Motorcycle Helmet Laws

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has encouraged all states to have and enforce a law requiring all motorcycle riders as well as passengers to wear motorcycle helmets meeting federal guidelines. Motorcycle helmets provide the best protection from head injuries in the event of an accident. The passage of helmet laws was found to be the most effective way of increasing helmet use. The following are facts found in the study done by the NHTSA: In 2006, 4810 motorcyclists died and approximately 88,000 were injured in highway crashes in the United States.

) Per mile traveled in 2006, a motorcyclist is approximately 37 times more likely to die in a crash than someone riding in a passenger car.

There will be more of these interesting facts to follow in later posts. It really all boils down to paying attention to what you are doing and watching what's going on around you and being alert.

How do you feel about the helmets laws??

New Motorcycle Riders

It's very important to understand that choosing a motorcycle to start learning to ride with is as important as what type of safety gear you choose, such as motorcycle helmets, leather jackets, boots, and gloves. First, you should decide on what type of riding you will be doing. Are you looking for a bike to just get you around town or do you need a bike better suited for cruising on the open road. You may talk with a few dealerships and see what they recommend. Also, it would be a good idea to enroll in a motorcycle safety class. Also, choose a good motorcycle helmet, preferably DOT certified for maximum safety.

Thunder Beach

Everyone is getting ready for the Thunder Beach Bike Rally in beautiful Panama City Beach April 30th-May 3rd. It's said to be the most friendly bike rally in the country. The good thing about this one is, if for some reason you miss this one, there is always the one in the Fall. They will be located at some of the most happening venues on the beach. Fortunately I can say I have frequented every one of them over the years. What a perfect place to kick off the 2009 motorcycle riding season. Hopefully we'll see you there.

Get Ready For Americade

It's time to get ready for Americade 2009. If you don't already know, it's located in the Adirondack mountains in upstate New York in the Lake George vacation region. It runs from June 1st to June 6th, 2009. It's approximately 10 miles north of Glens Falls and Queensbury and 50 miles north of the state capitol. If you enjoy large crowds like 50,000 motorcyclists, then the time to be there is about the end of the week. To enjoy it with a few less people, the first part of the week would be the ticket. Either way, that will be a whole bunch of motorcycle helmets.

New Motorcycle Technology

Honda develops new motorcycle safety technology. In its efforts to improve safety for everyone, especially vulnerable road users, Honda's leading motorcycle -to-car communication system was recently demonstrated for the first time in Germany at the CAR 2 CAR Communications Consortium. The VEHICLE to VEHICLE (V2V) System generates warnings to riders and drivers of other vehicles by continuous exchange of positioning data from satellite GPS sources. This is particularly relevant as road users approach intersections, alerting them to other vehicles that are potentially on a collision course, allowing avoidance maneuvers. Research data shows that the majority of accidents involving a motorcycle are caused by perception failures and this system will reduce these failures.

Most accidents involving motorcycles are caused by the simple failure of other motorists to detect the presence of a motorcycle on the road until it is too late, or to correctly assess its distance and speed. V2V communications rapidly relays information in a simple concise manner, which supports motorists' and bikers' recognition processes. Information, including position, direction and vehicle dynamics coordinates, is exchanged between vehicles. Motorcycle riders can safely receive warnings about vehicles near them on a "Head-up" indicator display and can receive information through an in-helmet audio system which doesn't require them to take their eyes off the road. Drivers can view information on the status of cars and motorcycles in their vicinity and receive warnings on, for example, their navigation system display. Honda's V2V System is interoperable and facilitates communication with vehicles from eight other manufacturers.

I think this is certainly technology we can all live with. I can think of several lives that could have been saved possibly, including our eighteen year old son, if this technology had been available a few years ago. Let's hope they continue their research. Along with continuing to wear our motorcycle helmets, maybe we can makes our roads a little bit safer.