Thunder Roads Colorado Magazine Volume 11 Issue 8 | Page 12

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