NJ Ride Safe

          With thousands of people getting on motorcycles everyday, it is important to get trained and certified as a rider.  Riding a motorcycle isn’t a game or a joke; it is just like driving a car, you need to know what your doing to lower the risk of being hurt or hurting someone else.  This company is to help people find the right riding course for them and a safe location to learn; there are over 16 different locations in NJ.

            This course is offered to anyone who wants to learn how to ride a motorcycle or for someone who has a license already and want to improve their riding skills.  The age of people who attend these classes range from 18 years old all the way to 70 years old.  Even if you have no desire to get a motorcycle, it is a great course to become more aware of your surrounds when driving any sort of vehicle. 

            The instructors work with you until you understand what you are doing.  If they see someone having trouble with a skill they will take them aside and work with them until they are able to do it.  The instructors are there to help the learners with the skills so they are able to ride on the road as safe as possible.  During the classes there is a break for lunch where the students can actually talk with the instructors one on one as well to take about different skills. 

            There are two different courses; the first is BRC- Basic Rider Course.  This is the starter course for first time riders.  This course can be taken in two days or three days.  The course on the website is described like this; “The BRC is designed for beginning riders. It is a also a great refresher course for returning riders who have not ridden for a while. Approximately five hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding exercises in a controlled environment provide a complete introduction to motorcycling.”  The class takes about two-three session to complete.  This course will help you learn to balance and ride a motorcycle; it will teach you the correct and safe thing to do if there ever was a bad situation while riding. 

            The second course is called BRC2, also known as ERC, which means formally experienced rider course.  This course is for riders who have experience and need to either get points reduced on their license or just want to sharpen their skills.  This course the rider will have to provide his or her own motorcycle and gear. ERC is a one-day course, which takes up to 4-6 hours in a controlled riding setting. 

            The course is meant to be a fun and safe environment for people to learn in.  The goal of these classes is to educate you in the rules of the road as a motorcyclist and to make sure you can be a safe rider.  Prices vary from each location; to get more information about each course and locations go to http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/njridesafe/.