May is National Motorcycle Awareness Month. Every year we hear the same recommendations to "look twice for motorcycles" when you are out driving. But there's so much more to safety on our roads for those on 2 and 4 wheels.
I sat down with Bob Grooms of Milford last week to ask him several questions about his experience riding motorcycles and advice for drivers on both sides.
First, I had to ask about cell phones and distracted driving.
"When I'm riding I'm looking in people's windows. I'm looking at their mirrors, seeing what they are doing. And the amount of people that are looking at their phone and not paying that much attention to where they're at and where I'm at, it's a lot," said Grooms.
But Bob said it isn't just up people behind the wheel of a car to make the right choices. He spoke a lot about practicing, training and always being prepared as a motorcycle rider.
According to ABATE of Ohio:
- 78% of motorcycle fatalities in 2023 involved riders who were untrained.
- 82% of motorcycle crashes occur between May and October.
- Speed is a leading cause of motorcycle crashes. 32% of riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 25% of passenger car drivers.
Bob has been riding dirt bikes since he was 12 and a street bike since he was at a legal age, so he's seen a lot, good and bad on the roads.
"Being prepared for evasive maneuvers and wear some protective clothing" topped Grooms' list of basic suggestions to be ready for the road.
Some riders take accident scene management classes to make it easier to respond to a motorcycle rider who goes down on the road.
"I always keep a vest, an orange and yellow one, so you can see me in traffic, I have a trauma kit that you can drag out and it's labeled for easy use, I have safety gloves, blankets, glow sticks and lights to set on my bike," said Grooms.
Larger obstacles are obvious, but some hazards are low profile and can have a large impact on driving conditions. Something as simple as grass clippings can prove hazardous.
"I wish they wouldn't blow them in the road because I've hit it before, I've had friends go down. If you are on a straightaway it's not so bad but if you come around a corner and someone has mowed their grass, it's like hitting ice," said Grooms.
But like most on 2 wheels, they continue to ride, head always on a pivot, because they love it.
"Freedom, the wind. When I'm riding I'm not thinking about anything else but what's in the road in front of me," Grooms said.
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