So, what about the other 11 months of the year? Do we forget, in between? Not if we have friends and family that ride a motorcycle, we don’t. So, although speeding and zipping between cars are two of the biggest contributors to motorcycle accidents, there are some things riders have no control over. There’s no protective exterior, like a car has. 4,500 motorcyclists died in 2014. That number is staggering.
There are a few things a motorcyclist can do to protect themselves, besides constantly scanning around them and being aware of their surroundings. Wearing protective gear, such as Kevlar has proven to be a huge factor in saving lives (and skin). Kevlar is a synthetic fiber of high tensile strength used especially as a reinforcing agent in the manufacture of tires and other rubber products and protective gear such as helmets and vests. Use of a Department of Public Safety compliant protective helmet is also super important. Over 60% of riders don’t wear a helmet at all. And, a full face helmet is even better, if you want to save face.

So, look twice for motorcycles and share the road. Motorcyclists have the same rights when driving on the road, and they have families just like the rest of us.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Motorcycle Safety Awareness – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Motorcycle Safety Awareness appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

I grew up with motorcycles. When I was a kid, my Dad’s Harley was our alarm clock. He’d be getting home from the pub around the time we needed to get ready for school. He’d pull into the garage and rev it up before he shut it down. It would shake the entire house. In Texas, there is no maximum sound level law in place. In fact, a lot of bikers who don’t own a Harley Davidson motorcycle have put loud muffler packages on their bikes so people will at least hear them, even if they can’t see them. Sometimes Dad would take us for a ride on his bike. We’d ride on the fuel tank. Thank goodness we’ve evolved since then! Now, passenger age restrictions on a motorcycle indicate that anyone under 5 must ride in a sidecar, facing backwards (just kidding about the facing backwards part).

Rider education is required if you are under the age of 18, and required if you are over 21 and choose not to wear a helmet. Or, your option there would be to have proof that you hold insurance covering injuries that result from a motorcycle accident. Again, thank goodness we’ve evolved.

A few other laws in Texas and most other states are that you have to have your headlights on during the day and you must have at least one side mirror. That’s also helps you to see who is running you off the road. Because people in cars just don’t pay attention. Texting, talking, fiddling with stuff in the car while they are driving. There are unlimited distractions in the car. And, with more motorcycles on the road now, that’s a lethal combination.

So, look twice for motorcycles. And share the road. Remember, those motorcyclists have families, like the rest of us. Some even have wives and kids. Well, that would be Utah. I meant a wife (singular) and kids.

Until next week….

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Learn How To Share The Road With Motorcycles – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Learn How To Share The Road With Motorcycles appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Now, with gas prices at their all-time high, there are more motorcycles on the road. A lot of people bought a motorcycle to save money on commuting. Not to mention, a motorcycle is much easier on the environment than a car. Plus, you can get on the H.O.V. by yourself on a motorcycle. Not a bad deal, as opposed to being out there on the freeway, riding alongside a bunch of cars with drivers who are not paying one bit of attention and could take you out at any moment. So now, with more distractions in the car and more motorcycles on the road, it’s a lethal combination.

You may have noticed billboards and electronic signs that remind you to share the road and to look twice for motorcycles. It’s typically the driver of the car who is at fault and takes down the motorcyclist by not seeing them and cutting them off. Yes, you as the driver of a car may argue that some of those motorcyclists are popping wheelies and whipping in between lanes. But not everyone is. In defense of some of those bikers out there who are not hot-dogging it, but are lane-splitting, they’re probably just trying to get as far ahead of traffic as quickly as they can so they don’t put themselves in a bad situation. It is against the law in Texas to lane-split. But lane-splitting has been legal in California since the early 80’s. They are the only state that allows it. But don’t give up hope, Texas is looking into it. I don’t get on the freeway on a bike anymore. My sister Karla does. She’s got a thing for bikers. I was with her when she met her latest boyfriend. She pointed him out from across the bar. He was dressed in full leathers. Bandana on his head. Kinda cute. I had noticed him earlier because he had arrived in the parking lot when we did. He pulled up in a beat-up old Nova. The bumper sticker said “My Other Car’s a Porche” (Ya, right. And my boobs are in my other shirt). She said, “Check him out. Now he’s a real biker.” I’m like “He pulled up in a Nova. He doesn’t even own a bike. He’s a biker without a bike. He’s a loser.”

So, in Texas, if you are driving a car and you cut off a motorcyclist and they go down, it’s an automatic $500 fine. Me? I don’t think it’s high enough. I think the fine should be much higher and they should make people well aware that they need to be paying the heck attention out there! If the accident results in serious bodily injury or death to that motorcyclist, the fine is higher. Honestly, if someone goes down on the freeway on a bike, even if they survive it, there are other cars that may run over their body. So their chances of survival are slim. The Texas helmet law is another controversial subject. If you are 21, you don’t have to wear a helmet. But you must have proof that your insurance will cover a head injury. Most younger bikers I see are wearing helmets. It’s the burly old bikers, like my Dad that don’t wear a helmet. Guys my age and older. I’ve asked some of them that I know “Why would you not want to wear a helmet if you have a choice?” And some of them say the helmet messes with their peripheral vision or impairs their hearing. But the honest ones say they just don’t want to mess up their hairdoo. You ever see one of those old bikers and they have this long, beautiful flowing hair like a girl. From behind, you think they’re a girl. And when they turn around, they have this zz-top beard. And most of them my age have no hair where the helmet would go anyway. Typically, that part of their head is completely bald! Kind of like that Bret Michaels. You know there’s probably nothing under that bandana…just a bald head. He should just tattoo a bandana on his bald head!

We have a lot of motorcycles out there and we have to look twice for them. So look twice to save a life…motorcycles are everywhere.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
( Daun Thompson is a comedian, writer and artist residing in Dallas, Texas )

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