RIDE
YOUR
RIDE
By Peggy Bogaard-Lapp
It is always time to get serious about the safety of your ride.
Across the U.S. during May, Motorcycle Safety Awareness
Month tries to bring attention to riding safety year-round –not
just in the coming summer months. Colorado boasts enough
sun that you can see motorcycles on the street nearly all
year, as long as the sun is shining and roads are (mostly) dry.
Our state has the perfect everything for riding; weather,
roads, places to see, and many biker-friendly destinations.
Motorcycles have become more prevalent and are more
affordable today than they have been in the past. Since nearly
half a million new bikes are purchased each year by both men
and women, the numbers of riders on our streets is growing.
There are three wheelers, scooters, and sport bikes that are all
quickly becoming more popular. However, only three percent of
the total vehicles on the road are motorcycles and this makes it
a more hostile riding environment than ever before.
Since there are more riders and drivers on the streets, the
chances of colliding with a car or truck have increased, quite a
bit for motorcyclists of all types. Motorcyclists cannot depend on
other drivers to see us, be aware of us, or accommodate those
of us on bikes. It is up to us to ride defensively. Many accidents
are preventable, and the best way to ride is to ride prepared.
RIDING DEFENSIVELY
The most important defensive riding technique is to pay
attention. Pay attention and be ready for anything to happen.
Always be looking and aware of everything around you—
front and back, left and right, near and farther away. Keep
looking ahead twelve seconds and make your assessments
of road signals and signs, road conditions, and other vehicles,
including vehicles in driveways. This is something that should
be made into a habit.
According to Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST)
statistics, 1 in 4 motorcycle riders do not actually have an
endorsement on their driver’s license. That means 25% of the
bikes you see on the road have an operator that has not passed
a test demonstrating their understanding of how to ride a bike,
the rules of the road, and how to be a responsible rider. If you
are one of those riders, do yourself a favor and take a riding
course, it is fun. When you finish you can take your completion
certificate to the DMV and get your endorsement for a few
dollars and no additional testing required.
10 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
SKILLS FOR SKULLS
The best way to increase your safety as a rider is to take
a training course. Today, most rider training programs have
advanced rider training along with comprehensive beginner
instruction. If you haven’t looked at what is available
recently, take another look. Since training can make a very
big difference for a rider and their safety no matter how many
years they have been riding.
These courses aren’t just for beginners anymore. Both
intermediate and advanced courses are available and you
can do many of them on your own motorcycle. They are
also quite affordable and many offer group and/or private
classes and some offer discounts if you get an intermediate
or advanced group together. If you took a course years ago,
consider advanced training, it can help you stay a good rider
and become a better one and it might just save your life.
There are many local area options, including ABATE,
Full Throttle Academy in Thornton, or The Motorcycle Rider
Training Center in Lakewood.
DISTRACTION
It would be nice if we could but we really canot always
blame other drivers. While we want the car drivers, to be
May 2016
www.thunderroadscolorado.com