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Using any mode of transport, including walking, appears to be a calculated risk to the metro Atlanta road network. Bad drivers, potholes, unexpected construction sites and bad weather amaze commuters like banana peels in Mario Kart. Riders on two wheels take even more risks and rely on both their own safety awareness and the conscientiousness of the riders around them.<\/p>\n
Andria Yu<\/a>, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation<\/a> (MSF) told the AJC and 95.5 WSB that getting dressed is the first and easiest defense for a motorcyclist.<\/p>\n \u201cWear all of your safety equipment while driving – from head to toe. Helmet, full finger gloves, eye protection, riding jacket, riding breeches, riding boots – always wear all of your equipment, \u201dYu explained, noting the most obvious difference between cars and bicycles. “Your armor, your protection is yours,” emphasized Yu. “While sitting in a cage in a car.”<\/p>\n Proper riding breeches, Yu said, have an abrasion-resistant material that allows riders to slide longer if necessary. Longer slides dissipate energy and can reduce injuries. Yu also wears armor on her knees, elbows, and hips. Yu’s gear came in handy when she was walking her dog one winter when she slipped on black ice and landed on her elbow. The spill didn’t hurt, because she was wearing her motorcycle jacket – a stylish parka with faux fur – instead of a winter coat. It had built-in elbow pads.<\/p>\n However, biker gear can also be pretty fashionable, Yu explained. Jackets and pants and the like aren’t just made of black leather and rivets.<\/p>\n Maybe clubs should wear fancy biker clothes all the time.<\/p>\n Yu describes himself as a “moto nerd”. She and her husband ride different types of on-road and off-road motorcycles. She explained that the pre-ride inspection is another pillar of motorcycle safety. Motorcycle winks call this process T-CLOCS<\/a>. This acronym reminds drivers to check tires and wheels, controls (such as handlebars and pedals), lights and electrics, oil and other fluids (levels and leaks), chassis and stands.<\/p>\n Given that motorcycles offer less protection than cars when parts fail and cause wreckage, this process is vital. Every wreck can then also involve passers-by on the street. Yu said she always told herself that she never wanted her time on the street to be the cause of others’ pain.<\/p>\n And inspection comes in handy in another very important way. \u201cIt’s just like that [stinks]when you drive around and get an apartment and you are 50 miles from home. It’s not fun, \u201dYu recalled, recalling one of her previous driving mistakes. Breakdown services like AAA also support motorcycles.<\/p>\n Some motorcyclists have given the niche a bad name. High-speed thrill seekers on “step missiles” that play three-digit PAC-MAN with lane lines and endanger those in the vicinity. Yu recommended riders and drivers alike to get the adrenaline pumping in controlled, safer environments, such as in the car park Trackdays at the Michelin Raceway in Road Atlanta<\/a>.<\/p>\n There is also debate about whether loud exhaust pipes on bicycles save lives. The feeling in this industry is that the surrounding motorists don’t hear them soon enough because the tailpipes are pointing backwards. And since there are numerous local regulations regarding vehicle noise, Yu said that drivers should be courteous to those around them.<\/p>\n The rider’s behavior around motorcyclists apparently has a huge impact on safety, and Yu said distracted driving is one of the biggest problems for motorcyclists. \u201cThis is an issue for every road user and especially for motorcyclists because we also have a smaller profile on the road. So not only might distracted drivers simply not see you, we also have something called inattentive blindness. “<\/p>\n Yu said that this type of “blindness” simply comes from those in other vehicles who are not actively looking for motorcyclists. Basically, other drivers often unintentionally look past bicycles in front of them. “We always tell people to drive like they’re invisible, which means they’re extra careful or extra defensive.” Yu said she tends to be cautious when deciding whether to take risks to hit a car and turn. This driver simply sees their bike less often than any other car.<\/p>\n The thought of being almost invisible leads Yu to discuss equipment again. Big, stocky Harley riders don’t need neon green pants, she said. But Yu suggested wearing a light-colored reflective vest, similar to the one a border guard would wear. She also uses a motion activated light mounted on her helmet. the Brake-free system<\/a> actually turns red when it senses the rider slowing down on the bike.<\/p>\n The MSF offers many courses for riders of all skill levels and even has partners who offer dirt bike classes – in full gear – for beginners or non-riders. Riding a motorcycle for just a few minutes gives other riders a greater appreciation for what motorcycle riders expect, Yu said. It is precisely for this reason that I plan to take one of these courses soon.<\/p>\n Visibility can be the biggest hurdle to motorcycle safety, and riders can handle that visibility both in their gear and in terms of the risk they take in revving the iron horse. Riders also mitigate their risk by inspecting their bikes before getting on. And surrounding motorists, wrapped in metal and glass, must pay full attention to their entire surroundings, not least their open-air cohorts on two wheels.<\/p>\n Doug Turnbull, the PM-Drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. He also <\/i>hosts a traffic podcast with smilin ‘Mark McKay<\/i><\/a> At <\/i>wsbradio.com<\/i><\/a>. Contact him at <\/i>Doug.Turnbull@cmg.com<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n \u00a9 2021 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n<\/div>\n