You heard it right; a bathtub! I read an article which you can read by clicking here now, about a 72 year old motorcycle rider who was riding his Honda motorcycle on an interstate when he was hit by a bath tub that fell off of a truck.
The motorcycle rider suffered severe injuries in the crash. The driver of the truck was arrested for negligent injury and carrying an unsecured load. It is good to see that law enforcement seems to be doing more to punish those who take out motorcycle riders and bikers.
I have read about other accidents where bikers were killed by boats becoming un-hitched and hitting the motorcycle, and other debris hitting the motorcyclist and causing serious bodily harm or death.
I myself almost became a victim of such an event when a pack that I was leading suddenly came upon a mattress on the road while we were cruising at 70 miles per hour on the 101 freeway in Calabasas, California. I have also had to dodge spent big rig tire treads lying about on the highways. If you hit one of those treads at speed you are in for a world of shit. Big rig tire treads are metal re-enforced and can cause major damage to you and your motorcycle if you hit one.
Unlike cagers, we bikers and motorcycle riders are completely exposed to road conditions, debris, and all sorts of hazards while riding our motorcycles. If you have ridden motorcycles for any length of time on highways and on streets, chances are that you have had your share of close calls too.
On a few occasions while I was riding in my cage, I have seen things flying on the freeway that made me thank god that I was not on my motorcycle that day!
What can we as bikers and motorcyclist do to prevent being hit by debris or flying objects on the road while we are riding? Well, in the case of the 72 year old who was hit by a bath tub, it appears, not much. I doubt that he even saw the tub coming by what was written in the article here.
When you are riding your motorcycle, always remain vigilant. Anticipate that cagers, road debris, and flying objects will come at you, because they do! Keep your eyes and your ears open and anticipate the worst so you can prevent it. Do not tailgate trucks or trailers hauling materials, and always keep enough room for you to avoid debris and obstacles on the road. Do not ride directly next to cagers, and try to keep a 2 to 3 second distance between you and any cars in front of you.
If you see debris or something flying at you, do not panic! Try to calmly process what is happening and take evasive maneuvers. If you panic, you may over-react and crash your motorcycle instead of calmly maneuvering around the hazard.
Keep Both Wheels On The Road.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
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