I am so tired of hearing stories from my fellow riders about their harrowing experiences involving inattentive automobile drivers (or “cagers”, as we like to call ‘em). I am also tired of hearing about the deaths of fellow riders due to the inattentiveness of a car driver.

“I didn’t see the motorcyle” is a frequently heard statement after a crash. These are not “accidents”, folks, they are CRASHES. Accidents just happen (like if you slide your bike on unseen diesel fuel on the road), whereas crashes are caused by controllable factors (high rate of speed, driving attention being given to other tasks, crossing over a center line). How can you come up behind a motorcycle at a stoplight and smack into it without seeing it??? It’s your inattentiveness…you were too busy doing something other than driving and only saw the bike at the last second, when it was too late.

When I lived in the Tampa area of Florida, we frequently rode on Highway 19. It is a frightening stretch of

• *bluehairs going 25 MPH in a 45 MPH zone, pulling out into traffic from side roads,
• *hopped-up Mitsubishis and Nissans weaving in and out of traffic while being raced by young punks going 60+ MPH in a 45 MPH zone,
• *soccer Moms and hurried execs with their cell phones plastered to their ears, more focused screaming into the phone than driving,
• *carloads of screaming teenagers with stereos blaring and thumping who weave into your lane just to see if you’ll freak out,
• *women who are late for work putting on their makeup while driving,
• *people reading BOOKS OR NEWSPAPERS while driving,
• *people working on their LAPTOPS while driving,
• *parents turning around in their seat while driving to yell at the kids in the back
• *people bending down while driving to pick up something they dropped such as a soda can, doughnut, IPod, cellphone, burning cigarette, water bottle,
• *drunks heading the WRONG WAY into traffic (this happened to me one night when a car with NO HEADLIGHTS came SCREECHING around the corner at a high rate of speed directly into my lane of traffic, the driver had only one hand on the wheel while recklessly weaving his vehicle towards the median and bouncing over it into the correct lane; I nearly peed my pants when I realized that if I had been ONE SECOND closer to the intersection, I’d have been ROAD GOO),
• *and speeders who have no regard for human life (and yes, this also includes squids on crotch rockets who are frequently known to smash into cars and other bikes at unbelievably high rates of speed - racing is for TRACK DAYS, you moron).

Now we live in VA, where there are many curving, mountain roads. I see many vehicles crossing the centerline around curves every time we head up to the Blue Ridge, or cars passing in no-passing zones around curves and on hills. Pray to God every time you crest a hill.

I could go on with the list, but you get the idea. Inattentiveness can be a KILLER. Please pay attention when you’re driving your car or truck. Your actions can impact not only a motorcyclist’s life, but that of his or her entire family and circle of friends.

And Riders: don’t ride as if you are invisible, ride as if everyone is out to MURDER you!  Because they ARE. Because some of those folks don’t give a poop about anybody but themselves, or they’d actually be watching the road, concious of what’s AROUND their vehicle, not just what’s IN it.

As riders, we also carry a responsibility to play the “what if” game while we are riding. Think of what can happen up ahead on the road, and how will you get out of it.

• *Watch the front tires of the guy who may turn left in front of you (one of the major causes of motorcycle crashes).
• *Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you (if he passes over debris, you may get hit with it if it flies up, or you may see it too late to ride over it or avoid it safely).
• *Maintain a safe speed, keep the racing at the track, and knock it off with the wheelies, stoppies and unsafe tricks on the road (you’re giving the rest of us a bad name).
• *Watch for cars coming out of side streets - if they hit you and say “I never saw the bike”, it isn’t going to make it hurt any less.
• *Don’t submit to road rage EVER; you never know who is going to flip out if you flip them the finger for following too close. In a battle of car and bike, the car will always win if there is a shoving match.
• *Be visible! Wear something reflective at night, add a headlight modulator, add more lighting to your ride, wear bright colors.
• *Stay educated. You can always learn more about riding, no matter how many years “experience” you have. Read David Hough’s books, watch “Ride Like A Pro” DVDs, set up a practice course in a vacant parking lot to practice quick stops and slow speed manuevers, and consider taking the ERC.

I think I’ve ranted long enough today. If I can keep ONE biker from getting hurt, and one automobile driver to think about their actions today, then I feel a bit better. We need to spread the word…WATCH OUT FOR MOTORCYCLES…we’re people with families and friends, too. We are doctors, lawyers, factory workers, librarians, CPAs, police officers, mommies, daddies, sisters, brothers, preachers, artists, mechanics, and your neighbor.

These are my Florida motorcycling peeps…Ride on, friends, we hope to see you soon!

Keep the shiny side up,
Eclectic Dawn

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