Spring has sprung and here in the Midwest we like to consider this the kick-off for our riding season. That is, if it would ever stop raining! During the winter we look for those unusually warm days and take the opportunity to get on our bikes and just blow the stink off them from sitting idle, although those days seem to be few and far between during the
winter months.
When I’m given the opportunity to write one of these articles I try and focus on something fun which may bring a bit of a smile to everyone’s face and a little chuckle under their breath as they read. Let’s face it, everywhere we look in the news we’re bombarded with enough negative stuff it can actually become depressing to read or watch our daily newscasts. Aside from the fact “drama” sells and creates higher ratings, it’s not always
all that easy to find a good balance of good and bad news. If everything we
read about was good I think everyone would become bored with the different news
media.
This month, I have to take a serious approach to writing this article. As our riding season opens for us here in the Midwest, we are reminded of the importance of safety. I can hear you all now, “Oh My Gawd… Here we go AGAIN!”. Think about it in terms of talking with your (or someone else’s) teens about drugs and sex. The truth is we all know we can’t talk enough about safety when it comes to riding motorcycles.
Granted, bikes and riding gear have come a long way in terms
of safety equipment. For instance, there was a time when bikes didn’t have
horns, headlights, or blinkers. In addition, how about those engine guards we
all aspire to have on our bikes; not just for the aesthetically pleasing aspect
of them either. We can have all the safety equipment in the world on our bikes
we wish to have however, all these things means nothing if a rider isn’t going
to be responsible when they get on their bike to ride.
About a week and a half ago while watching the news there was a report of a woman biker out riding. She crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and slid under an oncoming minivan. For those of us who are riders we felt that burning sensation you get when you are stunned by something happening and hoping it’s not someone you know personally. The report was vague and the pictures and the news report the news anchors gave was heart-wrenching to watch. There were barely any details given on the crash other than the woman was hospitalized in critical condition and they couldn’t determine the cause of
the crash. The woman’s name wasn’t given out.
The written articles sounded very cold, vague and, accusing and the only positive note I could find in the article was she was wearing her helmet. Course, we have a helmet law here in Missouri so, I tend to just assume everyone is wearing their helmet here in the St. Louis area when riding motorcycles.
Because our WITW Chrome Goddesses chapter is so compassionate, caring, and close to one another, I woke the following day to find a mass email was sent out by our WITW chapter president. The “tone” was clear; we needed to know if it was either one of chapter sisters or was it someone one of us knew. One by one our chapter sisters were checking in and no one seemed to of known who this fallen biker sister was. Just before I replied,
my partner called me from work about the crash. The biker was the sister of one
of her co-workers and she was in pretty serious condition. The woman was in a
coma with extensive head injuries and possibly may have severe brain damage
even though she was wearing her helmet. My heart sank as she told me. I felt
sad and helpless for this poor woman. How did this happen? Did she have a
medical condition that caused her to lose control of her bike? Did she hit a
patch of loose gravel? Did she hit a crack in the road and lose control? What
happened? I checked in with my biker sisters and gave them the news. All I had
was a name and noted her brother works with my partner.
The following day my partner was given additional news by this woman’s brother. This woman was riding after having consumed a significant amount of alcohol and was high on drugs. We also were told it was pretty common for this woman to drink and do drugs and ride her bike. Once again, I was crushed. This time I felt a bit of anger as well. I’m probably a bit more hypersensitive to the issue than most because there is alcoholism and drug
abuse in my family which has torn my family apart.
My anger came in various forms and I began to ask; why would ANYONE get on a bike (or behind the wheel of a car) under the influence? Motorcycles are dangerous enough without having our minds altered by drugs and alcohol. It was just so irresponsible.
At last report on this woman, she remains in a coma and there have been brain activity tests conducted and there is little to no brain activity for her since the accident. This woman’s life has been significantly altered already and she will more than likely not survive. The bottom line is she put other lives at risk when she chose to get on her bike and ride while under the influence and never thought about the consequences of her behaviors.
I know it’s a cliché, however the saying has significant meaning; There’s a positive and negative to everything. The negative outcome in this situation isn’t hard to figure out and the list is long. The positive outcome isn’t only the fact this woman was wearing her helmet she also didn’t injure or kill anyone else in this accident.
Our WITW Chrome Goddesses chapter has chosen to have a safety director. Her mission is to keep our chapter up-to-date on the latest safety equipment and issues as well as bring tips and techniques to our group to make riding a safer and more enjoyable experience. There are always going to be dangers associated with riding on two wheels verses four. It would be great if every state car license test included information associated with sharing the road with bikers however, we all know what a political battle that becomes.
No one has said we shouldn’t be able to enjoy a drink every once in a while. Just PLEASE drink responsibly and don’t EVER get on your bike or behind the wheel after doing so. You risk putting your own life in danger as well as others. We owe it to ourselves as well as others around us to be positive examples of responsible riders.
By Sandy – Charter member
