Guidelines for Establishing State Motorcycle Safety Coalitions Presented By: Phil Sause, Andy Krajewski and Ray Pierce

SMSA Coalition Guidelines Purpose Assist states in justifying, organizing and administering a Motorcycle Safety Coalition How the Guidelines were developed Assigned to the SMSA Motorcycle Safety Programs Committee Surveyed the states (Survey Results in Appendix A) Contacted states with Coalitions to identify “best practices” (Appendix B) Gathered information from states using Advisory Groups (Appendix C) Reviewed documents and fact sheets on creating a coalition (Appendix D)

Motorcycle Safety Programs Committee Members Chairperson Phil Sause, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Eastern Region VACANT Central Region Joseph Kelly, Michigan Motorcycle Safety Program Western Region Member-At-Large Ray Pierce, Missouri Motorcycle Safety Supporting Member Lee Parks, Total Control Training, Inc. Monty Lish, Evergreen Safety Council Individual Member Craig Breshears, Alaska Motorcycle Safety Advisory Committee Barbara Smart, ABATE of Alaska Chad Teachout, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning Executive Committee Stacey “Ax” Axmaker, Idaho STAR Program

SMSA Staff SMSA Staff Brett Robinson, Executive Director Christie Falgione, Director of Traffic Safety & Licensing Andy Krajewski, Project Manager Tracy Krugh, Project Specialist

Why Create a State Motorcycle Safety Coalition? A comprehensive motorcycle safety effort requires a variety of partners A Coalition: Provides the structure for partners to cooperate and commit resources to achieve a common goal Encourages cooperation, communication and commitment Distributes “workload” and reduces duplication of effort Increases influence and access to policy makers, targeted audiences, media and the public

SMSA Coalition Guidelines The Guidelines for Establishing State Motorcycle Safety Coalitions can help a state to: Justify the creation of a State Motorcycle Safety Coalition Organize and administer the Coalition Select and invite members to serve on the Coalition Develop a Coalition Action Plan for motorcycle safety

Coalition Sponsor A state agency should sponsor the Coalition – the State Highway Safety Office may be the most appropriate sponsor Responsible for the State’s Highway Safety Plan Network of state and community based partners Oversee the state’s highway safety grant funds A state agency or office should sponsor and create the environment for the motorcycle safety coalition to function.

Coalition Sponsor Responsibilities Define the role of the Coalition Designate someone to coordinate the Coalition Identify the agencies, organizations and individuals to serve on the Coalition Schedule, plan and facilitate meetings Maintain and monitor the Coalition’s Action Serve as the contact point regarding Coalition business

Coalition Structure Prior to selecting Coalition members these questions need answered: How will the Coalition operate? What will it accomplish? Should it have bylaws or operating rules Will members be permanent or serve terms? How will the Coalition be funded? What are the motorcycle safety concerns or issues? What agencies, organizations or individuals are needed?

Coalition Members Attending meetings is not enough Members must be: Committed to the goal Understand their role and responsibility Be willing to contribute and complete assignments and tasks Willing to commit and share resources and funds Being a motorcyclist is not a critical qualification

Coalition Action Plan The Motorcycle Safety Coalition’s most significant outcome is the creation and implementation of an Action Plan to address the state’s motorcycle issues and concerns Must be realistic and achievable Should be multi-year Reviewed periodically and updated as necessary Formulating, documenting and obtaining approval for the plan will require effort and ample time. The coalition will be instrumental in getting the plan approved, funded, implemented and completed.

Coalition Action Plan Status reports on the plan should be distributed to the coalition members and other stakeholders on a routine schedule Formulating, documenting and obtaining approval for the plan will require effort and ample time. The coalition will be instrumental in getting the plan approved, funded, implemented and completed.

Coalition Action Plan The Action Plan should identify: Motorcycle safety problems that will be addressed Strategies and action steps to address the problems Agencies, organizations and individuals responsible for the strategies Timelines for completing action steps and strategies Funds needed to complete the strategies Sources for funding Potential obstacles and solutions for achieving the strategies Expected deliverables and outcomes Process for evaluating the value and effectiveness of the plan

Hints for a Successful Coalition Clarify the goals Identify the role and responsibilities if the coalition Select the correct sponsor and coalition coordinator Select the right members Encourage communication and cooperation Be creative and realistic Adjust to potential problem and obstacles Create and implement an Action Plan Evaluate the value of the coalition and the Action Plan

Challenges to Establishing and Maintaining a Coalition Commitments from coalition volunteers Ability to attend face-to-face meetings Unclear focus or objectives Partners furthering their own agenda Ability to involve all stakeholders and maintain their interest Having too few or too many members Lack of procedures for making decisions and solving disagreements

Challenges to Establishing and Maintaining a Coalition Should not be viewed as barriers. Can be addressed through organization and preparation.

Contact Information Andrew Krajewski SMSA Project Manager Cell: 301-471-9492 akrajewski@smsa.org Ray Pierce Missouri Motorcycle Safety Work: 660-543-8005 rpierce@ucmo.edu Phil Sause Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Work: 410-424-3124 psause@mva.maryland.gov

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