Riding Risk
A few years ago on my way to New York City a Harley rider raced past me. I was going about 75 mph. He was wearing a T-shirt, no gloves, and no helmet. Caused me to ponder risk a bit.
Riding to work today, the first really warm day this year and my marking of the start of spring, I was seeing a lot of gravel on the road at intersections. Would have thought it would be gone by now. The desire to carve through turns, even at intersections, is a siren calling to a rider. A dangerous call at best. A racetrack can provide a predictable road surface. Not many other places can.
“I could have dumped the scooter there.” I though to myself on one ubiquitous turn. And hot on the heals of that thought has a recognition of risk. It’s something the raises its hand from time to time.
Reflect on Risk
Every couple years I repost the Morning Fall video by Edward McGinty.
Morning Fall from Boss Boyd on Vimeo.
by Edward McGinty (a video exploring the meaning of riding risk)
I watched it again today and it holds up well with many reminders of the risks on the road to machine and man (and woman). As the riding season starts again for many riders I think it’s always good to spend a few moments in silent meditation on the amount of risk you’re willing to assume, how your riding skills (or lack thereof) influence the risk you face, and what, if anything, you’re willing to do to mitigate risk.
What Can You Do About Your Own Riding Risk?
There’s no way around it — riding a scooter or motorcycle is dangerous. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, your chances of dying on a motorcycle are 35 times higher than in a car, calculated on a per-mile basis. Reading that statistic reminds me that I should look for ways to mitigate some of the risk — at least the things in my control.
Things like:
- Don’t drink and ride — alcohol is involved in a big percentage of fatal motorcycle crashes.
- Don’t ride beyond your skills — a lot of riding accidents don’t involve another vehicle but instead are caused by a rider getting into a situation they can’t handle. Most cases that means going too fast.
- Ride defensively — a motorcycle or scooter isn’t a car. Don’t pretend it is. Assume you’re invisible, you never have the right of way, and are not entitled to road rage when on two wheels.
- Wear a helmet. (Unless your helmet-less head is an important expression of your individuality and trumps health or survival concerns)
I won’t go on about training or maintenance of the machine. That stuff is obvious.
So have a look at the film. If you’ve seen it already it’s worth watching again. If only for the reminder of the unexpected.
How do you think about your own risk on the road?
Tragic. He’ll be devastated on arriving home.
Thanks
I remember the first time I saw the video — that last scene was an unsettling surprise.
‘First reaction; “deer ticks”! On a serious note the ATGATT theory even when temps skyrocket , calls to us.
Ticks! It’s that time of year again. Hate them. ATGATT — I try to live that call but there are days when a pair of jeans is all the protection I offer my legs…
That’s a really powerful video. I saw it coming early on, but still… it’s an important message. Still… that guy’s bad luck had me chuckling. Especially when he finally found the matchbook. Hahaha…
The director did a nice job pulling that light thread through the film. Would be a bore without it I think. Just another safety movie…
I was out on the trails in November, having a great day when I got hit by a bouncing kangaroo (that normally only come out dawn and dusk) – it clipped my front wheel and I went down onto the gravel like a sack of spuds at about 55mph (85kmh).
I was wearing all the gear – mx boots, kevlar jeans, heavy armour jacket, gloves, helmet – but still came off significantly second best.
Broke 3 ribs, and apart from some stress lines in my shin from being very close to a radial fracture, and bruising on the bone that I can still feel – nothing else broke. The impact on my left leg was very heavy – and I am left with permanent nerve damage in my lower leg from either a rock or something on the ground hitting my knee, or the bike hitting it as it landed on me . Net result – severed perineal nerve bundle in the knee and no more surface feeling on anything below the knee. I will likely never bend my knee fully, jump or run again. I also ripped out the ATL and PTL ligaments in my ankle (despite the full MX boots) – which are taking an age to heal.
Riding will be a year away at least, but I am prepared for the prospect of maybe never being able to ride offroad again (te DR650 is tall for me and with a numb leg it’s going to be a challenge). At least I can walk ok (albeit with a limp) and have a mostly normal life.
What’s the message? Like you said – recognise situations that may have resulted in an off, and realise that you need to manage that possibility and risk.
Dress like you just might come off – because if you do come off one day, I’m telling you – it’s going to bloody hurt. You know how much it hurt when you fell over when running in the playground as a kid – well, that’s like an off at about 10mph. Even at town speeds, it’s going to be messy.
At 55mph – if I’d not had good gear on, I’d probably still be in hospital 4 months later having skin grafts, possibly dealing with the loss of a foot or hand. As it is, I’ve only had to miss 2 days of work due to hospital follow ups, xrays and ultrasounds (to rule out DVT) – yes, it’s taken a force of will to do that and it’s been very painful, but man, compared to what could have been – I totally got away with it.
Manage what you can control.
Kangaroo hit — that’s a first for Scooter in the Sticks. Glad you mostly got through the accident as well as you did. Anytime a rider goes off a 55mph and isn’t on a well manicured racetrack the probability of bad stuff happening is high.
“Dress like you might come off”. That’s good to remember. And have a picture of what coming off could look like. Having gear won’t completely ward off bad stuff but like you say can make things much better than they otherwise would be. Thanks for sharing and I hope you find some recovery in your leg and get back to riding if you wish.
Not sure training is obvious to some folks on motorcycles Steve. Still, good reminders as this wimpy winter starts fading away and folks are retrieving their motorcycles from hibernation.
I can only add: Ride like you’re invisible, because really, you are. Be unhittable: LINK
Be unhittable. That is a worthy goal as a rider. I wear hi-viz but I’ve already seen how invisible I can be wearing that bright color. I read the story in MMM and it’s a potent reminder of what we should strive for on the road. Invisible, unhittable — that’s the ticket.
Thanks for sharing that Dom.
Steve,
I have been thinking the exact same things as I get back out on my Stella. Always dress for a fall, be mindful (all the time), watch out for dark/wet surfaces, expect there to be loose gravel on the roads (I know our township has yet to get to all the roads with their spring hoovering), take the time to review and practice all the things that were so natural by the end of the last season (picking and executing your curve strategies, keeping your brake lights blazing while waiting for traffic lights to change, remembering to turn off the turn signal after your turn or lane change—for those of us who ride machines without automatic turn signal shutoffs—and such).
If you are lucky enough to live in a place where training is offered, and especially if you lucky enough to live in a place where top-notch training is FREE, make sure you take advantage—http://www.pamsp.com/
And constantly remind yourself, YOU ARE INVISIBLE—do everything you can to make yourself seen, and then assume you are still invisible.
Thanks for the reminders Robert. There can never be too many. And for the nod toward the PAMSP courses. I should probably register to take the Advanced Rider Course again. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone through any formal training. Until then — invisible is the word.
We still need to get together sometime.
One more thing. . . THINK LIKE A RIDER WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING YOUR CAR.
Perfect.
Loved the video. I’m with Mark, though. Figured he’d had a passenger, too.
I wear proper gear, pretend I am invisible, do my best to ride within my limits, and be smart.
It’s all worth the risk.