some thoughts on this issue from The Saginaw News..
click here for the entire article
...Rare 'second chance'
Wilson urged veteran riders to take an annual refresher through the state Motorcycle Rider & Safety Education Program class. They cost $25 and are offered at Delta College.
Wilson --he is Kanicki-Wilson's husband -- advised new bike buyers to chose motorcycles with anti-lock brakes.
Crashes are common in "panic situations" when riders without anti-lock brakes lock up the front wheel, he said.
"It slams the rider to the ground," Wilson said. "Most of the time, you don't get a second chance on a bike."
After speeding, in descending order of frequency of motorcycle crash causes, are: tailgating; improper lane use; careless driving; failure to yield; and an object in the road, state police said.
Kanicki-Wilson said 2004's late-riding season flurry of deaths may also buck normal trends of mostly springtime crashes. May was motorcycle awareness month statewide.
Car drivers, unaccustomed to bikes on the road after winter, often are at fault, she said.
"Although we do tell drivers to be very aware and look for bikes," she said, "now I would suggest for motorcycles to obey the speed limit."
Fielder said he admires motorcycles for their beauty and design, but he won't have to worry about speeding.
The evening Fielder spotted the sun-reflecting handlebar of White's early 1980s Honda, the teen vowed never to mount a motorcycle. He'll even quit riding dirt bikes.
"I'm just fascinated by how they look," he said. "I would never get on one, though." v
well, yeah, you know.. :nonod:
