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August 28, 2009- 5 Reasons Why Riding a Motorcycle is Safer than Driving a Car
I got my motorcycle license and purchased a bike recently and ever since
I've been newly cognizant of some of the objections and concerns people have towards riding motorcycles (see recent
Washington Post article
for example - and check out this
good response letter
). Though the dangers of motorcycle
riding are well documented and I'm aware of the risk inherent, I do feel as if not only do safe motorcyclists unfairly
get a bad rap but people often fail to recognize some of the positive factors regarding riding a motorcycle. Here are
five reasons I believe riding a motorcycle is safer than driving a car.
1. No distractions -Have you ever counted how many times you're distracted while driving a car from various things and devices? It's a lot if we're honest, believe me. Whether it's the cell phone, radio, talking with a passenger, texting, GPS, taking a sip of your Big Gulp, or heck even seemingly innocent things like adjusting the air conditioning - well you're almost constantly bombarded by distractions. When you're riding a motorcycle (depends on what type you have of course) you're not distracted by any of those things. No cell phone calls, no texting, no coffee sips…just you and the road. This leads to a much higher level of awareness while riding keeping your eyes and ears where they should be; on the road ahead. 2. 100% focus -This goes along with the aforementioned reason but it's different because it identifies what the rider is focusing on rather then what they're distracted by. When you're riding a bike, you have to focus on the road ahead of you. There are so many potential obstacles and hazards that you have no choice (well a good, safe rider doesn't) but to focus on everything ahead of you; cars, intersections, pot holes, etc. When I'm riding I'm specifically analyzing what lies ahead in specific intervals such as 2 seconds ahead, 6, and 20 seconds even. How many people do that while they're in a car? When riding a motorcycle, keeping 100% focus at all times is essential to maintaining safe distances and to avoid hazards when they unfortunately and inevitably arise. 3. Sense of speed -For those of you that have ridden a motorcycle, or on one, you know that the sense of speed is much more cogent than when driving a car. What I mean by that is when I'm riding at about 35 mph, it feels like I'm going 45 mph because of all the feedback you receive as the rider (wind blowing, bike vibration, etc.) Cars these days are so numb to driver feedback that you could be doing 85 and not even realize it (I know there's some of you out there that got speeding tickets doing speeds you honestly didn't even realize you were doing). Anyways this potent sense of speed often deceives me in that I think I'm going faster than I really am. This is a good thing. 4. Motorcycle riding is dangerous -It's no secret that riding a motorcycle is dangerous. Though it may sound counter-intuitive, this actually motivates a rider to be safer. By knowing this often vocalized risk you're putting yourself in as a motorcycle rider, you have that much more motivation to mitigate that risk as much as you possibly can through safe riding, proper gear, etc. Every time a safe rider gets on their bike, they know their life could be in the balance if they operate unsafely. How many car drivers think about this sobering reality when they get in their car? Few consciously I'd think. In fact, I'd bet more car drivers think they're invincible in their massive SUV's and what have you with their 35 air bags, ABS, traction control this and that, all-wheel drive, etc. There are so many safe technologies in cars now that I think people really think they'll be alright no matter what. Despite all these technological advancements, unfortunately people still die in car accidents at alarming rates. 5. Feeling the road -Though some large cruisers and Harleys may dilute the "feel", as I mentioned before a motorcycle gives you an amazing amount of feedback from the road. You often feel every bump and crevice. This feedback gives the rider a large amount of information as they navigate down the road, as well as predicting potential hazards that may come as a result of road conditions. Modern cars are so advanced and computer controlled that the driver experiences little, if any, mechanical feedback from road conditions. Most new cars I've driven almost feel as if they're driving themselves. Though this reduces driver fatigue and increases driving comfort, it's often at the expense of valuable feedback from the road in which you're driving on. I'd prefer a less comfortable ride in order to feel more. Though I believe these reasons hold some weight, it is ultimately up to the rider to drive as safe as possible. No amount of pre-emptive head knowledge can make up for on-the-fly decisions needed to be made constantly by a rider. In this way, gaining experience is a big factor, as many motorcycle accidents are the result of inexperienced operators. But I do hope you'll consider these reasons next time you think about how dangerous motorcycle riding is (and be a little less harsh and "gloom and doom" with motorcylce riders). It's not that it's not dangerous and risky, as I'm definitely not claiming that, but is it really that much more dangerous than driving a car, flying in a plane, or taking a ride on the Metrorail? I mean ultimately if God demands your soul of you on a particular day, no amount of safety precaution is going to prevent that. |
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