Blog
It's the motorcycle
If you ride and have people that care about you, you probably also get these kinds of links all the time.
I appreciate the concern, but watch the video and listen to the report. The entire thing is presented as support for the 'motorcycles are dangerous' crowd. As a rider, I would answer 'duh'. Yes riding has dangers, so does showering. Not once in the report is there any mention of the driver that hit the motorcycle and the drivers outcome. Traffic abruptly slowed, yes the motorcylist applied heavy braking to come to a stop, but the vehicle that hit him did not. Would that level of impact have caused similar injuries to a driver in a small car?
Watch the video again. Look at the 11s mark. The silver car that hit him never hit the brakes, despite having a clear view of both the motorcyle and the slowing cars in front of it. They then get into the human interest side of the story about the damage and of course the helmet. They do not mention other gear, looking closely at the video, I don't think there was any other armor, and I don't know that it would have made that much difference.
Guilt by Association
Todays post is brought to you by guilt. Guilt of two types. First, I have a confession to make. This pollen season, I have found myself driving the car a couple of days a week. Sneezing fits in the helmet are kind of miserable. Now that the pollen has slowed down to a dusting instead of the full yellow onslaught of the last couple of weeks I can get back to the ride.
The second guilt is the real reason for todays post though. That is the guilt by association that I always struggle with during the spring. The season of the 'part-timers' has begun. The part-timers are the riders that ride in the spring and fall, but park the bikes during the hottest part of the summer and don't even consider riding in the winter. These folks in many ways help the motorcycle retain the negative stigma that is attached to it among drivers. It is a lack of respect and a lack of seat time.
Some of these riders are far better riders than I will ever be in terms of skills. Others among them are far worse than I am. However, the have one thing in common. When the weather gets nice, they are out in large numbers and often, on their worst behavior. I am absolutely fine with the first part of that, it is the second part that creates the problems.
View Comments