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With the weather finally decent for most of the US the number of motorcyclists will be increasing greatly for many regions (I'm in New England and the number of bikes on the road has gone way up in the last week or two). So, for all those bikers here in the Mayberry, remember: asphalt doesn't have a crumple zone, and neither does your skull. Don't drive irresponsibly and be aware that you aren't as visible to other drivers as they are to you (oh, and a helmet could save your life). For everybody else, make sure you aren't looking just for cars when you're on the road: too many safe driving bikers have been hurt by people in cars not properly paying attention.
The reason I decided to make this thread was because today I was in a situation that could have potentially hurt a dude very badly because he passed me illegally and speeding through a residential area. Thankfully I was paying very close attention to him in my mirror so it wasn't a close call. I live right after a turn that leads to a long straight and people sometimes punch the gas and end up doing 20+ over the limit (it's a 30 zone with lots of houses) and this guy looked like he was itching to pass me. He decided to do so right as I reached for my signal for my driveway (which is a left turn and could have taken me right into him). So, while this this guy went on his way probably without even realizing the potential danger he was putting himself in it was still a disconcerting experience for me: almost 20 years ago another biker actually died at that same spot for doing essentially the same thing. Back then there were two guys and one of them darted in front of my father while he was turning. My dad had to slam on the brakes and the other dude, who ironically was being the more responsible of the two and was going to go around on the right, plowed into the now stopped back of the truck while doing upwards of 50mph. This young man (IIRC he was 19 and a student at the local college) wasn't wearing a helmet, sustained massive head injuries, and died on the way to the hospital.
Enjoy the road, but really, be safe out there. The roads are dangerous enough for motorcyclists, no need to make things worse by driving like a hooligan.
The reason I decided to make this thread was because today I was in a situation that could have potentially hurt a dude very badly because he passed me illegally and speeding through a residential area. Thankfully I was paying very close attention to him in my mirror so it wasn't a close call. I live right after a turn that leads to a long straight and people sometimes punch the gas and end up doing 20+ over the limit (it's a 30 zone with lots of houses) and this guy looked like he was itching to pass me. He decided to do so right as I reached for my signal for my driveway (which is a left turn and could have taken me right into him). So, while this this guy went on his way probably without even realizing the potential danger he was putting himself in it was still a disconcerting experience for me: almost 20 years ago another biker actually died at that same spot for doing essentially the same thing. Back then there were two guys and one of them darted in front of my father while he was turning. My dad had to slam on the brakes and the other dude, who ironically was being the more responsible of the two and was going to go around on the right, plowed into the now stopped back of the truck while doing upwards of 50mph. This young man (IIRC he was 19 and a student at the local college) wasn't wearing a helmet, sustained massive head injuries, and died on the way to the hospital.
Enjoy the road, but really, be safe out there. The roads are dangerous enough for motorcyclists, no need to make things worse by driving like a hooligan.
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