Monday, July 18, 2011
Everyone is responsible for motorcycle safety
The beautiful stretch of weather we are seeing has led to some ugly scenes in the Backus Hospital Trauma Center.
In the past week alone, we have seen four motorcycle crashes causing serious injuries. None of the motorcyclists were wearing helmets.
Head injury is the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes, and motorcyclists are 40% more likely to suffer a fatal head injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Although the debate continues over whether motorcyclists should be required to wear helmets, in Connecticut they are not. But they should be, and my advice is simple – wear a helmet. The consequences of not doing so impact not just the motorcyclist, but also his or her loved ones.
While wearing a helmet is very important, and is the best way to avoid head injuries, the fact is many of the crashes that we see are caused not by the motorcyclists, but by drivers of other motor vehicles involved.
The fact is that there are many more cars and trucks on the road than motorcycles.
More than half of all motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, and most of the time it is the driver of the car or truck that is at fault.
Here are some things that all car and truck drivers should know, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation:
• Motorcycles are more likely to be hidden in blind spots are harder to spot because of their small size. Take some extra time to look for them.
• Don’t follow motorcycles too closely. In fact, allow more space than you would for another care because motorcycles sometimes slow down by down shifting, not using brakes, which means the brake light is not activated.
• It isn’t easy to judge a motorcycle’s speed. For example, when turning left at an intersection, assume that a motorcycle is closer than it is
It is very important that we are all aware of the many motorcycles on the road this time of year, and what we can all do to be safe, no matter what kind of vehicle we choose.
Gillian Mosier is a registered nurse and manager of the Backus Trauma Program. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Mosier or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
In the past week alone, we have seen four motorcycle crashes causing serious injuries. None of the motorcyclists were wearing helmets.
Head injury is the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes, and motorcyclists are 40% more likely to suffer a fatal head injury, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Although the debate continues over whether motorcyclists should be required to wear helmets, in Connecticut they are not. But they should be, and my advice is simple – wear a helmet. The consequences of not doing so impact not just the motorcyclist, but also his or her loved ones.
While wearing a helmet is very important, and is the best way to avoid head injuries, the fact is many of the crashes that we see are caused not by the motorcyclists, but by drivers of other motor vehicles involved.
The fact is that there are many more cars and trucks on the road than motorcycles.
More than half of all motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, and most of the time it is the driver of the car or truck that is at fault.
Here are some things that all car and truck drivers should know, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation:
• Motorcycles are more likely to be hidden in blind spots are harder to spot because of their small size. Take some extra time to look for them.
• Don’t follow motorcycles too closely. In fact, allow more space than you would for another care because motorcycles sometimes slow down by down shifting, not using brakes, which means the brake light is not activated.
• It isn’t easy to judge a motorcycle’s speed. For example, when turning left at an intersection, assume that a motorcycle is closer than it is
It is very important that we are all aware of the many motorcycles on the road this time of year, and what we can all do to be safe, no matter what kind of vehicle we choose.
Gillian Mosier is a registered nurse and manager of the Backus Trauma Program. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Mosier or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
# posted by ----------------- @ 1:29 PM 
