Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/857656
WheelsOfGrace.com Volume 9 Issue 3 37 It was senseless for me to try to explain to her that what appeared to be weaving to her was actually defensive driving. And speeding? Motorcycles typically can ride closer to the speed limit when cars are slowed down or stopped in traffic, o en seeming like speeding. It was this woman who gave me the "aha" moment. Here's the disconnect in motorcycle safety: 1. Motorcycle riders know what it's like to drive a car and what the rules are for both modes of transporta on. 2. Drivers of cars do not understand the difference between driving a car and riding a motorcycle. "Aha" moment indeed. Safety and awareness advocates are doing everything right, with the excep on of educa ng drivers of cars (beyond two ques ons on the driver license exam), who remain the number one cause of motorcycle accidents and fatali es. To reduce the number of motorcycle accidents and fatali es, we have to rethink the way we educate drivers of cars. When a 16-year-old earns a new driver license, the test needs to include a sec on on motorcycle safety. Not just a video reinforcing look twice; it needs to be a type of training where the poten al new driver can experience the road from the eyes of a rider. A simula on or training videos, even a video game. Gaining an understanding of how and why motorcyclists ride the way they do could very well be the missing link for reducing motorcycle accidents and fatali es. AMF has a program called Commitment to Safety, Family and Friends that drivers, new or seasoned, read, ini al and sign to indicate their commitment to safety of the road. It's a start, but only as effec ve as the commitment behind the signature. You can download the document on our website, or if you're reading the digital version of WheelsOfGrace click here. Another thought is, car manufacturers and motorcycle makers joining forces to place technology on the bikes that would alert drivers of cars that a motorcycle was nearby. With all the strides in technology, this should be an easy fix. The only problem is retrofi ng older cars and bikes---a project for an a ermarket developer, perhaps. The unfortunate part of my "aha" moment is that most decisions to change law or systems is based on numbers. In the US, the annual es mate of motorcycle fatali es is 5,000, while the total of motorcycle accidents hovers near 90,000. Contact your state representa ve or congressman to discuss a change in the licensing of drivers in your state. It will take me and tenacity but it can be done. If it's numbers they want, let's get out in droves to change the future of motorcycle safety and awareness in the US. Think about the lives you might save.