Bikes, Blues & BBQ Safety Paramount On Cycles
Last updated Saturday, September 20, 2008 6:57 PM CDT in News
By Dan Craft
The Morning News
Related Photos
FAYETTEVILLE -- There was nowhere else to go.
Darrell Slaughter dumped his blue-and-white Harley over on its left side and slid into the car that turned in front of him.
The driver never saw him coming, and Slaughter had the blue lights flashing and the siren wailing when the car pulled into the path of the Fayetteville police corporal.
Slaughter walked away, but two years later had surgery to repair his injured back.
“Most drivers aren’t looking for bike shapes on the road,” Slaughter said. “If people pull out in front of me when I’ve got the lights and siren going, they’re going to turn out in front of you, too.”
That’s advice for riders of any of the tens of thousands of cruisers, choppers, and customs heading for Fayetteville this week for the ninth annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ rally.
Slaughter got back on his repaired bike, and knows he was lucky not to be injured worse than he was. Others weren’t as fortunate.
Four fatal motorcycle accidents happened in Benton and Washington counties during or just before the rally last year, although it’s unclear if the riders were attending the rally. In another accident classified as a pedestrian incident west of Tontitown, an out-of-control van hit and killed a motorcyclist standing in the median of U.S. 412 after she had wrecked her bike.
“The law of statistics pretty much dictates that with so many motorcycles in town, there are going to be some accidents,” said Nelson Driver, rally director. “Overall, though, it’s far safer than you would think. Just the general awareness among the public that so many bikes are in town should help.”
Motorcycle accidents, fatal and nonfatal, are on the rise over the past decade, but so is the number of motorcycles on the road, according to state statistics.
“That’s something that often gets overlooked when people talk about motorcycle accidents,” Driver said. “With so many more motorcycles on the road, it makes sense that there will be more accidents.”
There are 10 times more motorcycles in Arkansas than 11 years ago, up from 7,227 in 1997 to 75,385 this year, according to state registration records.
Motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than cars because riders don’t have the surrounding protection of a car or truck, but riding safely drastically lowers the risk, Driver said. The risk factor is lower still when those on four wheels are aware of motorcycles on the road, he said.
Road conditions can be a bigger danger to motorcycles than cars because bikes have less contact with the pavement and are less balanced than cars, Driver said. Road work on College Avenue has created a bump several inches tall where College intersects with Dickson Street, creating a potentially dangerous obstacle, he said.
“I think the highway department has smoothed that spot about all they intend to, but it’s still a jolt,” he said. “If you’re not careful, a bump like that can take a bike right out from under you.”
Protective gear, particularly helmets, can make the difference between a nasty spill and a funeral, Slaughter said.
“I’d never get on a bike without a helmet. Never,” he said.
The numbers appear to back him up. Of the 87 people killed on motorcycles in 2006 in Arkansas, 67 weren’t wearing helmets. In the past decade, the majority of those killed each year did not have a helmet. Arkansas does not have a helmet law.
The leaning turns made by motorcycles need to be precise to keep the bike in the proper lane, Slaughter said. Especially in the hilly curves of the Ozarks, a rider needs to be aware of his bike’s speed and turning capabilities, he said.
“Don’t outride the roadway,” he said.
Motorcycle accidents killed 16 people in Washington and Benton counties and 78 people across Arkansas in 2007, according to Arkansas State Police accident records. So far this year, motorcycle accidents caused three deaths in Northwest Arkansas and 52 statewide.
Slightly more than half the fatal accidents since the beginning of 2007 involved motorcycles and vehicles colliding, while most of the rest were single-vehicle accidents. Only a few fatalities involved racing accidents or mechanical failures such as blowouts.
Most crashes happened when a motorcycle took a curve too tight or too wide, running off the road or hitting an oncoming vehicle.
Chester George lost his Honda Valkyrie on Wedington Road, in a turn he knew well and had ridden through hundreds of times before. This time, though, there was loose gravel, and his rear tire came out from under him. He slid off just before the front tire clipped an oncoming minivan, and suffered only minor injuries. His girlfriend slid off the back seat and wasn’t hurt.
“I sort of punched myself in the face, but the bike was sliding on the crash bars, so I didn’t think it was that bad,” George said. “Then it hit the van. I didn’t feel nauseous until (the paramedics) let me get up and look at the bike. The forks were pretzeled.”
Less than a week later, he had another bike.
“I had to have something to ride to Sturgis,” he said.
Reader Comments (8 comment(s))
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
not a squid wrote on Sep 21, 2008 9:36 AM:
capo-di-tuti-capi wrote on Sep 21, 2008 1:55 PM:
I have been hit once by a driver who blew a stop sign, got the screws, rod, scars and plate to back it up, but you know what, 3 weeks later, I was back on a new bike(courtesy of the Car drivers Ins company!) and had my crutches with me too! It's addicting, and relaxing and down right fun. If your jealous, don't be, you can do it to. Any bike will do...Then, you can quit complaining. Again, tehre is nothing like the feeling of leaving your boring office on a Friday afternoon, and getting on that bike and taking the long way home... "
Sensible08 wrote on Sep 21, 2008 4:41 PM:
jumbojet wrote on Sep 22, 2008 7:25 AM:
Many automobile drivers pre-condition their brain to look for another automobile and don't see motorcycles, 18 wheelers, buses, or even trains.
The best thing to do would be to look to see if ANYTHING is coming before pulling out.
Just this past week, I have had 3 vehicles blow through stop signs and pull out in front of me and I was in my ONE TON pickup truck! "
conchicki wrote on Sep 22, 2008 2:15 PM:
Don't knock those who ride, riding is a lifestlye like no other.
I suggest you give it a try,before you start mouthing off.
Ride free, ride safe, and most important just ride. "
CEW1 wrote on Sep 22, 2008 3:00 PM:
spun gold wrote on Sep 27, 2008 7:23 AM:
Not already registered?
1105 wrote on Sep 21, 2008 7:38 AM:
Your comment lacks substance as well as intellegent conversation.
Bikes, Blues & BBQ is one of the largest fundraising events in NWA, many organizations benefit from this event. The people who own/ride motorcycles or Harley's as your comment suggest, are from all walks of life with college education, doctorates as well as having a life style to be ride a Harley.
So I welcome all the Harley owners as well as the Yamaha, Honda. BMW, and Suzuki and all riders to NWA. thank you for making this event a success, without you these organizations would not be funded.
Harley owners unique and in a class of their own, "