It amazes me that motorcycles are legal.
And not only legal, but in the grand state of Utah, helmet use is actually optional. It just goes to show how much the state loves its motorcyclists.
Last week my girlfriend's husband was in a motorcycle accident. He wasn't doing anything wrong, he was taking all the necessary precautions, the weather was satisfactory, and still he nearly lost his life.
He's the father of four. In the blink of an eye, an entire family nearly lost a parent, a husband, and an income. That's serious stuff.
According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are 15 times more likely to die in a crash than someone in an automobile.
And my husband wonders why I've put my foot down on this one.
A year or two ago he was all hot after owning a motorcycle (aka death trap). We have three, almost four small children. He is the primary breadwinner in our home.
He also mows the lawn, maintains the cars, does the dishes -- in a nutshell, he'd be pretty darn difficult to replace.
At first, I was on board. Sure, get a motorcycle, commute to work, save a little gas money. He'd taken a few spins on borrowed bikes, enjoyed the wind and the sun and the tough guy appeal. What could it hurt?
Apparently it could hurt a lot.
Luckily for him, he's got a wife who does research. It only took one horror story to spark a deeper look into the pro's and con's of motorcycle ownership.
A friend of a friend now has a husband who is the mental equivalent of a five-year-old, and will remain that way forever -- thanks to a motorcycle crash. With the addition of her own three small children, this is a blow her family will never recover from.
The day I put my foot down was a dark day in our household. But, because I'm not a complete meanie and wanted to leave him an opening, I decided to strike a deal with him.
Option One was simple. If he would sign a contract stating that in case of a motorcycle crash that didn't kill him (because I'd rather be a widow than strapped to an idiot who rode himself into a vegetative state), he would move in with his parents until he was fully recovered, than I was willing to let him buy a bike.
If a full recovery was impossible, I would be granted a divorce with all our assets, and he could live with his folks for the remainder of his motorcycle-impaired days.
(In case you're wondering, such a contract isn't actually enforceable by law, but the idea was sure kind of awesome.)
Option Two was even simpler. If he decided to opt out of the contract, he could wait until our youngest child turns 16, and then get himself any bike he wanted, my treat. (Preferably one with a nice big comfy seat on the back and a little trunk space to hold my makeup.)
See, it's not that I'm against motorcycles. I love the feel of them, I love the peace you get riding along in that conversation-free zone, and I think a responsible driver should be allowed to own a death trap if he or she so wishes. Hey, I'll ride along without a qualm.
Just not right now.
As parents, my husband and I have a responsibility to these small children, one that someone else could never fill. Sure, a living will is nice, but aren't two healthy, able-bodied parents even better?
Even if my friend's husband only suffered from a shattered limb, he's now out of the game for who knows how many weeks of recovery.
That means she's single-parenting it, plus one (since she has to take care of him now as well).
Not only have motorcycle ownership rates jumped astronomically in the past 10 years, but cyclist death statistics have matched them.
If you've got to ride, do your loved ones a favor and wear a helmet. The NHTSA reports that riders without a helmet are 40 percent more likely to die in a crash, and 15 percent more likely to incur a non-fatal injury.
Whether you're a rider or a driver, be careful. This time of year motorcycles are everywhere and those of us in cars can't always see them. A little extra caution on everyone's part will go a long way.
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