A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT RISK-TAKING AND DANGEROUS DRIVING
Here in Las Vegas recently, I’ve witnessed a stunning number of instances of dangerous driving by motorcyclists. Initially, I thought these encounters might just be an anomaly. But apparently, law enforcement statistics show excessive speed by motorcyclists is out of control.
Last week, driving on the 215, I was going 65 mph in the center lane when I heard a roooooooooaaaaaar behind me, and then swoooooooooooosh! I motorcycle passed me going (estimated) 100 mph. In the far right lane! What the fuck? What dick daredevil is in such a hurry he has to do double the speed limit in the highway’s slowest lane? A few days ago, westbound on Sahara, traffic was moving at normal pace. However, a motorbike didn’t think cars were going fast enough. So, he creviced in-between moving cars (along the lines of the lane) which was a clearance of perhaps five feet and blew past everyone at 20 mph above the speed limit. I could give other examples, too.
Do these clueless morons have a death wish?
Driving a motorcycle in Las Vegas might be about as dumb as it gets–and that’s even if following traffic laws. But to so brazenly violate all speed and safety guidelines strikes me as insanity. Even if the motorcyclist is highly skilled, are they really willing to stake their lives on the behavior of moving vehicles in traffic? Note to motorcyclists: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO’S FAULT THE ACCIDENT IS, IF YOU’RE DEAD.
Knowing many motorcylists, some general observations I have are as follows:
— Most serious bikers (think Harley-Davidson riders) are outstanding drivers and obey most traffic laws. Very expensive bikes tend to be well-cared for, even pampered, and most of these cyclists are superior drivers. I don’t recall ever seeing a “biker” driving recklessly. I’m sure it’s happened, but I’ll gladly take a “biker” which is not the same thing as a motorbike racer.
— Virtually all wild driving and excessive speed is perpetrated by the operators of racing bikes. Think of the fat tires and loud engines. I presume the vast majority of this demographic is comprised of testosterone-pumped twenty-something punks. Am I stereotyping–yes. Am I correct–yes.
— Bikers have to be better drivers (especially defensive drivers) than automobile operators. The cost of a mistake in a car is a $500 deductible and having the car in a repair shop for a week. The cost of a mistake on a motorcycle is a trip to the graveyard (or being hooked up to a machine, brain dead in a coma for the rest of their lives).
Today on the news, there was another story of a motorcycle racer doing excessive speed who crashed into a car. The cyclist was killed instantly. Fuck him, but I do feel bad for his family. Unfortunately, he also killed the passenger in the car he hit. How would you like to deal with that the rest of your life if you’re the lone survivor and some motorpunk slammed into your car and killed your spouse, child, or friend?
Fact: A motorcylist dies in Nevada every 36 hours.
In that crash report, the police investigator reported that instances of motorcycle recklessness are up 80 percent. I’m not sure how those metrics are determined, but this is consistent with my own (admittedly biased) experiences. Moreover, it seems that almost every night, there’s a deadly crash somewhere in Las Vegas, and many involved motorcycles (they’re deadly because surviving a motorcycle crash going an excessive speed is rare).
I’m not sure what solutions exist to address this problem. But it’s serious, and it’s getting worse.