I’ve spent a lot of time lately on the street thanks to our amazing weather up in the Pacific Northwest and have noticed the increasing number of distracted drivers out there. As riders, we are constantly scanning our environment for danger, but it is difficult to predict when someone will suddenly maneuver into us or our lane. I can understand why some individuals are excited to join us in becoming riders, but why they end up giving up the sport completely when they either encounter a near miss or something much more severe. It is dangerous, purely because every trip down the road is completely new, no two days are the same and we are faced with arming ourselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to allow us to continue doing the thing with love. I stress over and over that training, constant training is important. Just like in a job, you are constantly training to keep on top of your game, the same should be true when riding. We tend to get lazy and just ride, but even a seasoned vet can learn a few new things to help keep his/her mind sharp to have the tools necessary for those “just in case” moments. Here are a few sobering facts that we should all keep in mind when we get ready to go out for our rides:
For drivers 18-29:
Accessing the internet on a cell phone while driving increased from 29% in 2009 to 48% in 2012
Reading social media while driving increased from 21% in 2009 to 36% in 2012
Updating social networks while driving increased from 20% in 2009 to 30% in 2011
Checking email while driving increased from 32% in 2009 to 43% in 2012
For all age groups:
With smartphones growing in popularity people who report webbing while driving goes down with age
Accessing the internet while on cell phone increased from 13% in 2009 to 21% in 2012
Reading social media while driving increased from 9% in 2009 to 15% in 2012
Updating social networks while driving increased from 9% in 2009 to 13% in 2012
As you can see, the facts are sobering and especially in regards to the younger age group with the combined inexperience of their driving skills. The interesting outcome of this study was that drivers strongly agreed there should be more stringent laws prohibiting texting and emailing behind the wheel, but 66% believed that those laws are enforced to little or no degree. The fact is it is up to us to make sure we are safe, no law can protect us from being a casualty, so be aware and ride defensively. Make your presence known, they can’t avoid you if they can’t see you. Lane position is key and keep out of blind spots, we have the advantage of speed here, let’s use it to get out of situations and continue to ride for many years to come.
Hope to see you out there! Vixens Ride!
