Over 40 and loving it!

By Amy Holland

Okay, I'm not quite in the over-40 range, but I'm close enough to be thinking about it. Some people say (and seem to believe) that when you hit the big four-oh everything goes down hill. Some recent motorcycle-related statistics seem to agree.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's study called Motorcycle Safety Program, motorcyclists age 40 and over riding larger motorcycle engine sizes account for the fastest growing group of motorcyclist fatalities. (Riders between the ages of 20 and 29 still have the highest number of fatalities even though those numbers have significantly decreased over the past 13 years.) Also, since 1980, motorcycle ownership among the 40 and over age group has increased significantly, from 15.1 percent in 1980 to 43.7 percent in 1998. This increase in ownership could be part of the reason for the increase in fatalities.

Let's look at another little statistic regarding that over-40 group of riders. In 2001, 42 percent of fatally-injured motorcyclists between the ages of 40 and 44 were intoxicated. Riders between the ages of 35 and 39 were next at 40 percent. In fact, 41 percent of fatally-injured riders (of all ages) involved in single-vehicle crashes had a blood alcohol content greater than 0.08.

What exactly is going on here? For one thing, many riders over 40 have been riding for a long time. We used to get some of these riders in the motorcycle safety class I taught. Usually they were taking the class to get their license because they had been riding without one and wanted to finally comply with the law. Great idea, because if you're caught without a license in California, your motorcycle will be impounded.

Some riders who have been riding for a while tend to think that experience is the best teacher. I agree with that, but also feel that my riding experience shouldn't be a passive thing. By that I mean that each time I ride I should consciously practice my riding skills instead of just tooling around. It's great to get out on the bike and ride through the mountains to a little cafe, but I should really make my ride much more meaningful than that. I should consciously practice things such as emergency braking, both in a straight line and in a turn; I should consciously be watching other traffic and try to predict what it's going to do.

Lately I've found myself somewhat lackadaisical regarding another vehicle's blind spots. Twice I have had drivers change lanes when I was in their blind spot. Both times I was lucky enough to catch some small sign that they were about to occupy my lane and I was able to back off the throttle and avoid an accident. (I'd really hate to be the subject of one of Sgt. Price's articles!) Now I consciously focus on where I am in relation to other traffic on the freeway, especially when approaching an on-ramp. I also watch out for blind spots on surface streets without becoming oblivious to all the other dangers.

As for drinking and riding, I think that the over-40 riders who have been riding for a while are most likely the ones who are riding while intoxicated. I think that the more comfortable a rider is with riding, the more inclined he is to think he can have a few beers and still ride home. I would think that a new rider over 40 would be more apprehensive regarding drinking and riding just because operating a motorcycle is a new skill that he's not quite comfortable with yet.

Regardless of your age or how much you drink on a regular basis, how many drinks do you think it takes before a person becomes impaired? Just one. In fact, a few minutes after your first sip of alcohol you are impaired because alcohol starts slowing down bodily functions almost immediately. Depending on how much you drink, you might not feel the effects of alcohol right away, but rest assured it's playing games with your mind, and having a clear mind is crucial to safely operating a motorcycle.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has a product called the Riding Straight module (see page 51), and it includes a set of Fatal Vision® Simulator Goggles that simulate the effects of alcohol. We've been demonstrating these goggles at the different events we've been attending, and the participants have had a lot of fun with them. The purpose of the module is to demonstrate that motorcycling is a multi-tasking activity and consuming alcohol diminishes a person's ability to multi-task. Since the goggles mess with your head (like alcohol does), many of the participants have difficulty walking a straight line while wearing them.

When someone comes to our booth to try the goggles, we always ask if they drink and ride. I've been really surprised and delighted to hear most of the participants say they never drink and ride, and many of them have never consumed alcohol or have been "clean" for a number of years. After some riders try the goggles they say, "Now I know why I stopped drinking!"

I love a good beer or margarita, but never under any circumstances do I drink on the same day that I'm riding unless I am done riding for that day. I enjoy riding and would rather not increase my chances for crashing just so I can have a few beers. I won't fool myself and think that I can handle the alcohol, because I never know when I'm going to find myself in a situation where quick reactions are needed. Life is already too short, so why make it shorter? I want to continue to enjoy riding well past my 40s.

Do you realize how much we could change the public's perception of motorcyclists if we could decrease the statistics regarding alcohol-related motorcyclist fatalities? The American Motorcyclist Association has developed an ad campaign called "Ride Straight" that addresses drinking and riding, so in the near future you'll be seeing a lot more about this. If you don't drink and ride, talk to a friend who does. Maybe he just needs a helping hand.

Enjoy riding-safely.