Motorcycle (Self-)Awareness Month

It’s Motorcycle Awareness Month again. Here in Washington we are faced with what may be a unique situation: half of all motorcycle fatalities in Washington are single-vehicle incidents involving only the motorcycle. Lane error, speeding, alcohol and inattention are Washington’s biggest biker killers. A third of those killed are not properly endorsed.

Certainly there is much work to be done to increase driver awareness of motorcycles. Laws banning handheld cell phones are a step in the right direction toward reducing driver distraction. (Although some studies show no difference in distraction between hands-free and handheld phones.)

Still, I cannot help but feel that motorcyclists would have a more compelling case if our own house was a little cleaner. Perhaps Washington motorcyclists should put a different spin on Motorcycle Awareness Month by using it as a mirror to look at ourselves and our fellow riders.

The Washington Motorcycle Task Force in their 2006 study of motorcycle fatalities concluded the “while there are multiple contributions to motorcycle crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries, it appears that the most important factors are within the control of the rider. Efforts to reduce fatalities and serious injuries should focus on rider skill and behavior.”

The Task Force has some good ideas for raising public awareness. But how do we as individual motorcyclists further this cause? Here are some thoughts:

• Don’t, under any circumstances, ride with anyone who is or has been drinking or using drugs. If a group ride includes a stop at a bar or tavern and even one member of the group chooses to have a drink, excuse yourself from the ride. Go home or continue the ride on your own. Perhaps by denying these riders the community aspect of motorcycling we can encourage them to not mix alcohol and drugs with riding.
• Don’t ride with unendorsed riders. An unendorsed rider has not demonstrated the most basic motorcycle handling skills under controlled conditions. They are a potential danger to themselves and to you. If someone doesn’t have at least a temporary “learner’s permit”, don’t ride with them. Getting an endorsement is not difficult. Sites like EndorseYourSport.com provide information on obtaining your motorcycle endorsement.
• Do require proper endorsements for all ride participants if you are organizing or leading a group ride. No endorsement, no ride. Frankly, I’m surprised that liability concerns have not already made this a requirement for organized rides.
• Do get trained and encourage others to do the same. Take an Experienced Rider Course every couple of years to keep your skills sharp.
• Do know your limits and always ride within them. This covers everything from your entry speed into a corner to the decision to ride that day at all. There have been many mornings when I have decided to take the car because my “head wasn’t right” for riding.
• Do slow down. If you have a need for speed go to a track day. There you can get your speed fix under controlled conditions with no cars, no cross traffic and plenty of help if you get in trouble.

As motorcyclists we cannot abdicate responsibility for our safety to others. We cannot look at the death toll and lay the blame on drivers until we have eliminated most of the blame from ourselves.