Posted on 04/07/2011 10:58:19 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
In 2009, 5,474 people were killed on American roads due to distracted driving. Now, April has become National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The MSF has put together a list of 10 things cagers need to know about driving around motorcycles. I hope you’re not reading this on your iPhone from the driver’s seat.
1. There are many more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road and some drivers don’t “recognize” motorcyclists. They ignore them, usually unintentionally. Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.
2. A motorcyclist may look farther away than he or she is in actuality. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, estimate that a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
3. A motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots or masked by objects or backgrounds outside the car. Thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections.
4. A motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Again, don’t immediately rely on your perceptions.
5. Motorcyclists sometimes slow down by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Don’t tailgate motorcyclists. At intersections, anticipate that motorcyclists may slow down without any visual warning.
6. Turn signals on a motorcycle are not often automatically self-canceling. Some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off. Try to determine whether a motorcycle’s turn signal is for real. And if you’re driving a car, remember to use your turn signals too. They’re a great communication tool for riders and drivers when used properly.
(Excerpt) Read more at hellforleathermagazine.com ...
I always give plenty of room for motorcyclists. Had a cousin-in-law killed on one by a teen who pulled out right in front of him. No room for mistakes. Just a thought.
Yeah and some motorcyclist ride like they own the road they don’t
“Motorcycles? I don’t see no stinking motorcycles.”
ping
I’ve never understood why people keep saying it’s hard to see motorcycles. They are easier to see than a tiny car.
11. Motorcyclists enjoy being obnoxious by unnecessarily revving their engines
12. Motorcyclists don’t believe that traffic laws and lanes apply to them and often pass on the right especially when in heavy traffic
13. The medical community refers to motorcyclists as “organ donors” for a reason
True, particularly because it is quite common for a bike to be going much, much faster than the cars on the same stretch of road.
Unfortunately, too many motorcycle riders are, and they can cause a motorist great inconvenience when they apply for the Darwin Award.
Yeah and some motorcyclist ride like they own the road they don’t
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I’ve always thought idiot riders have not yet had that “incident”. You know. The one where they come within a millisecond of losing it all. I think once you do, then you grow up pretty fast and start riding safely and defensively.
And if not - then you become another bad day for the paramedics who have to scrape you off the road.
I prefer to have 2000 lbs of steel between me and the car that is hitting me. My neighbor, a father of three girls was killed a few summers ago when his Motorcycle was hit by a woman trying to beat a light. And a close friend at work on a motorcycle vacation, took a mountain road curve too wide and slid into a guard rail. She was killed instantly.
I prefer to have 2000 lbs of steel between me and the car that is hitting me. My neighbor, a father of three girls was killed a few summers ago when his Motorcycle was hit by a woman trying to beat a light. And a close friend at work on a motorcycle vacation, took a mountain road curve too wide and slid into a guard rail. She was killed instantly.
touche. The rest of the world refers to the medical “community” as drug addicts, for good cause.
“cagers”? Really? I’ve been a rider for 41 years - why antagonize car and truck drivers with this snarky term? It’s too much like homosexuals referring to straight women as “breeders”.
That said, the suggestions are excellent.
Colonel, USAFR
I don’t mean to be a hater and have often considered buying a Goldwing, even though I’m only 34, however my life experience with motorcycles and motorcyclists has not been positive.
All you have to do when on a Motorcycle is remember that YOU are invisible. Cars DO NOT see you. AND remember Motorcycles PAY Road Use Taxes(unlike Obnoxious Pedal Bikers) so the DO own the road.
It definitely is a risk! Personally, I plant my tushy in a Suburban 4x4. Safer not only for me but the precious cargo (the kids) that I transport all over. My cousin in law was aged 70. I guess he figured the kids were grown and gone but it has devastated his wife.
Saw my first motorcycle fatality up close when i was about 12. The pain and anguish in the face of the father that showed up at the scene of the 16 year old victim has haunted me to this day. The intersection of Constitution & Moon - Albuquerque - Summer 1967. It cured me from my want of a motorcycle and reminds me of their vulnerability on public roadways.
ALL motorcyclists?
Really?
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