Ohio, like many U.S. states, is taking steps to reduce the growing number of motorcycle accidents. Riders now have the opportunity to protect their lives with the MORE program: Motorcycle Ohio Rider Enhancement.
Riding a motorcycle is a high-risk sport, particularly for those who do not realize their actions can cause fatal accidents. Ohio follows the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standard to train entry-level motorcycle riders.
Biker law challenges the law of physics
Motorcyclists, contrary to what some riders believe, are not immune to the law of physics. A 3,500-pound vehicle driver will usually survive a crash in better shape than an unprotected motorcycle rider—who may not survive at all.
Motor vehicle drivers like to blame riders who shoot between and around any moving object on the road. The laws of physics will eventually surprise darting sports bikes with young, inexperienced riders. They recklessly weave between traffic at high speeds. They challenge a wall of enclosed vehicles, many of them driven by people texting when they should be watching the road. It is obvious that the young rider is risking a short life or a long life of disability from severe injury.
Bikers and physics can work together
Although MORE targets new riders, intermediate and even experienced motorcyclists can benefit from MORE training. Long-time riders may not realize that motorcycle accident prevention research has made significant progress. Much of that progress appears in new motorbike designs and safety equipment. Nothing, however, can replace a rider’s actions when it comes to accident prevention. MORE offers improved riding methods to save lives. MORE teaches pre-ride safety checks, the best ways to ride on the streets and how to carry passengers safely. The course also covers proper safety equipment and advanced riding skills.
MORE helps beginners select a motorcycle they can control, enabling them to eventually move up to large, more powerful cruisers or energetic sports bikes. Speed is not necessarily dangerous; the problem is where the speed takes place. Motorcycle tracks exist for racing or stunting enthusiasts. There are plenty of riding opportunities for bikes which are not street legal. As soon as a rider crosses the line between a dedicated motorcycle area and a forbidden area, accident rates skyrocket.
Vehicles and motorcycles can share the roads
Vehicle drivers blame speeding bikers; bikers blame distracted drivers. Drivers or riders can cause accidents that may result in tragedy, not just for them but for those who love them. Victims of road accidents, no matter what their mode of transport, can and should recover just compensation from those who are responsible for their injuries.
Both groups could improve and make the roads safer for everyone. It only takes vehicle drivers on highways two seconds to travel half the length of a football field with their eyes focused on their hand-held devices. Bikers who speed, weave, dodge and stunt on public roads are playing roulette with their lives. Those who survive would give anything to have full use of a healthy body—their hazardous actions were not worth the price.