Being in Shape to Ride
Minimizing the Risks | Fatigue |
Riding a motorcycle is a demanding and complex task. To become a skilled rider, you must be able to give adequate attention to the riding environment and to the operation of the motorcycle, to identify potential hazards, to make good judgments, and to execute each decision quickly and skillfully. Your ability to perform at your best and to respond to changing road and traffic conditions is influenced by how fit and alert you are. Alcohol and other drugs, more than any other factor, degrade your ability to think clearly and to ride safely with as little as one drink. Let's examine the risks involved in riding after drinking and what to do to prepare to intervene to protect yourself and your fellow riders.
Why is this Information Important
Alcohol is a major contributor to motorcycle crashes, particularly fatal crashes. Statistics show that 31 percent of all motorcycle drivers killed in motorcycle crashes had been drinking.
The drinking problem is just as extensive among motorcyclists as it is among automobile drivers. However, motorcyclists are far more likely to be killed or severely injured in a crash. Fatalities or injuries occur in 92 percent of alcohol-involved motorcycle crashes and only 35 percent of automobile crashes. On a yearly basis, 21 motorcyclists are killed and 126 seriously injured in crashes involving alcohol. These statistics are too overwhelming to ignore.
Some people would never, under any circumstances, ride a motorcycle after drinking alcohol. Others are willing to take their chances, even when it means the odds are against them. The most effective way to improve your chances of riding safely is to become knowledgeable about the effects of alcohol and other drugs and to learn how to minimize the risks. These are positive steps you can take to protect yourself and to prevent others from injuring themselves.
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Alcohol and the Law
It is against the law to operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated. In Virginia, a person with a blood alcohol content of .08 or above is considered intoxicated. If the police stop you and suspect that you have been drinking, they will ask you to take a chemical test to analyze the amount of alcohol in your body. Under "Implied Consent" laws, if you operate a motor vehicle on public roads or highways in Virginia, you agree to take a chemical test on request. It is in your best interest to take the test because if you refuse, your license may be suspended for one year, regardless of whether you are convicted of driving under the influence. If you refuse the chemical test or if your blood alcohol level is .08 or above, your license will be immediately suspended for seven days from the date of your arrest.
If you are convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, you are subject to penalties imposed by the courts as well as administrative action taken by DMV. Although many factors are considered before these actions are taken, the severity of the penalties can be significant.
For example, the court can revoke your license for one year if you are convicted of a first offense, for three years if convicted of a second offense, and indefinitely if convicted of a third offense. Court action may also include assignment to an Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), fines up to $1,000 and a jail sentence.
Fines, jail terms and loss of your driving privilege are only part of the risk involved. You could kill or seriously injure another person. You could be sued, face legal fees and higher insurance rates. You and your family will be embarrassed by your arrest and reports of your arrest in the news.
Alcohol and Other Druges in Motorcycle Operation
No one is immune to the effects of alcohol. No matter how much friends may brag about their ability to hold their liquor, alcohol makes them less able to think clearly and to perform physical tasks skillfully. Alcohol has extremely harmful effects on the processes involved in motorcycle operation, and these effects begin long before you are legally intoxicated.
Alcohol is not the only drug that affects your ability to ride safety. Many over-the-counter, prescriptions, as well as illegal drugs have side effects that increase the risks of riding. While it is difficult to accurately measure the involvement of any particular drug in motorcycle crashes, we do know what effects various drugs have on the processes involved in riding a motorcycle. We also know that the combined effects of alcohol and any drug are more dangerous than either is alone.
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Minimizing the Risks
One of the functions that alcohol affects first is your ability to judge how well you are doing. This means that although you may be performing more and more poorly, you think you are doing better and better, and you ride confidently into greater and greater risks. The best way to minimize the risks of drinking and riding is to decide before you start drinking that you are not going to ride.
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Stepping in to Protect Friends
When people have had too much to drink to make a responsible decision themselves, it is up to others to step in and keep them from taking too great a risk. No one wants to do this-it's uncomfortable, embarrassing and thankless. You are rarely thanked for your efforts at the time. But the alternatives are often worse. There are several ways you can step in to keep your friends from hurting themselves or wrecking their bikes.- Arrange a safe ride-Provide alternative ways for them to get home.
- Slow the pace of drinking-Direct them by involving them in other activities.
- Keep them there-Use any excuse to keep them from getting on their bike if they've had too much. Serve them food and coffee to pass the time. Explain your concerns for their risks of getting arrested or wrecking their motorcycle.
- Keep the bike there-If you can't control the rider, control the bike. Take the keys or temporarily disable the bike (e.g., loosen or switch the plug leads enough so they won't fire).
It helps to enlist support from others when you decide to step in. The more people on your side, the easier it is to be firm and the harder it is for the drunk rider to resist. While you may not be thanked at the time, you will never have to say, "If only I had…"
Even small amounts of alcohol or other drugs can negatively effect your riding performance. Be sure of your abilities, by avoiding the mixing of riding with either alcohol or drugs.
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Fatigue
Riding a motorcycle is much more tiring than driving a car. When you plan a long trip, bear in mind that you'll tire much sooner than you would in a car. Also remember that fatigue can affect your control of the cycle.
Here are some things you can do to keep from getting too tired:
- Protect yourself from the elements. Wind, cold, and rain make you tire quickly. Dress warmly. A windshield is worth its cost if you plan to do a lot of long distance riding.
- Limit your distance. Experienced riders seldom try to ride more than about six hours a day.
- Take frequent rest breaks. Stop, and get off the cycle.
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