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We are here to help you in case of an emergency, but its still your responsiblity to have
things in order to provide for your family in case of an unfortunate accident... so here are
some helpful tips for now.
1. Make sure you have a living will set up - If you are unable to speak for yourself, its
important that other know what you want and your voice is heard.
2. Get your things in order before the season starts at home, work or your business.
Make sure things are covered in case there is ever an accident.
3. Its not the bikers that are usually in the wrong with most accidents, its usually the other
driver not paying attention....... so be aware.
4. Ask your insurance company for options. Your policy goes beyond accident
insurance and it is a good idea to have this in place if you have a family. Most insurance
companies will only pay for the actual loss in the accident. If you have an option to buy
more insurance for additional costs like loss of property, legal expenses, loss of income,
etc.. then check it out...... might only be pennies to your original contract.
1) Good training is better than good luck
Take a class and/or practice your skills. Don't depend on being lucky to survive.
2) Don't drink and ride
Even one drink can affect your riding ability.
3) Don't do drugs and ride
Even some prescription drugs can impair your riding ability.
4) Don't ride when fatigued
Fatigue can be just as dangerous when riding as alcohol and drugs.
5) Wear all of your protective gear
When you fall, you will be glad you had it on.
6) Maintain your motorcycle
Breakdowns can be costly and dangerous.
7) Get a bike that you can handle and fits you
Start small and work your way up in size as your skill and riding ability improve.
8) Practice your skills whenever you can
Find a vacant lot and work on your skills so they are second nature.
9) Learn to ride on all types of roads and conditions
It will rain sometime in your riding career so be prepared for it. Gravel, sand, rain, grooved
concrete, and blacktop all are different.
10) Ride at your own skill and comfort level
Don't take challenges or be pushed by others to ride above your level. That includes your
husband! And your friends!
11) Don't challenge anything with more wheels than you
Bigger always wins.
12) Always leave yourself an out
Try to anticipate what could happen and be prepared for your escape.
13) Don't be afraid to slow down when you are in doubt
It is better to go slow than go down.
14) When approaching an intersection look left, right, left
Remember the vehicle coming from your left will hit you first.
15) Be Visible, see and be seen There is no such thing as a safe intersection, don't take them
for granted
Fatalities decrease
Despite the increase in motorcycle crashes, fatal motorcycle crashes and motorcyclist fatalities
decreased . There were 11 motorcyclist fatalities in 2007. We want zero this year!
Alcohol use among fatals at all time low - yaaaaaaaa !!!!
Nova Scotia law requires that drivers who die in traffic crashes be tested for blood alcohol level.
Hopefully they will find NO drivers tested positive for alcohol, but stats show nearly one out of five
tested at .10 or greater. We would like to see this better of course.. It should be Zero tolerance when
you are on a motorcycle.
Greater crash severity
When a motorcycle is involved in a traffic crash, the chances of severe injury are greatly increased. In
fact, 3.7 of every 100 motorcycle crashes are fatal and nearly one out of every five motorcyclists
injured was injured severely.
Helmet use
In Nova Scotia its mandatory helmet use law for motorcyclists or any age.. Thank goodness. Laws may
be debated, but the benefits helmets offer are clear: they protect the head in the event of a collision.
And save lives.
Operator training is essential
There is a large percentage of all motorcycle crashes were single vehicle crashes. This may indicate
that further training is needed for a large segment of the motorcycle driver population.
Males are most often victims. A large percentage of the motorcyclists killed, or injured, were male.
Males account for a full high percentage of all motorcyclists killed or injured.
Contributing factors:
Speeding motorcyclists
Failing to yield by other vehicles
As noted, over half of motorcycle crashes are single vehicle crashes. In these crashes, the factors that
reporting officers cite most often are illegal or unsafe speed (17%), driver inexperience (12%), driver
inattention or distraction (9%), and chemical impairment (5%). In crashes that do involve another
motor vehicle, the reporting officers more often associate contributing factors with the other driver than
with the motorcyclist. For other drivers, failure to yield the right of way (24%) and driver inattention or
distraction (26%), are cited most frequently.
When you see us moving past you quickly:
Don't take offense or think we're trying to "show off". Ninety five percent of the time,
we're trying to get out of your blind spot or taking ourselves out of a potential
dangerous situation that has evolved around us. Distancing ourselves from you does
not mean we want to race, but that we're giving ourselves the edge we need at the
moment.
When you hear our horn:
Don't take offense or think we're trying to aggravate you. All we're doing is letting you
know where we are in relation to you on the road, and we're more than likely aware of
your inattentiveness to us while you're talking on a cell phone, eating, reading or
involved in some other distracting aspect to your driving. It's important to us, and you,
that you know we're there.
When you hear our loud pipes:
Don't become angry and hostile toward us. Yes, some are quite loud, but for some,
there's a purpose behind being loud. It's about letting you know we're close by and
we're constantly hoping that our investment in this accessory will help save our lives.
Our pipes are really not about our ego...it's a pride and personalization to our form of
transportation.
When you see us in our clothes:
Don't become fearful of us or think us weird. Our leather jackets, chaps, gloves and
boots are the barriers between loosing massive amounts of flesh should something
cause us to go down...nothing more, nothing less. Safety gear is paramount to our
riding. We wear patches on our jackets, and pins on our vests. These are symbols of
pride and honor within our group(s), individuals giving back to those who gave. These
things bond us as a brotherhood and sisterhood among bikers. Not that we're better
than anyone else, but that we have the same kind of nobility and pride in our
accomplishments as you may have in the various aspects of your life. I guess one could
say; our patches and pins are the decals and the bumper stickers of our involvement
with society and the general public, of which we are very pleased to be a part of in our
own little way.
When you see us in a restaurant:
You don't have to shield your child or feel intimidated. We have family, wives, husbands,
children and loved ones too, just like you. We smile; we laugh and enjoy the moments
we have. We are approachable, and would befriend you, if given the opportunity.
When you see us in a parking lot:
Don't convince yourself that we're there to "get you". More than likely, we just finished a
long ride and are taking a break. Or, we may be meeting up with other riders for a
charity run for young children, or another very worthy cause. We may just be admiring
one another's bikes, sharing our pride with other brothers and sisters, just like you do
with your personal vehicle. It's what we do...it's a part of our lives, and we'd be more
than welcome to share with you what riding a bike is all about...if you'd only ask.
When you see aggressive riding bikers:
Don't put us all in the same stereotypical category as those whose behavior and actions
would cause you to react in disgust and intolerance. Many of us do not agree with this
style of riding either, and we know and understand that human nature tends to blend us
all together as the "same group". Most of us don't want that title...and don't deserve it.
When you see a group of bikers on the roadways:
Give us the courtesy of sharing the road with you. Please don't "move in" between
several bikers in formation. This gets us very excited and nervous, especially when it's
done with no due regard for our safety. Provide us with your awareness of the fact that
we are much more vulnerable than you. We don't want to challenge you, for all of us are
wise enough to know...we'd lose that battle.
When you are turning left or entering a roadway/highway:
Look, then look again...and then one more time. For we can be easily hidden, and
appear to be invisible by such things as a telephone pole, another vehicle, bright lights
or the glare of the sun...or possibly, the beads hanging from your rearview mirror,
among numerous other items that are displayed there. If you see us flashing our lights
at you or blowing our horn, we're only trying to ensure that you will see us before
tragedy changes both our lives.
When you are behind us:
Please give us the room we need and don't tailgate us. If you hit us, we're going
down...HARD! We don't want to play games with you, we just want to enjoy the ride and
the fresh air, and experience that which many of you have never lived for. If we
accelerate away from you, don't interpret this action as though we want to drag race
you. We're only trying to take ourselves out of a bad situation if you insist on being too
close.
When, and if, you experience road rage:
Don't take it out on us just because we're smaller than you and more vulnerable. Think
about what you're doing and the end result that may become a reality. The
consequences of your actions and choices could be very detrimental to our well being,
our families, our children and our loved ones. Yes, there are those that can tend to piss
you off, however, rage towards them will not solve the issues, but accentuate them. Nine
out of ten bikers will do everything they can to take themselves out of that situation
without causing you or them harm.
When you have an opportunity to talk to us:
You'll discover, outside any influenced or stereotypical mindset you may have, that we
are just as human as you are, just with different interests and toys. Many of us would
give you the shirt off our back if it would tend to brighten your day or console you in
some way. We're really no different... and we drive cars, trucks and vans too. So, meet
us and greet us...I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that you'll be met with open arms.
Thank You for attempting to understand!
