CrashTestDanny
Registered
I've already made a point of letting everyone I come into contact know how much crashing sucks. In fact, you might say I've made a name for myself doing so. So what more can I say when someone feels the need to go and discover this fact for themselves, ignoring my good advice? Well, nothing really. But as a licensed preacher, I do feel the need to speak up.
Eight participants in the Busa Bash crashed in one form or another this weekend. I came very close to making it nine with a parking lot drop of my own, but thanks to BusaWhipped and one or maybe two others, I did not. Without any finger pointing at anyone, I would like to offer some thoughts on crashing and crashes.
Crashing sucks. You've heard me say it before, and you'll hear me say it again - there is very little good that can come from crashing! Now it may surprise you that I said "very little" good rather than "no" good. That is because in my own case, God used my crash for good things in my life. But had I been a little less hard-headed and hard-hearted, the crash would probably not have been necessary. Anyhow, if you have a choice between crashing or not crashing, I highly recommend not crashing.
The final responsibility for keeping any vehicle out of any crash rests with the operator of that vehicle. This applies to any vehicle from hot-air balloons to jet-liners, soap-box cars to semis, and tricycles to hayabusas. The operator of a vehicle has all of the power and authority to make any decision necessary to avoid a crash. Nobody else has this authority or power - only the operator. You can't blame the guys riding too fast in front of you for your crash - that's why we say "ride your own ride" all the time. Likewise, if there is a crash ahead of you, you are responsible for not becoming a part of it.
Crashes are preventable. I know that sometimes it seems that they are not, especially when you are experiencing one first-hand. However, nearly every crash that has ever happened could have been prevented by somebody at some point. Most of the time there is more than one person who could have prevented the crash.
Now, all this sounds easy, let's just always blame the drivers of the crashed vehicles, right?
Wrong.
Legally, that's where the blame will all get assiged because nobody else had to carry insurance (unless they were drinking and then some blame might get assigned to the tavern or bartender in some states). However, if I learned anything from the law classes for my MBA, it is that the law is not the full measure of what is right and wrong. Our instructor - a local attorney - made everyone angry with him during our first session by proposing the following hypothetical:
<div class="iF-Passage"><div class="QUOTEHEAD">Quote:[/Quote]<div class="QUOTE clearfix"><span class="quoteBegin"> </span>
As I am walking into Starbucks this morning - late as usual - I see an infant face-down in the gutter, clearly struggling. It is clear that without my intervention right now, this infant will die. Since I am late, I step over the infant to get my double-latte. The infant dies. What is my legal liability in this case?
[/quote]
His answer was that he had no legal obligation to the child (since he has no particular medical skills requiring him to help everyone in need).
Now, I am not ascribing blame to anyone here for any particular accident. I am also not trying to make anyone feel bad about any situation going on here. The situation on the Cherohala may have made me decide to post this, but that same situation has played out in many other rides hosted by many other groups - it is not unique to Hyabusa.org and it is not unique to the Cherohala. My goal in writing this is to provoke us all to introspection about whether or not we as motorcyclists can improve our global community (i.e. all other motorcyclists) through deliberate and careful action.
Can a ride leader make a positive impact on his group by intentionally riding below his (or her) capabilities and within the capabilities of the others on his (or her) ride? They don't leagally have to (or do they?), but would it be worth it anyway?
Could a ride leader conduct a brief safety talk before the ride starts and remind people to check their machines, to ride their own rides, and to take it a little easier with passengers?
What about other ride participants? Is there some point at which when we see a rider in front of or behind us riding erratically or clearly being in over their heads should cause us to look for ways to defuse that situation? And if it does, what action could we take? If we're able to pass, could we get in front of the rider in trouble and slow down? Or maybe even stop and flag them down? Again, we don't really have a legal obligation to, and if we fail to take action, the person in an accident has no recourse against us, but would it be worth it anyway?
You guys all know I'm not nearly so skilled as most of you here, and I ride most of my miles with BusaWhipped - a guy who is probably easily in the top 2% of riders anywhere. I have watched him repeatedly take the actions I've just mentioned with me and with several others and I can't help but think there are several riders around who owe him their lives just because he sets a good example for them, takes time out to teach them, and is willing to walk up to someone and say "hey - what's up? You were riding a little erratically back there..."
You guys all ride safe.
DadOfThree, Diesel, and Naomi, I'm praying for full recoveries for all of you.
Eight participants in the Busa Bash crashed in one form or another this weekend. I came very close to making it nine with a parking lot drop of my own, but thanks to BusaWhipped and one or maybe two others, I did not. Without any finger pointing at anyone, I would like to offer some thoughts on crashing and crashes.
Crashing sucks. You've heard me say it before, and you'll hear me say it again - there is very little good that can come from crashing! Now it may surprise you that I said "very little" good rather than "no" good. That is because in my own case, God used my crash for good things in my life. But had I been a little less hard-headed and hard-hearted, the crash would probably not have been necessary. Anyhow, if you have a choice between crashing or not crashing, I highly recommend not crashing.
The final responsibility for keeping any vehicle out of any crash rests with the operator of that vehicle. This applies to any vehicle from hot-air balloons to jet-liners, soap-box cars to semis, and tricycles to hayabusas. The operator of a vehicle has all of the power and authority to make any decision necessary to avoid a crash. Nobody else has this authority or power - only the operator. You can't blame the guys riding too fast in front of you for your crash - that's why we say "ride your own ride" all the time. Likewise, if there is a crash ahead of you, you are responsible for not becoming a part of it.
Crashes are preventable. I know that sometimes it seems that they are not, especially when you are experiencing one first-hand. However, nearly every crash that has ever happened could have been prevented by somebody at some point. Most of the time there is more than one person who could have prevented the crash.
Now, all this sounds easy, let's just always blame the drivers of the crashed vehicles, right?
Wrong.
Legally, that's where the blame will all get assiged because nobody else had to carry insurance (unless they were drinking and then some blame might get assigned to the tavern or bartender in some states). However, if I learned anything from the law classes for my MBA, it is that the law is not the full measure of what is right and wrong. Our instructor - a local attorney - made everyone angry with him during our first session by proposing the following hypothetical:
<div class="iF-Passage"><div class="QUOTEHEAD">Quote:[/Quote]<div class="QUOTE clearfix"><span class="quoteBegin"> </span>
As I am walking into Starbucks this morning - late as usual - I see an infant face-down in the gutter, clearly struggling. It is clear that without my intervention right now, this infant will die. Since I am late, I step over the infant to get my double-latte. The infant dies. What is my legal liability in this case?
[/quote]
His answer was that he had no legal obligation to the child (since he has no particular medical skills requiring him to help everyone in need).
Now, I am not ascribing blame to anyone here for any particular accident. I am also not trying to make anyone feel bad about any situation going on here. The situation on the Cherohala may have made me decide to post this, but that same situation has played out in many other rides hosted by many other groups - it is not unique to Hyabusa.org and it is not unique to the Cherohala. My goal in writing this is to provoke us all to introspection about whether or not we as motorcyclists can improve our global community (i.e. all other motorcyclists) through deliberate and careful action.
Can a ride leader make a positive impact on his group by intentionally riding below his (or her) capabilities and within the capabilities of the others on his (or her) ride? They don't leagally have to (or do they?), but would it be worth it anyway?
Could a ride leader conduct a brief safety talk before the ride starts and remind people to check their machines, to ride their own rides, and to take it a little easier with passengers?
What about other ride participants? Is there some point at which when we see a rider in front of or behind us riding erratically or clearly being in over their heads should cause us to look for ways to defuse that situation? And if it does, what action could we take? If we're able to pass, could we get in front of the rider in trouble and slow down? Or maybe even stop and flag them down? Again, we don't really have a legal obligation to, and if we fail to take action, the person in an accident has no recourse against us, but would it be worth it anyway?
You guys all know I'm not nearly so skilled as most of you here, and I ride most of my miles with BusaWhipped - a guy who is probably easily in the top 2% of riders anywhere. I have watched him repeatedly take the actions I've just mentioned with me and with several others and I can't help but think there are several riders around who owe him their lives just because he sets a good example for them, takes time out to teach them, and is willing to walk up to someone and say "hey - what's up? You were riding a little erratically back there..."
You guys all ride safe.
DadOfThree, Diesel, and Naomi, I'm praying for full recoveries for all of you.