Let’s hear it for our local brothers in blue. Sgt. Mark Gaither and motor officer John Vande Brake rode away with the Best Motor Team Award in a recent skills competition in Boise. They triumphed over top motorcycle teams competing at the North American Motor Officers Association International Symposium. Oregon made it a clean sweep as the Portland Police Bureau team came in second, and the Corvallis Police Department team took third.
The NAMOAI promotes training, safety and skills development for motorcycle officers from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia and Alberta. From the The Oregonian
is the economic impact in the US for crashes involving unhelmeted riders according to a recent University of Texas study as abstracted in Pub Med.The study used data from NHTSA and NTDB databases. A lot of statistical analysis and mathematical hocus pocus [my eyes go blurry at anything beyond basic algebra] was applied to come up with a medical cost of $12,353 per unhelmeted rider and $8,735 per helmeted rider per crash. An estimated 197,608 motorcycle crashes per year yields $250,231, 734 per year extra medical costs for unhelmeted riders.
Now the first question I have is: is that 197,608 total crashes or injury crashes? The second question is: why do estimates always have exact numbers. If it’s an estimate, why not 197,000 or 198,000 or even 197,600. Is that 8 at the end so all fired important?
I’m not questioning whether crashes involving unelmeted riders produce more expensive injuries. I just wish the researchers would present their findings a bit more credibly. Tossing out such exact numbers gives the appearance of certitude and the one thing all such studies have in common is that nothing is certain.
Even though some of the studies have been flawed and you can quibble about some aspects of others, the fact remains that riding without a helmet is more dangerous and results in more costly accidents. The results of statistical analysis when properly applied to good data is a reliable indicator. The helmet won’t save your life in all cases but it does, on the whole, reduce the severity of head and (in the case of full face helmets) face injury.
Of course the statistics won’t convince some riders who just don’t seem to care or have presumptions of immortality. Then there are the die hard, “only over my dead body” riders who grasp at any straw to “prove” that riding while wearing a helmet is actually more dangerous and causes neck injuries in a crash. There is no sense discussing the issue with them. For them it is not a matter of safety, it is a matter of personal rights.
Ohmygawd, he’s gonna flip flop
But the no helmet law advocates have every right to fight for their personal rights and their position does have merit. Just how far can the majority go in enforcing its views on the minority? Their personal preference costs “us” $200+ million per year…so what? That’s peanuts compared to the overall waste of money in the US each year (not to mention the scamming by big business and politicians).
This represents a change in my thinking. Previously I just sort of thought riding without a helmet was bad and therefore helmet laws are good. Not very good logic is it? While I won’t campaign to strike down Oregon’s helmet law, I won’t campaign against such efforts. And if it ever becomes an initiative I suspect I will vote in favor of repeal.
Maybe—when greedy corporate CEO’s are taken down a peg, drug companies are forced to return to the drug business instead or being money grubbing machines, the oil industry is put on notice, we stop spending billions on an ill begotten war, politicians become altruistic, it becomes illegal to have a cell phone in a moving vehicle, and SUV’s are outlawed—I’ll change my mind again and say fair is fair, us riders have to do our part to reduce unnecessary costs. Wake me up when that time comes. Until then I’m thinking we need more personal rights, not less.
Ah well, it’s not too overcast. Think I’ll put my helmet on and go for a ride.
For those whose pockets are overflowing with money or who love to lust, the auction is not to be missed. Or you could just look at it as a nice extended weekend ride (assuming you live on the left coast). This year’s auction is July 20 - 22 in Monterey, Calif—which, when I was a kid, was a beautiful, serene area but is now probably chock-a-block with people. Still, there is some nice riding in the area and that weekend also offers the U.S. Grand Prix at nearby Laguna Seca so it is worth a vacation trip.
The auction promoters are promising this year’s event will outdo last year’s inaugural auction which saw bids approaching a half-million dollars for a KR Proton Moto GP. Maybe in my next life I’ll be able to throw money around like that.
If you can’t make it to Monterey you can register to preview the auction and listen (or bid if your SO is not at your side) to the live auction. Get the details at MCBA.
The owner says, “Now that the vid has been out there for a month or so, I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to post positive comments. Most questions received were “how do I build one” or “can I purchase a kit from you?” When I set out to purchase a kit myself, I was in the same boat that you were. There wasn’t much info and the “kits” that were currently marketed used the old “kill and backfire” method (not good for an engine in my opinion). I spent about a month testing different theories, ignition methods, fuels, pressures, positions, etc. Once I showed the finished product to a few people, I was offered the opportunity to manufacture the systems. I soon found out that liability (and a lawyer that I consulted) closed that door. Unfortunately in todays society, no one wants to take responsibility for their own self or safety and I could be sued when some idiot blows themselves up with my system (or even the plans). Another American business stiffled. So as much as I’d like to help, I regretfully can’t. For those of you deciding to research it, I can tell you that I’ve got about $700 in parts on the current system. You’ll need the same if you want the BIG flames. For those that care, I’m working on a “turbo” flame that should be done in a few months. Keep posted for a new video. In any case, take care, ride safe and please be very, very careful if you decide to pursue the same.”
Fatality Alley is what police and paramedics are calling an eight mile stretch of US 26 between Blue Box pass and the Warm Springs reservation. Seven people have died there in the past seven months. This contrasts with ten deaths between 1985 and 2005. Police say the increase may be due in part to recently completed construction which has prompted higher speeds.
This section is on the east slope of the mountains. It is a remote well maintained, two lane downhill stretch in a sylvan setting that just begs drivers and riders to go fast. So be extra careful if you travel it.
The Power of One works. Valerie Ryan, an unaffiliated motorcycle rider in Texas spent some time to get motorcycle public service announcements on radio stations in Dallas. Below is a reply she received from one of her contacts.
From: Wadsworth, Vicki
To: xxxxx@airmail.net
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006
Subject: FW: Public Service Announcement
Hello,
I’m the PSA coordinator for Clear Channel Dallas and your email was forwarded to me and I just wanted you to know that we are going to run your PSA on KZPS and KDGE for the remainder of May. Please keep my email for future PSA’s.
Thanks and have a great day,
Victoria Wadsworth
Programming & Marketing Assistant/PSA Coordinator
KDMX~KDGE~KZPS~KHKS~KEGL
Congratulations Valerie on the success of your efforts. Hopefully this will inspire others to pitch in. Making a diffeence really isn’t all that difficult or time consuming.
I’m not one that buys motorcycle helmets based on looks—protection and light weight are my hot buttons. But the Shark RSI scores on all three counts so my next helmet might just be a bit fishy [go ahead…groan]. It also has one very big plus: the simplest visor realease mechanism in the helmet world. Simply press the center button.
The shell is made from Carbon-Aramid fibers and is very thin. It is designed as a crush zone, spreading an impact through the specially designed foam liner to reduce the impact to your head.
The XL size at 3 lbs. 7oz. is a lightweight. As for decoration, I will stick with the conservative models but you may want to express yourself and they do have some very expressive models. Some examples on this page. The helmet is getting good reviews. See one such review at webBikeWorld.
Motorcycle Bloggers International is off to a good start. Ducati very happily accepted our award and has issued a press release about it.
Gizmag, a respected, high readership web magazine, wrote a very nice article about us and the awards. Their only point of disagreement was our selection of the Boss Hoss BHC-3 as the ugliest motorcycle. They then referenced a photo of the bike with a very pretty lady riding it. To whch I cry foul. A lovely woman will make any bike look great. Don’t believe me? Just ask any guy at a bike show.
Motorcycle Daily is reporting a rumor that the ST1300 is undergoing redesign, possibly for the 2007 model year. More power, less weight and perhaps a built-in gps navigation system. Aren’t rumors fun? Pass it along.
4 Comments
I’m not one that buys motorcycle helmets based on looks—protection and light weight are my hot buttons. But the Shark RSI scores on all three counts so my next helmet might just be a bit fishy [go ahead…groan]. It also has one very big plus: the simplest visor realease mechanism in the helmet world. Simply press the center button.