Have you ever been frustrated when
your concerns are not addressed?
Have you ever called a company with
a problem and explained what it was
just to have them say they need to
transfer you? Then you have to start
explaining your issue all over again.
That person listens to your problem,
gives you some advice that doesn’t
help and then tells you that you
will have to call another person
next week who might be able to help.
You hang up frustrated and feeling
as if you wasted your time; the
problem still exists yet you are
hopeful
that next week you will connect with
someone who will be able to help
you resolve your issue
I often feel
like this is my life! Trying to explain
the benefits of education and why
First Response is a legitimate part
of motorcycle safety initiatives.
There are actually six areas of motorcycle
safety with one common goal: to
reduce injuries and fatalities to
motorcyclists!
While it is important to try to avoid
a crash in the first place and it
is proper to put much effort into
that effect, it is incorrect to
expect that we could ever attain
a goal
of zero fatalities if we don’t
both prevent a crash from occurring
and provide a proper response in
the event a person crashes. Both
efforts are important and should
be stressed as important.
As I speak
to people who are involved in prevention
I often feel as if they want to hand
this issue off to someone else to
deal with (ie: have you talked to
HHS? Have you talked to EMS educators?
Have you talked to…….)
In the past 15 years I have talked
to many people. There is much to
be done to strengthen First Response
as it exists today. To read more
about ASMI’s Best Practice
model, click
here. Road
Guardians is currently working on their own
initiative that will help explain
how Six areas of motorcycle safety
can lead to zero fatalities.
We need
help. If you would like to be involved,
contact me: Vicki@accidentscene.org or support Road Guardians and it’s
mission to Reduce injures
and fatalities through education by joining Road
Guardians Now. Already a member?
THANKS! I hope you are reaping the
many benefits that reward you for
membership.
Road Guardians
support April as Motorcycle Awareness
Month since most bikes are on
the road by May and the fact
that April has a statistically
higher fatality rate than May.
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2011/04/motorcycle-safety-foundation-calls-for-an-end-to-distracted-driving/
Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Calls for an End to Distracted
Driving
Organization Supports National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
IRVINE, Calif.,
April 7, 2011 – The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is strongly
urging all motorists to stop driving while distracted and fully backs April’s
national awareness month to combat this deadly highway hazard.
“
Distracted driving is of great concern for motorcyclists as we simply have more
at stake,” said MSF President Tim Buche. “Riders are obviously
more vulnerable than car or truck drivers, the ones with far more access to
a variety
of distractions. Most motorcyclists are focused on one thing: riding. Other
motorists should be focused on driving.”
The U.
S. Department of Transportation’s
website, www.distraction.gov,
reports a variety of sobering statistics:
- In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction
(16 percent of the total fatalities). - The proportion of fatalities reportedly
associated
with driver distraction increased from 10 percent in 2005 to 16 percent
in 2009. - 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted
driving.
- 18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related crashes involved reports
of a cell phone as a distraction.
“
With these alarming, increasing reports of driver distraction and resulting injuries
and deaths, we support every effective effort, including legislation, to fight
this growing hazard,” Buche said. “We’re very pleased that
Oprah Winfrey, an influential TV personality with huge national reach, has
come out so strongly against distracted driving.”
Introduced by
former U.S. Representative Betsy
Markey, the resolution to create
a National Distracted Driving
Awareness Month was passed by
the
U.S. House of
Representatives on March 23, 2010.
Most states currently
have laws regulating distracted
driving. The DOT reports that
30 states, the District of Columbia
, and Guam ban
text
messaging for
all drivers. Last year alone, 12 of these laws were enacted.
To increase driver
awareness, the MSF presents key
facts about motorcycles and their
riders and has created a website
with valuable resources
for drivers called forcardrivers.com.
10 Things All
Car and Truck Drivers Should
Know About Motorcycles and Motorcyclists
1. There are many
more cars and trucks than motorcycles
on the
road and some drivers don’t “recognize” motorcyclists.
They ignore them, usually unintentionally.
Look for motorcycles, especially
when checking traffic
at an intersection.
2. A motorcyclist
may look farther away than he
or she is in actuality. It may
also be difficult to judge a
motorcycle’s speed. When
checking traffic to turn at an
intersection or into (or out
of) a driveway, estimate that
a
motorcycle is closer than it looks.
3. A motorcycle
can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots or masked by
objects or backgrounds outside the car. Thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re
changing lanes or turning at intersections.
4. A motorcycle
may seem to be moving faster
than it really is. Again, don’t
immediately rely on your perceptions.
5. Motorcyclists
sometimes slow down by downshifting
or merely rolling off the throttle,
thus not activating the brake
light. Don’t tailgate motorcyclists.
At intersections, anticipate that motorcyclists may slow down without
any visual warning.
6. Turn signals
on a motorcycle are not often
automatically self-canceling.
Some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn
them off. Try to determine
whether a motorcycle’s turn signal is for real. And if you’re driving
a car, remember to use your turn signals too. They’re a
great communication tool for riders and drivers when used properly.
7. Motorcyclists
often adjust position within
a lane to be seen more easily,
to avoid road debris, and deal
with passing vehicles
and
wind. Understand
that motorcyclists often adjust lane position for a purpose,
and it’s not
an invitation for a car to share the lane with them.
8. Maneuverability
can be one advantage for a motorcycle,
but don’t expect
that motorcyclist can always steer or swerve out of harm’s
way. Please leave motorcyclists room on the road, wherever
they are around you.
9. Stopping distance
for motorcycles can be nearly
the same or better than that
of cars. But wet or slippery
pavement
can put
motorcyclists
at a disadvantage.
Don’t violate a motorcyclist’s right of way,
especially in bad conditions.
10. Don’t think of it as a motorcycle, a machine: Think of the rider; the
person on board is someone’s son, daughter, spouse or parent. Unlike
other motorists, protected by doors, roofs and airbags, motorcyclists have
only their
safety gear and are at greater risk from distracted drivers.
“
While the solution to ending distracted driving is clear – better, smarter,
safer decisions – upcoming research will shed more light on the nature
of the problem,” Buche said.
In the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s
100-Car Naturalistic Driving
Study, distracted driving contributed
to more than 22 percent of all
the crashes and near-crashes that were recorded. This research gathered
its
data from video recorders and instrumentation installed on the vehicles
before they
were placed back, for months, into everyday traffic.
The MSF 100 Motorcyclists
Naturalistic Study will soon
do the same with motorcycles,
for six to 18 months, and will
combine unobtrusive,
continuous
data collection
with post-incident interviews. The study will create a comprehensive
picture of many factors, possibly including distracted driving, that
contribute
to both crashes and near-crashes.
The MSF, its members,
and the Virginia Tech Transportation
Institute (VTTI) are now engaged
in this study, likely the world’s
first large-scale, naturalistic
research on motorcycle riding.
The Motorcycle
Safety Foundation® promotes safety through rider training
and education, operator licensing tests and public information programs. The
MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military and others
to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe,
responsible motorcycling. Standards established by the MSF® have
been recognized worldwide since 1973.
The MSF is a not-for-profit
organization sponsored by BMW,
BRP, Ducati, Harley-Davidson,
Honda, Kawasaki , KTM, Piaggio,
Suzuki,
Triumph,
Victory and Yamaha. For
safety information or to enroll in the RiderCourseSM nearest
you, visit www.msf-usa.org or call (800) 446-9227 (800) 446-9227.
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