Close Calls 2014
Since getting involved with motorcycling last year I have had people constantly tell me to “be safe”, “ride safe”, ask “isn’t it dangerous?”, and otherwise worry for my safety. While motorcycling can be dangerous, I do not believe it is an inherently dangerous activity. For instance, riding a motorcycle does not increase a life insurance premium, but smoking, diving, and a lot of other actives do cause an increase. If anyone has a vested interest in your life, a life insurance company would.
Besides a riders own skill, the inattentiveness of other drivers is the largest threat to a motorcyclist, and a factor the motorcyclist has no control over. This video highlights most of my close calls during my first 6 months of riding a motorcycle. They are arranged chronologically and I willingly admit I made a number of mistakes in dealing with these situations. However, I wanted to share them to give people an idea of what can happen and I also wanted to be able to look back on this video and see how I’ve improved with experience and additional training.
One of the things that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course and the various books and video clips I’ve read and watched failed to prepare me for was the anger and rage when you are cut off or otherwise endangered on a motorcycle. You can see a few of my reactions in the video. I’m not proud of these moments, and it is something I am working on for the future, but these instances could have gone very badly for me just because whoever is driving is not paying attention to the road. Please stay off your phones and pay attention to what is around you!
As always I am open to constructive comments and criticism. Feel free to leave your comments here or on YouTube and I’d be happy to discuss any of these situations.