[Author Index] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Humm....!!!



Matt,
In the US, a national gov't agency was recently cited in "The American
Motorcyclist" (AMA publication). That agency recently released a report that
in 1998, 36% of all motorcycle fatalities (the single largest group from a
single cause) were caused by an oncoming car making a left turn across the
path of the motorcyclist. The second largest cause of fatalities was drunken
drivers at 32%. It has been conclusively determined for years by both the
famour Hurt Report and many others that frontal visibility is the most
critical factor in avoiding these deadly "left turn" type accidents and many
others like it. I believe that  is it is a fair, reasonable, and defensible
thing to say that the "irritation factor" for oncoming cars may be the
single most significant factor in ensuring that our time spent driving
motorcycles does not end in needless tragedy.

Personally, I feel that while it may be a safety hazard for cars to be
rudely blinded by high-beams at night, to be irritated by high-beams during
the light of day is another matter entirely. Anyone that commutes in the
morning spends much of that time shielding themselves from solar glare. This
irritation is orders of magnitude beyond the 1-3 seconds of bright glare
from an oncoming motorcycle. Car drivers may easily tilt rear-view mirrors
to avoid following motorcycle high-beams as they do to avoid bright trailing
sun. So the following-vehicle argument amounts to an irritation no worst
than our lovely high-beam in the sky and much less than persistent solar
glare we encounter each day in the colder months.

I agree that the irritation factor overall is a valid point and respect the
opinion that everything reasonable should be done to reduce the amount of
irritation caused to all non-motorcycing parties. Arguments that "loud pipes
save lives" do not hold up under critical examination and they certainly do
contribute unnessessarilly to a negative public view of motorcycles. While
there may be one in a thousand circumstances where loud pipes alert a driver
and actually save the hide of the biker, it should be remarked that the loud
pipes annoy the driver and everyone else in town 100% of the time. The
silent glare of a bright motorycle light needs an exact angle to be an
annoynce - a fleeting instant - and is no irritant at all the rest of the
time.

I believe that a reasonable compromise in this matter is to use high-beams
at all times from dawn to dusk and only use them as needed in the late dusk
or complete dark. Scraping motorcyclists off the front grill of one's car is
far more irritating than than a high-beam in broad daylight. From a more
cynical perspective, and in no way intended to reflect on your personal
opinion expressed, one might seriously question the judgement of one who
would turn OFF their high-beams during the day and endanger themselves
needlessly knowing that reliable sources have clearly indicated that more
than 1/3 over everybody that dies on a motorcycle does so because a car
turning left did not see them coming.

Some food for thought!

Greg Girard


- -----Original Message-----
From: Matt Knowles <matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 6:18 PM
Subject: RE: Humm....!!!


>>I had my high beams on, as I always do at night and in traffic.
>
>That's going to annoy some people in front of you and is dangerous for
>those in the oncoming traffic. I don't even like being followed by a bike
>with the high beams on during the day. It is way too distracting. At night
>I know my temper would be rising if I was being followed in traffic by
>someone with their highbeams on.
>
>Matt Knowles - mattknowles@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles
>Aesthetic Design & Photography - (408) 977-1804
>http://www.aestheticdesign.com
>
>
>
>     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
*
>      The ST/RS Mailing list is sponsored by Jack Lilley Ltd.
>          http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley for more info
>   http://www.TriumphNet.com/st for ST, RS and Mailing List info


     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
      The ST/RS Mailing list is sponsored by Jack Lilley Ltd.
          http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley for more info
   http://www.TriumphNet.com/st for ST, RS and Mailing List info

=-=-=-= Next Message =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=