Motorcyclists are 22% more likely to die in a crash than people riding in passenger cars, according to a 2022 statistic from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

On Saturday, the city’s Department of Transportation hosted the first-ever motorcycle practice event at Orchard Beach in an effort to curb those troubling stats.

One ride at a time, Sandra Fleming works to educate motorcyclists from beginners to advanced riders. She’s a motorcycle coach and a member of the NYC Motorcycle Advisory Council.

“This gentleman is doing an exercise over here, which is how to get out of the way when somebody looks like they’re going to rear-end you,” she said.

The council meets monthly with the NYPD and the NYCDOT to review motorcycle crashes and fatalities and identify ways to reduce those numbers.

“When we review crash data, we find that out of 10 deaths, seven of those riders didn’t have a license,” Fleming explained. “That means they never trained or learned how to use the machine properly.”

The event also featured riders like Kat, who got her motorcycle in July. She said that taking training courses has helped her become a more confident and safer rider.

“The courses I took before, I was messing up a lot,” Kat said. “I was going outside the cones. Even in the Moto Gymkhana, I was messing up, going out of the cones. But now, I’m not hitting the cones. I’m doing so well, and I’m so proud of myself.”

Sandra Fleming explained that many people mistakenly associate motorcyclists with reckless driving.

“Everybody has this stigma about motorcyclists, especially those on ‘crotch rockets,’ driving crazy. But that’s not the norm,” she said. “That’s just one small part of who we are.”

Fleming emphasized that with proper training and a commitment to safety, motorcyclists can have the confidence they need to ride safely and increase their chances of making it home safely.