How Many Motorcycles Have You Seen
Today???
How many motorcycles have you seen
today? While this question might not
hold much significance to most drivers on the road, it is a life or death
question for the motorcyclist.
According to the Hurt Study (the most
comprehensive motorcycle safety study to date): "The failure of motorists to detect and recognize
motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The
driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did
not see the
motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision. This came home to me several weeks
ago when while stopped at a red light at the top of the exit ramp on exit 149
of I75, I was rear-ended. I was tossed
of the bike but was not hurt thanks to the helmet, armored riding jacket,
gloves and boots I was Wearing. I wish I could say the same for my bike. It sustained $3,200 in damage. The young lady that hit me
stated to both the investigating office and me that she didn’t see me. That is hard to believe considering that I
was riding a Goldwing GL1500, 850 lb bike, light up
like a Christmas tree, sparkling with lots of chrome, right amber turn signal
flashing, and flashing red brake light.
I belong to the Goldwing Road Rider’s Association (GWRRA) Albany Chapter
H. The GWRRA motto is Friends, Fund and
Safety. We don’t take safety lightly and
most riders don’t. We do things to make
our bikes more visible, things like flashing headlights and brake lights,
flashy chrome on the bike, and reflective clothing. We also try to drive defensively. I know what you are thinking. I to have had the rice rocket blast past at
80 plus in a 55. I did say most. The
bottom line to all of this is we need to respect each other and be on the look
out for more than just trucks and cars on the highways. We need to and share the road with each
other. Hopefully then you could have a
meaningful answer if you were asked, “How many motorcycles did you see
today?”
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