AMES, Iowa – Riders will tell you they enjoy the feeling of freedom that a motorcycle affords them. The majority of riders exercise that freedom while obeying traffic laws. And, a growing number of riders are wearing higher-visibility protective riding gear and helmets to protect their safety.
Still, there is a segment of riders and motorists that are putting all highway users at risk. The fact is – the odds of being involved in a motorcycle crash and living to tell about it or not suffering a serious head or other bodily injury are not good.
The loss of life of one person on Iowa’s roadways is One Too Many. Reading about the loss of more than two dozen motorcyclists sends a powerful message about the need to increase motorcycle safety. Visit the Iowa DOT’s “2012: Iowa motorcycle crashes” website at http://storify.com/Maverick/2012-iowa-motorcycle-crashes to read the stories about those who have been killed or involved in a serious motorcycle crash this year. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority were not wearing a helmet.
Riders can improve their safety by following some simple safety tips:
· Get trained: Take a motorcycle rider safety course to develop good techniques.
· Be properly licensed: Get a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license.
· Wear protective gear: Wear proper protective riding gear (head protection, eye protection, protective clothing, and foot protection).
· Ride Proud-Dress Loud: Wear bright clothing and use retroreflective material.
· Ride unimpaired: Never drink or use drugs before getting on a motorcycle.
· Be alert: Being tired and drowsy can impair a motorcyclist’s ability to react.
· Know your bike: Be familiar with your motorcycle and how to handle it in adverse conditions, especially on gravel.
· Know the traffic laws and rules of the road: Aggressive driving behaviors, such as speeding and weaving in and out of traffic, can lead to a crash.
· Watch for clues: Recognize it is difficult for motorists to judge how fast a motorcycle is going; blind spots around cars and trucks also prevent motorcyclists from being seen.
When sharing the road with motorcyclists:
· Give them a full lane of travel: Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane, never try to share a lane.
· Give your full attention to the driving task: Remain alert for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.
· Be aware of the flashing signal: Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off.
· Stay alert for potential erratic movements: Wind gusts, both natural and those created by large passing vehicles, can move a motorcycle across an entire lane if the rider is not prepared; rain can make the road slippery; the blinding effect of a vehicle’s high beams can be dangerous; and hazards like dead and live animals and damage to the roadway can cause an erratic movement by the motorcyclist.
· Left turns: The most common crash type that occurs between a car/truck and motorcycle is the one that happens at an intersection as the motorist is making a left turn in front of a motorcycle.
You could wear all the safety equipment in the world, or attend all the safety classes ever given, and you will never stop motorcycle accidents/deaths. In my opinion, there are two main reasons for these accidents, stupid motorcycle riders and vehicle drivers that will say, I never saw him. I have been riding since 1968, my first bike was a 1948 HD, and in the early years I did stupid things while riding, and alcohol was involved. Also in those early years I was stopped at the stop light at 3rd and north federal and a lady hit me from behind. Can you guess what she said when I said, what the hell. After my first tour of duty, I had a different outlook on life and I slowed down. After my third tour of duty in 2004 I bought a new HD. My wife and I were stopped at the stop sign on 12th NE and S56. For some reason I had stopped as far to the right on the pavement as I could without getting in the gravel. A man in a cadillac was north bound approaching that intersection. He gave no indication that he was turning left onto 12th st. He cut the corner so close that I had to lean the bike over to keep him from hitting the handle bars. He either was just being an a** or he didn’t see us. But I say, how could you not see a black Heritage Softail sitting at the stop sign with it’s headlight on. Either way, it could have been an ugly scene if somebody had not been paying attention. At certain legal speeds there is no way a motorcycle rider can protect himself if someone in a vehicle pulls out in front of him, your going down, one way or another. Most if not all new motorcycles automatically run with their headlights on. My headlight is 8 inches in diameter, quite bigger then most vehicles. How does a light that large become invisible?
I like to ride but there are so many riders out there that use no common sense and ask for problems.
Just yesterday, I was going west on 12th street NW in the middle of a pack of around 9 cars. Just as I signaled to turn left into the turn lane and merged in, there was a rider that came from the back of the pack to pass all of us, using the turn lane to accomplish is brillint move. I was in the left turn lane and he swerved around me, almost hit me and another car going east on 12th street. (He might not be so lucky next time.)
I would never take a chance like this idiot did. When I ride, I always assume that the drivers in the cars don’t see me and I drive accordingly
you might want to rethink your headline. no where does it explaine how my choice of not wearing a helmet puts ”EVERYONE” at risk. as long as all highway users (trucks car bycicyls,ped,tractors,amish buggys) obey the traffic laws, everyone should be just fine