"It's not a matter of IF you go down, but only a matter of WHEN."
... I hate that statement.
Since having brought home a motorcycle last month (for the record, not my first) I now find myself on the receiving end of that statement from otherwise well-meaning friends, family members and even passing strangers. It's usually offered as unsolicited wisdom as if it were some sage piece of Confucianism to spark enlightened thought in my undisciplined self.
Even my brother, a retired California Highway Patrol Captain, has been keen to chime in with the obligatory "statistics show...", followed by anecdotal statements about the preponderance of motorcycle rider fatalities in vehicle collisions and the likelihood of death in even "minor" collisions that would otherwise have resulted in only a fender-bender between automobiles.
I believe the folks that give me these snippets of wisdom do so because they care; they have an underlying fear and concern for my safety and health. Given that, it's hard, really, to express the frustration I'd otherwise like to blurt out. After all, "DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW?!"
Instead, I now say, "You know, you're right. And here are some other statistics I bet you didn't know:
- Since the gas crisis reared its ugly head again, there are now more commuters who are jumping onto motorcycles.
- In 2006, the number of motorcyle licenses in California reached 1,109,374 -- an increase of 34% from 10 years earlier.
- But, over the same period, the number of motorcycle fatalities in California increased by 116%.
- In Orange County, CA (my current stomping grounds) although the number of motorcycle fatalities has remained relatively steady over the last three years, the number of motorcycle accidents over the same period has increased by 54%.
- About 29% of California motorcyclists involved in a fatal accident in 2006 didn't have a valid driver's license.
So, yes, I'm aware of the statistics. More so, I'm VERY aware of the risks. I only have to go back as far as yesterday (or this afternoon, or "just now") when that lady in the Acura cut over into my lane without looking. Or, when that bonehead in the Honda Civic decided to back up across two lanes so he could re-enter a strip mall entrance he missed. Or, I would simply remember the morning traffic reports that daily seems to communicate a "motorcyclist down" on some stretch of interstate. Or, R.I.P., the 25-year firefighter veteran who died last weekend after his motorcycle struck a pickup truck on a rural road after the pickup truck driver pulled out from an adjacent road in front of him.
Yes, I'm aware of the risks. And I don't take them lightly.
But, rather than you all telling me about all the ways I can die, I'd appreciate more anecdotes of safety.
Tell me about the motorcycle safety course that's facilitated by the motorcycle safety foundation. Tell me about a coupon or a gift certificate you were considering giving me for a bright-orange or bright-green motorcycle riding jacket. Tell me about the orange safety vest I can get to wear over my regular riding outfit. Tell me about the hiking boots that I can wear to protect my ankles should, god forbid, the unthinkable happens. Tell me about the brightly colored safety tape I can get for my helmet and riding garments; gift me a set. Get me that safety video...
You see where my head's at with this? Because, you see, focusing on death and dying while I'm out on the road is more likely to actually get me killed than if I were focusing on safety.
So, please, rather than fill my head with all the statistics I already know about all the different ways I can die on a motorcycle, I'd rather my head be filled with behaviors and habits that actually help me be safe.
So, help me out, will ya?
