HoustonCH73 wrote:
I'm torn on this one. I can't see how this would be a bad thing for safety. However, I don't like it when the govt mandates things such as safety courses. I could see the courses getting watered down, "certificate mills" popping up where instructors just quickly go thru the motions with only the goal of grabbing your money, writing a completion certificate and getting you out of their face.

I'm not convinced this will help with TX safety. I've heard that already 20% of people on teh road don't have insurance and a similar amount dont have motorcycle endorsements.

The safety issue is mainly directed at a statewide campaign to bring motorcycle awareness to cage drivers. A share the road campaign. The bill also provides for penalties for bodily injury to another person as a result of failure to yield the right of way to another vehicle. The safety course requirement is for applications of original endorsements only. Those that already have the endorsement do not need to take the course to keep it. BTW, it would seem the awareness, share the road campaign has already started, at least to a small degree. I saw an electronic sign on I35 just south of the Texas Oklahoma line that read something to the affect of share the road with motorcycles. I think this will be a good thing. As far as the safety course is concerned, I think even a watered down course would do good. Any information at all is beneficial. There are a lot of riders out on the roads these days that have no business on a bike. The feet dragers as I call them are a sure sign of someone that has very limited skills in riding. You know, the riders that drag their feet for 20 yards when the light turns green? They drag their feet until they get up to 30 mph and they are comfortable they won't fall over when they put their feet up on the pegs. They could probably benefit from a course. The old salts have learned from practical experience over many years of logging miles. I am an ole salt, but I have noticed that the driving style of the cagers changes as time goes by. The drivers of today are far more aggressive and less attentive than the drivers of 20 or 30 years ago. We bikers need to be aware of this and adapt so that we may remain alive.