NUMBER

30

Traffic Safety

Newsletter
BY KEVIN KRASNER

In This Issue:
Increasing Motorcycle Awareness 2 Deer Crashes: What You Should Know 3 Seat Belts Still Essential for Survival 4

A Career in Motorcycle Education

Lifelong Learning from a Student Perspective

hether we are mounting the saddle for the very first time or hanging up our boots after a life-long professional racing career, learning should never stop! By a career in motorcycle education Im not referring to gainful employment in the safety industry. It goes without saying that almost everyone in the field feels its an admirable and fulfilling job if you choose it. Rather, Im comparing a lifelong commitment to learning with a career. Just like the commitment and responsibility that comes with a great job that you are passionate about, riders should remain committed to and responsible for continuing education about motorcycling.

satisfy our need for pride of ownership. So, shouldnt we spend at least as much time and energy on improving our riding skills and safety awareness so that we can be equally proud of our riding ability? Our ego often sets the pace here. Are you the type of person that has to stubbornly figure something out on your own? Or are you the type who asks questions and looks for guidance first? The latter is obviously the most ideal. We dont need to crash to learn to avoid a crash. We learn from experts in the field, trained instructors in various motorcycle safety curricula (street and/or dirt), videos, books, etc. But it doesnt end with classes and instruction.

You may not be earning money in the career Practice is critical. Actively working on skills, Im talking about, but there are plenty of benefits! whether on the road, in a parking lot, or on the Youre working for your own safety, pertrack strengthens your mental approach to riding. sonal satisfaction and long-term quality of Practice also reinforces the concepts life. The Motorcycle Safety Foundations you may have learned and any Basic RiderCourse says it best; youre muscle memory you Safe Moto responsible for your own safety. So, QB rcycl developed in hands-on asi ists expe c Educat you are responsible for the path your R rts, p i s training. o um n: r instr uctor ofessiona Learned motorcycle career takes you. fr l s, cla QP sses motorcyc om racti Experience (seat time) and i nstru le safety the r cal Ap oad, ction Reading the rules & regulations, in pa plication continues to affect your QE rking xpe lots, : Practice the DoDi, the OPNAV, and Marine vario rience: on a d o n level of safety. The more track G u scena s conditi ained ex p o rios, Corps Orders as they apply to need ns, challe osure to time you ride, the more QM ng for av en oidan ing road motorcycle safety is an importreceiv torship: c e stra exposed you are to the vartegie enced ed guidan Joined a r s i ant place to start. But underfrom riders, in ce from m ding club ious conditions and factors , herit other ed sa ore exper s QM standing the where and when ifety a ulti-m that may present challenging ware edia: moto ness r of learning to be a safe rider onlin cycle ma Read boo scenarios on the road as long g e board articles, azines, lo ks by exp is the key to success. So when cal pu erts, blogs s; wa as you learn from those expe,a bl tched QA dv video nd discus ications, and where does it happen? sion s on r close anced E riences. Those learning points iding adva d course ducatio nced n track : P le a cours r vel. e will help you develop a library It all starts with pride and es, an xperienc ticipated in e d we nt to s, took of response tools and avoidance ego. We customize and perthe n ext strategies to grasp in times of need. sonalize our motorcycles to

NUMBER 30

Traffic Safety

PAG E

Newsletter
Mentorship is another state of learning. Being mentored may simply be following a friend whos ridden a country road several times and is taking you on his/her ride. It may be an acquaintance or riding club you join for an off-road adventure in the woods or the desert. Here is where a lot of postride storytelling and guidance prevails, and in turn we as riders inherit hints of safety from those whove already achieved a higher level. Another context affecting learning may be an incident. I use the term incident simply because it may be a close call or a crash that was a wake-up call to the rider. Either of these can have a lasting effect on ones approach to riding, and likely affect the inflated ego they had at the very beginning of their career. Ones career in motorcycle education should not go without soaking up vast amounts of written material. There are a number of books written by various subject matter experts and professional racers (past and present) in just about every type of motorcycling (dirt, street, enduro, touring, etc.). Useful tips can come from many sources; from industry magazines, local publications, online articles, blogs, and discussion boards. Sift through the material and pick out the positive attributes that fit your riding style. Videos are another way of learning by being able to visualize the tip or technique. There are various agencies that produce helpful videos pertaining to riding for pleasure, competing, maintenance, etc. Youd be amazed what you can find on YouTube, though you must have the discretion to sift through the mass of material and pick out whats applicable to you. Advanced courses and closed course track experiences can take all riders to the next level. These advanced courses allow riders to become familiar with the true capabilities of their machines in a controlled environment, free from vehicular traffic, and with full riding gear. Experienced professionals watch you from the track, in back of you, and also guide your lines as they ride a chase bike. Most students walk away with a new-found respect for their motorcycles, and tend to abandon the adrenaline-based risky thrill seeking on city streets and highways. In the end, it all comes down to accepting that motorcycle riding is fun, but calls for hard work and responsibility to maintain a level of proficiency and safety at all times. The harder you work at it, the more it will pay off. Being a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast may be a tough job but somebodys got to do it! Want to join me?

Motorcycles:
Increasing Driver Awareness
More than two-thirds of car-motorcycle crashes are caused by the car driver. Most of the time, the driver didnt see the motorcycle. Here are some tips for motorcyclists to help them stay visible . . .

4. 5.

Use your turn signals and dont make any sudden moves. Avoid high risk situations:
A driver changing

Road hazards (pot-

holes, standing water, railroad tracks) that make drivers do something sudden or unexpected. front of you.

1.

Dont assume a driver can see you. The primary precautions are helmets with rereflective materials and bright, contrasting clothing.

2. 3.

Lights on for safety: Keep your headlight on at all times. Stay out of blind spots: If you cant see a drivers face in his rear-view mirror, he cant see you, either.

lanes or turning when you are in his blind spot.

A car turning left in

SOURCE: SAFETYCENTER.NAVY.MIL

NUMBER 30

Traffic Safety

PAG E

Newsletter
all is the time of year with the highest risk

Deer Crashes: What You Should Know F

for a vehicle-deer collision, with November being the riskiest month. The months with the most crash deaths coincide with fall breeding season. Fatal crashes are most likely to occur in rural areas and on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher. Theyre also more likely to occur in darkness, at dusk, or at dawn. According to Traffic Safety magazine, approximately 200 people die each year from collisions with deer, and the cost to Americans is more than $1 billion dollars.

AAA FOUNDATION FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY

AAA FOUNDATION FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY

Local highway departments place deer warning signs in areas that are prone to deer collisions, but a deer can run into the road any time anywhere. Why is it that some motorists drive thousands of miles in deer country and never have a problem and other drivers seem to hit a deer almost annually? Most likely, some motorists are paying closer attention to their driving than others, and likely are aware of the following tips from the National Safety Council aimed at reducing deer-vehicle collisions: Slow down and prepare to stop as soon as you see a deer. Stopping is safer than taking evasive action. And, slow down if other cars are behaving differently. If you spot a deer, watch for others deer frequently travel in groups. Deer are nocturnal and often travel from dusk to dawn. Many deer-vehicle crashes occur between 6 p.m. and midnight. Watch for reflections from the deers eyes from your headlights this gives you more reaction time. USE YOUR HIGH BEAMS WHEN NO TRAFFIC IS APPROACHING . You should never overdrive your headlights. That is,

you should be able to stop when your headlights show an obstruction in the roadway before hitting it. If you drive with low beams, your sight distance is greatly reduced. So if you dont slow down, you will overdrive your lights a very dangerous practice. If you see a deer along the side of the road, assume it will run into your path, and slow down accordingly. Do not swerve into another lane, or head off the road to avoid hitting a deer. It is better to strike a deer than to hit another vehicle or a fixed object. Wear seat belts everyone in the vehicle! An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that 60 % of the people who were killed while riding in vehicles werent using safety belts, and 65 % of those killed on motorcycles werent wearing helmets. If you hit a deer, call 911 and wait for law enforcement. If theres no cell-phone service, its permissible to leave the scene to call police, then return. If you practice the above safety tips, you will be a much safer driver in deer country!

Adapted from an article published by the Franklin County, New York Traffic Safety Board. Photos courtesy of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

NUMBER 30

Traffic Safety

PAG E

Newsletter
ven though there are a lot of new safety

Seat Belts Still Essential for Crash Survival E

features available on newer vehicles, such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning, side view assist, and adaptive headlights, the humble safety belt remains as one of the most effective tools for preventing highway deaths and injuries. This article will discuss some of the seatbelt facts that you may not be aware of.

Relative to occupants who are not ejected from vehicles, occupants who are ejected in non-rollover crashes are nearly twice as likely to die, and those who are ejected in rollover crashes are four times more likely to die.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that seat belts saved nearly 13,000 lives in 2009. The risk of fatal injury declines 45 percent when people use lap and shoulder belts in the front seat and the risk of moderate to critical injuries are cut in half.

all states. New Hampshire is the only state without a safety belt law for adults. In all other states and the District of Columbia, front-seat occupants are required to use belts. However, adult rear-seat passengers are covered by the laws in only 25 states and the District of Columbia.

Lap and shoulder belts are designed to keep motorists in their seats during a crash. Without belts, people risk hitting things inside their vehicle and being ejected altogether. Safety belts help to prevent or reduce injuries from this second collision by tying people to their seats so they slow down with the vehicle as its crush zone absorbs most of the kinetic energy associated with the vehicle and occupants pre-crash motion. The longer people ride down a crash, the less likely they are to be injured, according to information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Still not convinced? Then, read on! Worn properly, safety belts are designed to spread crash forces across the stronger bony parts of the upper body. Safety belts also prevent occupants from being ejected from the vehicle, an event associated with high risk of injury and death. In spite of the proven safety of seat belts, laws are not uniform in

So is it a good idea to belt up in the rear seat? Definitely yes! People sitting in back should use safety belts for the same reasons they should use them in the front seat: to reduce serious injuries and fatalities in a crash. Lap and shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 44 percent among back-seat outboard occupants in passenger cars and 73 percent among back-seat outboard occupants of vans and SUVs. In a frontal crash, drivers and front-seat passengers are at increased risk of injury from unbelted back-seat passengers, and in a side-impact crash, passengers sitting adjacent to unbelted passengers are at increased risk of injury. Exposure to unbelted occupants increases the risk of injury or death to other occupants in the vehicle by 40 percent. The real question is why would you NOT belt up in ANY seat?

Adapted from an article published by the Franklin County, New York Traffic Safety Board