Criticism of MSF
I've been coming across a lot of critics of the MSF lately. MSF is not perfect. It is a creature of the motorcycle manufacturers. Course participants die and are injured during training. MSF, as a capitalist entity, might engage in some competitive practices that could be considered a bit dodgy, and they do some lobbying. But, for most of us, it is the only local bike training organization available.
Gymnast of msgroup.org, a site I like and have referred to on my site many times, challenged me to read Wendy Moon's blog, Moonrider, which I did. Here's my analysis of some fairly big chunks of the blog.
In summary, MSF is a 501 (c) 6 organization, which is actually a non-profit trade group representing the interests of the motorcycle manufacturers, not a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. I did not know this, and MSF confirmed it. Moon is upset by MSF acting like a capitalist entity and knocking off the competition, I guess I am sort of used to capitalism being red in tooth and claw.
Some MSF course participants, according to Moon, died during training. When I asked Stacey of MSF about this, she promised me a press release this coming Monday, which I will publish here when I get it. I guess rider training is dangerous, like riding in general. All death and injury must be regretted, but if there is a general benefit from training then maybe lives are being saved overall. It seems to me that all bike safety is a trade off, to get a safety benefit that reduces risk in one area sometimes you have to accept a (hopefully lesser) risk in some other area, like when you change lanes to be more conspicuous. Which is no consolation to the relatives of those unfortunates who died.
That brings me to the main course of today's blog. I analysed one of Moon's entries, actually the first I came to on the subject of the efficacy of the MSF courses, and did a bit of basic fact checking. My notes on the research is here, check it out for yourself. After checking the cited papers carefully, I found that Moon selectively chose items that made training look bad, and ignored points that made training look beneficial. She also used data which the study authors said were invalid due to poor investigative technique. Her hypothesis was not supported by the data she cited, and in one case was contradicted by her own citatons.
Because the contrary has been suggested, I must say that I have a postgraduate degree and some publications in my own field, and I am qualified to read and understand academic papers. I have ridden motorcycles since 1973. In any event, all the citations are in the link and readers can judge for themselves. The misuse of the material is pretty egregious, imho. I also have to say that I have taken some training from MSF and read some of their publications, but otherwise have no connection with MSF or any of their affiliated organizations, not do I or have I ever worked or had any connection with any PR or lobbying organizations who deal with MSF or any of the corporations that control it, other than using their products. I am not part of a conspiracy, which I am sure I will be accused of pretty soon. I am a simple-minded bike rider who has some time on his hands, access to a web server and a concern about bike safety.
I guess it all goes to show that the internet is what it is, anyone can say anything. The fact of the matter is that bike safety is the responsibility of the rider, that training and skills deficits (probably) contribute to many or most crashes, and the MSF, with all its faults, is what we have for safety training in most cities. If you have a beef with MSF, you can start your own training organization, or help MSF develop better training practices, or you can lobby your House reps to include provision for getting the overdue crash causation study funded and started. Or maybe find some other way to make a difference. Having a big body of good data will dispel misinformation and maybe make it possible to come up with better and more effective training.
I think it is irresponsible to suggest that bike training is not beneficial, without cast-iron proof, which certainly does not exist. The person who reads that today might skip his MSF training tomorrow and be dead by the weekend.
Check us out again Tuesday for the MSF's press release on biker deaths during training.
Gymnast of msgroup.org, a site I like and have referred to on my site many times, challenged me to read Wendy Moon's blog, Moonrider, which I did. Here's my analysis of some fairly big chunks of the blog.
In summary, MSF is a 501 (c) 6 organization, which is actually a non-profit trade group representing the interests of the motorcycle manufacturers, not a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. I did not know this, and MSF confirmed it. Moon is upset by MSF acting like a capitalist entity and knocking off the competition, I guess I am sort of used to capitalism being red in tooth and claw.
Some MSF course participants, according to Moon, died during training. When I asked Stacey of MSF about this, she promised me a press release this coming Monday, which I will publish here when I get it. I guess rider training is dangerous, like riding in general. All death and injury must be regretted, but if there is a general benefit from training then maybe lives are being saved overall. It seems to me that all bike safety is a trade off, to get a safety benefit that reduces risk in one area sometimes you have to accept a (hopefully lesser) risk in some other area, like when you change lanes to be more conspicuous. Which is no consolation to the relatives of those unfortunates who died.
That brings me to the main course of today's blog. I analysed one of Moon's entries, actually the first I came to on the subject of the efficacy of the MSF courses, and did a bit of basic fact checking. My notes on the research is here, check it out for yourself. After checking the cited papers carefully, I found that Moon selectively chose items that made training look bad, and ignored points that made training look beneficial. She also used data which the study authors said were invalid due to poor investigative technique. Her hypothesis was not supported by the data she cited, and in one case was contradicted by her own citatons.
Because the contrary has been suggested, I must say that I have a postgraduate degree and some publications in my own field, and I am qualified to read and understand academic papers. I have ridden motorcycles since 1973. In any event, all the citations are in the link and readers can judge for themselves. The misuse of the material is pretty egregious, imho. I also have to say that I have taken some training from MSF and read some of their publications, but otherwise have no connection with MSF or any of their affiliated organizations, not do I or have I ever worked or had any connection with any PR or lobbying organizations who deal with MSF or any of the corporations that control it, other than using their products. I am not part of a conspiracy, which I am sure I will be accused of pretty soon. I am a simple-minded bike rider who has some time on his hands, access to a web server and a concern about bike safety.
I guess it all goes to show that the internet is what it is, anyone can say anything. The fact of the matter is that bike safety is the responsibility of the rider, that training and skills deficits (probably) contribute to many or most crashes, and the MSF, with all its faults, is what we have for safety training in most cities. If you have a beef with MSF, you can start your own training organization, or help MSF develop better training practices, or you can lobby your House reps to include provision for getting the overdue crash causation study funded and started. Or maybe find some other way to make a difference. Having a big body of good data will dispel misinformation and maybe make it possible to come up with better and more effective training.
I think it is irresponsible to suggest that bike training is not beneficial, without cast-iron proof, which certainly does not exist. The person who reads that today might skip his MSF training tomorrow and be dead by the weekend.
Check us out again Tuesday for the MSF's press release on biker deaths during training.
posted by ET at
12:12 PM
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