most course providers will not allow students to bring their motorcycles or helmets.
Motorcycle Course Contents
The classroom portion of the BRC covers the following:
- Motorcycle controls and equipment
- Risks while riding a motorcycle
- Strategies to reduce risk
- How to deal with common riding scenarios
- What to do in an emergency
- Effects of driving under the influence
The riding portion of the BRC includes hands-on training that involves:
- Inspecting the motorcycle
- Mounting and riding positions
- Operating the clutch to start and shift gears
- Starting and stopping
- Maneuvering at low speeds
- Cornering and managing traction on curves
- Stopping quickly and maneuvering around tight turns
- Understanding stopping distance
- Maneuvering in tight spaces
- Changing lanes
- Emergency swerves and stops to avoid traffic congestion and road defects
An instructor will test your skills at the end of the riding portion.
Course Completion
Upon completing the course, the provider will issue a printed certificate and upload your records to the FLHSMV database. You will then visit your county’s FLHSMV office to pay your fees and submit your motorcycle license application.
If all of your paperwork is in order, the FLHSMV will either issue a motorcycle-only license or add a Class M endorsement to your driver’s license. This will allow you to operate two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our St. Petersburg Motorcycle Accident Attorneys If You Were Injured in a Crash
A motorcycle crash can happen even if you comply with the state’s education and training requirements. Contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys at (727) 933-0015 for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your motorcycle crash injuries and the compensation you may be able to seek for them.
