Students at Salt Lake Community College are revving up their skills through the Beginning Riders course, a hands-on motorcycle safety program that helps beginners learn the fundamentals of riding safely and confidently.
The course has been offered through Salt Lake Tech since the mid-1990s. The program runs every weekend from late February through early November. Courses are offered in Taylorsville, South Ogden, Hurricane, and Jordan locations.
The Beginning Riders course blends online lessons with on-the-bike training to teach students proper handling, control, and safety awareness. The program’s main goal, according to Motorcycle Rider Program Manager Steven King, is to prepare new riders for real-world traffic situations while encouraging responsibility and confidence on the road.
“Our goal is to provide students with an opportunity to learn to ride or enhance their existing skills, and to provide training encouraging riders to practice skills and develop mindsets which will improve their safety,” said King, who has taught at SLCC since 2003.
A program with history and purpose
According to King, motorcycle safety education in Utah has been around for decades, getting its start at Hill Air Force Base in 1978.
“The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has updated training as an ongoing priority through the years, as equipment, motorcycles, and roads have changed in the communities we serve,” he said.
Before touching a bike, students complete an online safety course. Then, they attend two six-hour riding sessions where instructors walk them through 14 practical exercises, from basic throttle control to emergency braking and cornering.
“Students start by choosing a motorcycle to ride and going over the parts of the motorcycle and how the controls work before we ever start the motorcycles,” King said.
Student experience
Former SLCC student Katelyn Johnson said the course provided a low-pressure, welcoming setting to learn something new.
Although she had no prior riding experience, Johnson said knowing how to drive a manual car helped her understand motorcycle shifting. “I did not [have riding experience] but understanding how [manual] shifting worked helped a little,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the course helped her see just how much awareness and precision riding safely requires.
“I feel like I realized how difficult riding slowly can be, and needing to be cautious on U-turns, especially,” Johnson said. “It showed me how much others care about your safety when riding and how important it is to pay attention to your surroundings.”
After completing the course and passing her final evaluation, Johnson said the feeling was unforgettable.
“It felt cool and accomplished to pass the test,” exclaimed Johnson. “I would definitely recommend the course; I want to take it again because I didn’t end up going to the DMV to get my actual license … gotta love procrastination.”
Emphasizing education and safety
Motorcycle education works, and the data supports that riders are at much greater risk without proper training. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, “motorcyclists are about 24 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash per vehicle miles traveled.”
King said motorcycle education is more than just about learning to ride; it’s about survival.
“Motorcycle training is important for many reasons, but the primary reason is to instill in riders the importance of having safety as a priority,” King said. “With today’s volume of vehicles and the speeds at which they travel, motorcycles are more vulnerable than they once were.”
Students interested in signing up for SLCC’s Beginning Riders course can find details on the SLCC Motorcycle Training Program website or learn more about safety standards from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
