Two teenagers were killed this week in a motorcycle crash...

[Haole Girl]

and it's really bothered me. I didn't know either of the victims. One of my best friends at work just bought a Kawasaki Ninja, though, and she's already riding - after just a week - on the highways and very long distances. And I'm really worried about how much and how quickly she's pushing herself.

I feel like hearing these news stories just makes me more fearful of riding, and that's not good. My husband, on the other hand, thinks it's good that I think about these things.

It's just a fine line-- not being too fearful, yet cautious, you know?

:shrug:

Here is the article:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/090508dnmetmotorcycle.473c251c.html

Longtime friends killed in high-performance motorcycle crash in Irving

11:31 AM CDT on Saturday, September 6, 2008

By DAN X. McGRAW and ARLINDA ARRIAGA / The Dallas Morning News
[e-mail]

Robert Wright bought his beloved high-performance motorcycle a few months ago. It seemed only fitting when his longtime friend Derek Smith bought a bike, too.

The recent L.D. Bell High School graduates set off for a ride together Thursday night, but their plans ended in tragedy when both 18-year-olds were killed after crashing one after the other and falling about 34 feet off a highway overpass in Irving.

According to Irving police, Mr. Wright of North Richland Hills and Mr. Smith of Bedford were riding south on State Highway 161 about 10:30 p.m. and took the exit ramp to go west on State Highway 183 when Mr. Smith lost control of his 2008 Suzuki GSX-R 600 bike and hit a wall. The impact threw him over a retaining wall.

Mr. Wright, traveling behind him on his 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 636, hit Mr. Smith's motorcycle, and also was thrown over the wall...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. It's probably good to think about these crashes

and try to learn.

You seem careful enough, so the biggest danger from long-distance highway rides can be remedied through technology:
http://antimonkeybutt.com/

Reading the comments attached to the story makes me think we don't have the whole story. Did these guys ride in larger groups, taking cellphone pictures and videos of wheelies at speed? Drive too fast? Not every high-school student (or recent grad) is smart, even with an all-A report card. Maybe more facts will come out as the investigation continues.

Is your friend a safe driver? If so, you probably don't need to worry. You can buy her some AMB powder as well.

:hi:

[Haole Girl]

4. Thank you for the link

I haven't actually seen her ride yet... I hope she is safe! :hi:

[Robb]

2. It's important to look at crashes

...as opportunities to consider your own riding.

Sharing stories like these helps all of us think about how we ride -- whether we would've put ourselves in the same situation, how we react to emergency situations, riding within our abilities, staying focused, etc.

There's a school of thought that all crashes are avoidable -- indeed, staying home would make that so -- but I'd go so far as to say most are avoidable, and some aren't.

It's dangerous to be on a bike. But it's dangerous just to be on the road. The important thing is to look at these things in the context of how you are on a motorbike. What would you do? With the benefit of hindsight, which these boys sadly don't have, how can you make your own experience of riding safer?

RIP, love to the families.

[Haole Girl]

5. Thank you

Appreciate the perspective. :hi:

[ThomWV]

3. Isn't it terrible?

It is such a terrible thing for young people to die needlessly, no matter what the circumstance. I recall having seen someplace that most fatal motorcycle accidents happen within the first 90 days of riding. I don't know if its true or not but there is a very dangerous time between when you become competent to drive a bike and when experience compels caution.

It seems that this past summer there have been a lot of fatal bike accidents hereabouts. Maybe I'm just paying more attention. Maybe its just a matter of there being a lot more bikes on the road these days than in the past.

I don't believe that all accidents are unavoidable, that would imply infinite knowledge and foresight on all of our parts. I do believe, however, that you can always see it coming. So in your mind drive as far ahead of yourself as possible. Look for everything; look them in the eyes, look through the cars and trucks in front of you, look around the corners ahead. Don't ever expect anyone to stop at a traffic signal or a stop sign, don't even expect them to slow down, every vehicle with a left turn signal flashing is aiming for you. Please be careful.

[Haole Girl]

6. It is terrible

I've noticed it more this summer, too. And I've thought about riding a long, long time. Already, this year in Texas, 300 have died... that was not even including those two teenagers. :-(

[av8rdave]

7. Obviously not everything is known about what happened here...

So you can't draw any inferences from this accident. However, your worries remind me about motorcycle safety in general. It's not as unsafe as the numbers indicate if you factor out:

Inexperience

Alcohol

No or inadequate riding gear

Riding an unfamiliar bike

Excessive speed for conditions

Recklessness (high speed lane splitting, lane changes with inadequate clearance, tailgating, racing, etc.)

[Haole Girl]

8. Guess we'll never really know what happened

Inexperience could have made a difference with the one rider. But we'll never know for certain.

[flamin lib]

9. I saw that report too. The exit from 161 to the Airport Freeway is a

long sweeping turn to the right and slightly banked. I've seen some overly aggressive auto drivers get in trouble there as well. The curve just begs to be taken fast and young men with an excess of testosterone and shortage of experience mixed with a modern sport bike was a bad combination on that sad day.

[Haole Girl]

10. I had a little incident just last night with some racing bikes...

Several bikers, racing down 635 toward DFW airport in Irving. Suddenly, one of them stopped ahead. Just as I slowed down a little (because I didn't know what to expect) flying debris hit the windshield of my car. Luckily, for all of us, nobody was injured. And, even more surprising, not even a scratch to the windshield.

I wish they'd slow down a little. Even at 1:30 a.m., with fewer cars around, it's not safe to go on Texas highways that fast. The roads are not engineered for it, for one thing. Not to even mention pot holes, other driver's reactions, drunk drivers on the road at that hour, etc.