Monday, November 30, 2009

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service - Making Cycling Safe

By Dorthy Weatherbush

Everyone has had a time when some guy on a motorcycle has been driving on a road near them and has done some pretty dangerous things. For example, a cyclist may have been weaving in and out of traffic; another may have been driving too fast; still another may have simply been driving without any protective gear. Moreover, motorcycling has become a dangerous activity.

If you are going to ride a motorcycle around then you need to wear the correct equipment. It's a basic level of protection and it should be absolutely mandated that you need to be properly equipped. A solid helmet that's tightly in place, thick boots or shoes to protect your feet and basic clothing items such as a thick jacket and jeans. These items can make the difference between a bad injury and a tragic injury. They can make the difference between life and death for motorcyclists who get in bad accidents.

There is no reason not to protect yourself if you're on a motorcycle. However, there are many reasons why people on a motorcycle should protect themselves when thinking about the other people they share the road with. By not wearing the right kind of equipment, motorcyclists actually end up making the road more dangerous for everybody. Drivers in cars have to change the way they are driving so as to try to avoid these reckless people, and it can lead to other accidents, more traffic, collisions and all kinds of problems.

Then when an accident occurs, it gets bad for everybody. The ensuing traffic pileup occurs. Insurance premiums are raised - and insurance for motorcyclists is already very high. Injuries and even fatalities can occur and much more. It all can be avoided too if only the right kind of equipment was worn.

The honest truth is that you will not be able to control your own safety entirely. There are some things that are just out of everyone's hands that even the most experienced and safest rider would not be able to avoid. The weather, the condition of the roadways, as well as the situation involving another driver, are all things that are out of the hands of the cyclist.

Taking all of that into consideration, you should as a biker take every opportunity to protect yourself. There is no way to take all of the risk out of anything, let alone driving a motorcycle. However, by protecting yourself and taking all the necessary precautions, you not only decrease the chances of a bad occurrence for yourself, but for other people as well. - 16887

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