Be Safe and Vigilant in your Motorcycle Riding
This morning I read about the second policeman killed on a motorcycle this week. The officer, Joseph Pt Olguin, on his personal motorcycle, was killed when an 83 year old driver pulled out in front of him, causing him to lose control.
This unnecessary tragedy underscores the fact that even experienced riders with high skill levels have trouble in an unanticipated emergency situation. Harry Hurt, in his 1981 study of motorcycle accidents noted this finding, and James Ouellet, one of the Hurt team members, has reaffirmed this finding in recent publications.
As riders, we all mourn the loss of a fellow rider under these circumstances. We regularly have to deal with the fact that there are ever more inattentive drivers on the road. Many are distracted, many more simply aren’t paying attention.
Those of you who read my blog know that I deal repeatedly with drivers who claim that the motorcycle “appeared out of nowhere”, that they “couldn’t see it”, that the motorcycle “must have been speeding, because I didn’t see it coming”, and other brash nonsense to excuse the fact that they caused serious injuries to a motorcycle rider simply because they could not be bothered to pay attention.
In the instance of the officer in Tucson, you wonder if the 83 year old was simply driving with such diminished faculties that she failed to stop for the officer’s motorcycle. As if this is an excuse. Clearly, if you are at the point where your ability to drive is so impaired that you can not see a motorcycle with a rider on it, and the headlight on, it is time to get off the road. Unfortunately, the culture is far too forgiving of dangerous driving habits displayed by all too many drivers.
We continue to look for a solution to this problem. My small part is to make negligent motorists face the reality that they are responsible for these accidents. Eventually, we will find a better solution. In the meantime, it is important to all of us to remain vigilant in our riding.
