General Headquarters — Columbus, Ohio
For Immediate Release: September
13, 2005
Contact: OSHP - Lt. Rick Zwayer or Sgt. Jon Gray (614) 752-2792
American Motorcyclist Association - Tom Lindsay (614) 856-1900 ext. 1357
Columbus – At home, your motorcycle is probably safely protected from theft. However, on the road it’s considerably more vulnerable. While it is difficult to stop a determined, professional thief, there are preventative steps you can take to deter the theft of your motorcycle.
According the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, 55,657 motorcycles were reported stolen in the United States two years ago. Ohio ranked ninth nationally with 8,999 motorcycle theft reports in 2003. To help make it a safe and enjoyable motorcycle riding season, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is providing an 11-part series of motorcycle safety tips from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) as part of our Ride Smart. Drive Smart. partnership. Part 10 of our series features four easy ways to help keep your motorcycle from being stolen:
1. Lock and alarm. A small disc lock takes up almost no space and may send the casual thief in search of easier marks. An alarm adds deterrence.
2. Go undercover. A motorcycle cover can draw less attention than a shiny motorcycle. You might want one that doesn’t advertise the type of machine underneath.
3. Hotel parking strategies. Ask the hotel lobby clerk for permission to park your bike by the front entrance, where a witness will be around 24 hours a day. Some riders routinely ask for ground-floor rooms where they can park right outside the door or window. When traveling alone, you might want to park your bike with other motorcycles in the lot, giving you additional riders who will be watching for suspicious activity.
4. Hidden obstacles. If a ride-off thief on an unfamiliar motorcycle thinks he’s having a mechanical problem, he’s likely to abandon the heist. Simple things like shutting off the gas, loosening a spark plug cap, pulling the main fuse, or adding a hidden ignition cut-out switch can go a long way toward theft prevention.
Ride Smart. Drive Smart. themes to help motorcyclists and other drivers share the road safely:
• Get Trained (including knowing proper safety gear to wear)/Get Licensed;
• Stay Sober (incorporating the AMA’s national Ride Straight program); and
• Other vehicle drivers, be aware by looking out for motorcyclists.
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Note to editors: Based on the American Motorcyclist magazine article, “Ride Smarter, Safer, Longer, Better: 43 tips for the best riding season yet,” April, 2005. For more information about the American Motorcyclist Association, visit www.AMADirectlink.com or call 1-800-AMA-JOIN. For more information on Ride Smart. Drive Smart. visit, http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/motorcycle.htm.
05-156
www.statepatrol.ohio.gov
A division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety
