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SAFETY TIPS FROM “ T ”
In this Spring breakout period , I want to remind each and every rider of one thing . Motorcycling is most dangerous due to the number of accidents that we cause ourselves . Every annual accident report I read contains the gruesome fact that we riders are the number one cause of fatality crashes . The number one reason is speed . Either we are going far too fast to stop for an impeding vehicle or we overshoot a turn . However , all that being said , I wanted to remind everyone about one type of fatality accident which seemed uncommon until the past couple years in which I ’ ve known a few riders who perished at the hands of a careless driver .
It seems that drivers in four wheel weapons are less and less attentive to their driving due to their overwhelming schedules , telephones , texts and wonton behaviors . They are flying right past the exits , roads or driveways they intended to travel , thus
10 Thunder Roads Magazine of OK / AR causing them to slam on their brakes ! If you ’ re lucky enough to be traveling a safe distance behind and get your bike shut down , their next move may still be your doom . Now that they ’ ve whizzed past their turn and Ms . Google Maps is screaming for them to “ Turn Around ”, they do just that ! No looking around for you on your bike , they just U-TURN to get their electronic device instructions back on track .
And worse yet , they are horrible about whipping to the right shoulder , then without a signal , hesitation or moment ’ s notice , they crank the wheel back across your path of travel , gun it and create a sixteen foot , five-thousand pound blockade across the two lanes of traffic of which you travel . Now what ?! Are you prepared for what ’ s next ? Do you know how to stop your bike quickly enough ? Are you able to apply both your back and front brakes at full pressure ? Have you left yourself enough
room to stop ? Did you look for an exit ? Is there a way to your left or right in which you can swerve and miss this oncoming tragedy ? What will you do ?
I urge each and every one of you to take a riding course . Whether it ’ s the basic riders course , an advanced class offered by the many MSF training courses , or one of the free advanced one day courses put on by Oklahoma Highway Patrol , Edmond Motorcycle Safety Course or Broken Arrow Motorcycle Training , they all will have something to offer even the most experienced riders . We may all know how to ride , but do we know what to do when the accident is upon us ? These courses offer lessons on avoiding accidents . They may or may not save your life , but why not have all the training you can have to at least say you ’ ve done all you could to prepare yourself if ever faced with a possible tragedy ?