Celebrate National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month with ProRider classes

Sierra Marling, Richmond Register, Ky.
Updated ·4 min read

May 8—Sierra Marling

According to data from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, there were 5,932 motorcyclists killed in 2021, representing 14% of all traffic fatalities, despite the fact that only 3% of registered vehicles were motorcycles.

In an effort to lower those numbers and give Richmond's motorcycle scene a safety boost, Lieutenant Daniel Deaton is introducing local cyclists to his ProRider class.

On Saturday, May 6, Deaton gathered his first ProRider class in the parking lot of Madison Central High School. A group of local motorcyclists with various years of experience could be seen slowly navigating around cones and obstacles, some tipping over onto the pavement.

According to Deaton, the classes are conducted by police motor officers who have successfully completed police motor school. In terms of curriculum, cover low -speed maneuvers, confined space turns, crash avoidance, and various braking challenges.

He added that learning how to comfortably navigate closely-packed quarters, like parking lots, is important for riders. The parking lot was set up for riders to practice 90-degree turns and large, slow turns, for this purpose.

"If you look at the ground, you're gonna hit the ground," said Deaton.

As a long-time certified motorcycle officer at the Richmond Police Department, Deaton has worked on the scene of numerous motorcycle crashes. In his professional opinion, distracted driving is the most prominent issue for motorcyclists on the road.

"Every time you get out on the road, you have to ride defensively watching out for everybody else. People obviously text and drive — they just get wrapped up in anything but driving and paying attention. They don't look for motorcycles, so the guys on the motorcycles have to be more vigilant and pay more attention to what's going on around them," he explained.

However, he also said that motorcyclists who drive beyond their abilities are a danger to themselves on the road.

"I've seen and worked motorcycle wrecks that I know could have been avoided had they known how to properly break and properly maneuver their motorcycle," Deaton added.

Deaton's interest in teaching motorcycle safety stemmed from that desire to prevent further accidents. While he acknowledged that it is a business, he expressed that money was secondary in this endeavor.

"It's not just a moneymaker for me," he said. "I want to see people ride better. If I never had to work another motorcycle wreck again, that'd be great. I'm just making sure that people are safe and know what they're doing."

There are different ProRider classes offered, including a $250 8-hour Advanced Skills, a four hour Defensive Driving course, and a four-hour Precision and Control course, both costing $150 per rider. On his website, he boasts that the classes are "guaranteed to improve your riding ability and riding confidence."

Larry Conley, who has been riding motorcycles for approximately 43 years, said that the techniques in the class are more difficult than they look.

"I've been riding for, actually quite a while, and I've realized I'm not that good of a rider," he said with a chuckle. "It ain't that easy."

Conley said, for him, the most difficult learning experience of the day was becoming comfortable with leaning with the heavy motorcycle to navigate the tight course. However, he understands the necessity after being in a motorcycle accident before.

"This builds the skills to prevent that stuff," he said. "This is meant to improve your skills. I don't know why anybody who rides a motorcycle wouldn't do something like this."

Deaton stressed that the ProRider course he teaches is considered an advanced-level course and is meant to improve safety outcomes for people who already understand the basics of riding a motorcycle. However, he says that he is on the path to being able to complete beginner's courses through Harley Davidson in the future.

"Harley [Davidson] — and a couple other places — offer the state Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, which is the beginner course. You actually use motorcycles that Harley owns. They are smaller bikes, and they will teach you how to ride," he explained.

"So we [ProRider] actually work on teaching you how to ride your bike, how to bond with your bike, how to ride your bike better, and improve your skills," he added.

According to Deaton, the classes also count towards educational credits that can lower insurance prices.

Anyone interested in learning more about ProRider courses can contact Deaton at 859-779-9514 or PRORIDERRKY@GMAIL.COM. There is also more information on his website: https://www.proriderrichmond.com.