Safety Corner

Say What You Mean

by Jackie Vaughan

Sometimes our words and our actions are in direct contradiction to each other. This is especially true in many of the ways we ride.

When we fail to wear our helmets in parking lots, we're saying it's only possible to have an accident or a fall on the highway, probably at high speeds. Yet, parking lots are some of the most dangerous places we ride. They're often crowded, with limited visibility and uneven surfaces. The people in them are usually in a hurry and certainly not looking for motorcycles.

When we fail to put on full protective gear, we're telling ourselves and our co-riders we are so good we can't possibly have an accident, and all the other drivers out there are excellent, skillful, and always alert, too.

When we encourage our co-riders to wear shorts, sandals, and sleeveless shirts, we may speak the words, "I love you," but the unspoken message is "I don't care if a large area of your skin is scraped off and you must have endless plastic surgeries and are covered with deep, ugly scars." We may also be saying, "I don't care if you sunburn so badly your legs, arms, chest and back are covered with huge watery blisters."

When we wear clothing made of synthetic materials, we are saying we're tough enough not to cry when that melted material is peeled out of our road rash.

When we ride at excessive speeds, we may be convinced we're able to handle them. What we're not reminding ourselves is that we've used up our margin for error and the unexpected can happen at any moment.

When we do something we know to be dangerous "just this once" we're saying "it can't happen to me."

Do you believe that?

Copyright © 1997 by Jackie Vaughan.
This article may be used if I'm given credit and a copy of the publication.

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