Copyright © 2012 by Ralph Couey
“While riding down the street one day
In the motorcycle month of May
I was taken by surprise
By a minivan of size
And a soccer mom who ruined my day”
In the motorcycle month of May
I was taken by surprise
By a minivan of size
And a soccer mom who ruined my day”
--Lyrics twisted by Ralph Couey
With abject apologies to Edward Haley
May has been proclaimed National Motorcycle Safety Month,
and across the country states are launching public information campaigns urging
the driving public to increase their awareness of motorcycles with which they
share our national roadways. But it’s
not only to remind motorists, it’s also for reminding the riders themselves to
learn and employ safe riding habits.
Motorcycle accident deaths have been trending downward for
the last few years. That’s really good
news, even though in the context of human tragedy, a single death is one death
too many. The issue is still being
studied, so nobody has yet pinpointed the reasons for the reduction. But like many others, I have my opinion.
1.
Better
training. In nearly all states
a prospective rider can avail themselves of rider training courses offered
through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF).
In most cases, passing the course earns you that coveted “M” endorsement
on your license. The course is dynamic,
updated every year to reflect the growing body of knowledge. As a result, new riders hit the street much
better prepared than in decades past.
2.
Better
riding habits. Though
squids still abound, most riders are, in my observation, riding much safer and
more defensively of late. Much of that
may have to do with the increasing mean age of riders, which has changed from
the mid-20’s to the mid-40’s, a much more mature, responsible age group, well
aware of the limits of mortality.
Although as comedienne Caroline Rhea is fond of pointing out, “Men don’t
mature. They just get old.”
3.
Better
machines. Technology is racing
forward at breakneck speed. Today’s
bikes are engineered far better, and are therefore easier to handle than those
sold even 10 years ago. In addition,
handling improvements like ABS and linked braking systems are far more
common. Tires get better each year as
well. Even the technology of road
building has improved. Any highway
worker will tell you that it’s not just the same old asphalt.
4.
Better
drivers. I’m admittedly on
shaky ground here, since the advent of cell phones has added a whole new level
of hazard to the roads. All I have to
support my point is my own experience.
I’ve been riding for 20 years (anniversary last month, thank you very
much). When I first began, I knew how to
properly execute an emergency evasion and a panic stop. Why?
Because I had to do them both several times each month. But in the last several years, I’ve noticed
that I haven’t had to do that nearly as often.
In fact, I find I have to take time in a parking lot to practice those
maneuvers in order to keep sharp. Of
course, I’ve learned several things, like don’t hang out in the other car’s
blind spot, looking ahead and planning my way around hazards before they become
hazards. My instincts are far more
acute. Now when I ride towards someone
waiting to turn onto, or across my traffic lane, I can look in their eyes and
“know” when they aren’t actually seeing me, even though looking in my
direction. Mostly, I’ve learned to leave
them room to be stupid, because they will rarely disappoint the expectation.
5.
Better
Gear. Motorcycle gear,
when riders bother to wear it, has a definite role in how they survive
accidents. At one point, leather was the
sum total of protective outerwear. Of
course, that was problematic in the summer.
Who wants to climb into black leather when it’s 100 degrees and
humid? Now riders have a choice of
several man-made materials and jackets and pants that are armored, meshed, and
vented, making them tolerable on hot days.
Helmets have improved exponentially.
Several studies have proven how a quality Snell/DOT rated brain bucket
has reduced or prevented brain injuries in accidents. Over the years, a myth has grown up around
helmets that wearing one increases the chances of a broken neck due to all that
weight sitting on your stacking swivel.
But that myth has been broken.
Last year, Johns Hopkins released a study showing that modern helmets,
made from stronger yet lighter materials, actually decrease the incidence of cervical spinal injury in motorcycle
accidents.
There’s still room for improvement.
--There are still too many riders who depend solely on the
rear brake. Every test, every study
that’s ever been done has proven the fallacy of that. It is now said that the front brake provides
90% of a motorcycle’s stopping power.
Using the rear brake only can double the stopping distance and in some
cases, can result in a collision that, using the front brake, never would have
happened.
--The number of riders who believe the highway is their own
private race track is actually small, but they are very high profile. Take the 25-year-old fellow in New York who,
after being clocked at 166 mph, was dumb enough to boast to the arresting
officer that his bike had gone 190. Or
those other numbskulls that video-tape their high speed dash (with the
speedometer helpfully in full view) and then post the evidence on YouTube,
where a simple application of cyber voodoo leads the law to their front door.
Last year, having reached the 5-year limit on my headgear, I
bought a new helmet. Having seen how the
bright yellow of Honda’s Goldwing caught my eye on the road, I purchased a
bright yellow Nolan. Since then, I’ve
noticed a definite decrease in the number of times I had to evade people
pulling across my path. I have actually
seen drivers do a double take, when they saw my helmet. My wife suggested I could have accomplished
the same thing with a pink helmet, and she’s probably right. But somehow, topping off an ensemble of manly
black leather with a hot pink hat is just…wrong.
Hopefully, people will listen and heed to the reminders
about motorcycles. Next month, June 18th,
is National Ride to Work Day, an event organized by a rider named Andy
Fine. It will be a fine day for riders
to hit the roads in force, demonstrating the practical, as well as the
emotional benefits of motorcycles.
There are many external factors impacting safe motorcycling. But perhaps the most important one is
realizing that of all the screws and nuts on a motorcycle, the most important
is the screwy nut sitting on the seat.
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