Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

E • ~ E • InstruetGr Jerry LaPay has been teaching new rIdera at Long Beach City College for the last 15 years. A former motorcycle cop with LBPD, LaPay's advice comes from yeers of experience. Education,l1ot regulation By Pat Phillips Proof that education, not regulation, is the key to motorcycle safety can be found in the city of Long Beach. For 15 years, G.J. "Jerry" LaPay has taught at Motorcycle Education and Training course sponsored by Long Beach City College in conjunc. .h b L 1>_ h S I: non ~t t e O?g ucac alety Council and Police Department. 20 Sanctioned by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the program has received the Nationa! Motorcycle Safety Foundation's "Best Motorcycle Safety Course" award for two years. "People have been coming back for 14 yean to tell us that this class saved their lives," LaPay said. "We've never had a serious injury during the class and, as far as we can determine, no one who completed the course has ever been involved in a fatal accident." LaPay encourages' students who have completed the course to keep in touch. A surprisingly large number do, which helps him keep statistics as current as possible. Fifteen years ago, LaPay was a Long Beach motor officer who became increasingly alarmed at the ignorance of both car drivers and bike riders. "It wasn't just the accidents I saw in~ol~g bikes that upset me," LaPay said. ~very car on the road se=led detenmned to try to rake me out." He conceived the idea of a fourweek program using four three-hour classroom lectures and four three-hour riding classes to ·teach motorcycle safety as pan of high school driver's education training. "It was a matter of self preservation," LaPay said. "Mine and every other biker's." . Unable to get the program accepted in high schools, he did manage to pick up sponsorship through .LBCC. Classes have been held monthly (except August) at the Pacific Coast campus ever since. 'LaPay retired from the police force two years ago but continues to give Friday night lectures. Saturday riding clinics are taught by LaPay and LBPD motor officer Carl Mauger. Both instructors feel that at least a brief version of the- program should be incorporated into high school driver's education classes. "A few years ago, California Department of Motor Vehicle's examiners didn't know the first thing about motorycles," LaPay said. "Yet, they determined who would or wouldn't be issued Fourth Class licenses. " Six years ago, the California DMV put all their examiners through the safety training course. Chauncey Doxstater, a Long Beach DMV examiner, took the class three years ago. Now he rides a full dress Honda 7!'10. "We try to be on hand during the last riding class of eac~ full session to issue permits and licenses," Doxstater said. Permits are issued to anyone who passes LaPay's written exam. Licenses are issued. to riders who have been recommended by the instructors and pass the final simulated street ri~ing course. under the scrutiny of the DMV examiner present. "It's a great program," Doxstater said. "I took it and, believe me, anyone who can pass his (LaPay's) written test doesn't need to take ours. His is much more comprehensive." Riding techniques, DMV rules, handling of emer~ncy situations and common sense safety are covered in the !'IO question exam. During lectures LaPay uses a blackboard to present every possible emergency confrontation imaginable and the best method of avoiding or handling the problems. "The idea is to make every situation a familiar one," LaPay said. "If they can look at the board and mentally avert an accident, they'll react instinctively if faced with the same situation on the road." Advice based on experiences of motorcycle officers is liberally dished out during lectures. "For those of you who have been recreation 0t. din riders for years, I want to emphasize that street riding is not the same," LaPay tells students. "Instead of long stretches of lonely highway, you'll be -riding in trafficfilled cities. You're not competing against other bikers. you're dodging uncaring driven encased in tons of steel. Use every safety device available, or stay off the streets." LaPay said that competitive riding and dirt riding are exciting spons but adds that, if a rider goes down, his chances for survival are high. "A little din never 'hun anyone and other bikers are alert to what's happening on a track. but on the street a guy is up against diesels and concrete." LaPay said. "There's little chance for a head with no helmet aga\nst concrete and steel." He also suggests investing in a wind· shield. or fairing if a rider plans to

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