Danger Zone Survival Skills
DANGER ZONE SURVIVAL SKILLS
IGnITIOn
RIDE SmART
Four simple rules that will help keep you safe
John L. Stein
THE PERFECT RECIPE for disaster on a motorcycle is to get drunk and speed through traffic with no helmet on. Although this might be comically obvious, it's also a sad reality That's because, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol and speeding are leading causes of motorcycle fatalities. Breaking it down, 37 percent of fatalities happen to riders with alcohol in their systems, 35 percent involve speeding, and 42 percent occur to riders not wearing a helmet. Furthermore, 54 percent of fatal motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle.
With such negative data, it's a wonder anyone would get on a bike at all, especially if you are foolish enough to combine different risk factors such as drinking and speeding. Or riding recklessly through traffic without a helmet. In this case, your odds of missing out on the next 30 years of Bike Week rise exponentially. But knowledge is more powerful than a nitrous-fed 'Busa, and turning the wisdom prism sideways allows a more positive view of these cold, hard facts. Simply put, since the data shows what kills most motorcyclists, logic suggests that doing the opposite will help keep us safe.
Follow these four simple rules and you will monumentally reduce your odds of becoming that least fortunate of all creatures: roadkill.
[l] No Buzz. Since personal inebriation is hard to interpret accurately, creating a clear-cut, black-andwhite, on/off light-switch message to self can make it easy to ride sober: "If I partake at all, even a little, I don't ride. Period."
[2] Speed Smarts. Everyone knows sportbilces rank just below an F-22 Raptor in acceleration and that publicroad speed limits are sometimes frustratingly low. But the Basic Speed Law is actually smart: No matter what, ride at a speed that's safe for conditions —and within your own limits.
[3] Wear a Helmet. Marines way tougher than you wear helmets. But don't wear one for them. Do it to extend your riding career and for your family and friends, who will be pissed if you crash and hurt yourself while not wearing a lid.
[4] Whack-a-Moto. Knowing that most streetbike fatalities involve another vehicle means one sure thing to the inveterate rider: Keep the [bleep] away from cars. Finding safe zones in traffic is a creative art unto itself. Also, dress and ride conspicuously every time.
BAC IN THE SADDLE
Drinking alcohol and riding a motorcycle is stupid. You'll get tossed in jail if your Blood Alcohol Concentration is 0.08 or above, the limit in virtually every state (much stricter for riders under 21). According to the California DMV, a 180-pound male is likely legally DUI after consuming three drinks in one hour.
