Let's talk about the reporting first. There is little doubt that we live in an age of sound bites. Because most people receive their news from the television or the radio and increasingly more through the internet and always being pressed for time people glom onto sound bites. Sound bites are very short pieces of a speech taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average "man on the street" says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point.
In the KSL article there are sound bites scattered throughout. For example on paragraph states "The Utah Safety Council says Utah riders are 84 percent more likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a helmet." I wonder if this is correct because all the research I have done does not show anything like that. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is probably the leading authority in helmet use across the United States. The National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) is probably the most definitive research organization that considers the use of helmets by motorcyclists in the United States. NOPUS just released a recent study that shows that helmet use is on on the increase and this is good news. However, despite my research I cannot find any statistical evidence that shows Utah riders are 84 percent more likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a helmet. Do not get me wrong. I do think that wearing a motorcycle helmet can increase our chance of survival in a crash but am I really 84 percent more likely to die if I do not have helmet on - I doubt it!
The comments section to the KSL article are brutal. They call people who do not wear helmets stupid, irresponsible and plain idiotic. Some try to explain why helmet use may be a bad thing but they are shouted down. Some comments are just funny like the one comparing a motorcycle helmet to a condom - FUNNY! The overall theme however is that of personal choice versus governmental interference with personal liberties. I have blogged a lot about helmet use - pros and cons - if you are really interested in the facts on helmet use read my past articles on motorcycle helmet use in Utah.
In the mean time I personally will continue to wear a helmet because last year riding on the highway I think I struck a dragon fly at about 80 mph. It struck me on my forehead just above my eye. Full face helmet from now on....
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City. Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
This Sunday, May 16, 2010 was the 15th Annual Shriner's Motorcycle Ride for Kids. It was also the day of a terrible and preventable crash on I-80 east-bound near Jeremy Ranch, Utah.
The crash occurred at about 10:45. It appears that a motorcycle slowed down and another motorcycle crashed into the rear of the slowing motorcycle. Three people were injured in the crash. The motorcycle in front was driven by a man and had a woman passenger. The motorcycle that crashed in to the rear of the front bike was driven by a single male. The crash caused all riders to fall to the highway.
The woman passeger was flown to the University of Utah Hospital with a head injury and was reported to be in critical condition. The other two men were taken by ambulance - one to a hospital in Park City and the other also to the University of Utah Hospital. The men are reported to have sustained minor injuries.
I have been hundreds of group rides and I am always a little nervous of riders following me too close. Proper group riding is a necessary skill to master if we are going to be safe on these charity events. I also know a lot of motorcycle riders that refuse to go on group rides, especially when a lot of riders are expected, because they do not trust other riders to keep a safe stopping distance. You also need a skilled lead riders and a skilled drag riders (the last one in the column) to make sure that the speed is not too high and the groups of riders are manageable. I have written about safe group riding practices focusing on the correct following distances and the proper use of hand signals.
Motorcycle charity rides raise a phenomenal amount of money across Utah every year. One of the largest events is scheduled for June 5, 2010 - The Harley Davidson Muscular Dystrophy Ride. Let's make sure we are doing what we can and ride responsibly to avoid injury to yourself and others. Please - let's be safe out there! I hope all involved in this crash recover.
Utah Bike Law and its lawyers are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
The Tribune article makes a mistake in its opening line stating "Bikers and troopers have mixed feelings heading into the heart of Utah's rising season..." I ride a motorcycle and I think that most, if not all of us that do ride, have no mixed feelings about the upcoming riding season. I look forward to this time of year - every year - with an anticipation like that of a child at Christmas. I have no qualms about getting on my motorcycle and riding. Highway troopers probably appreciate more so than anyone else, except the victims themselves, of how devastating motorcycle crashes can be. After all it is often left to troopers to clean up after a crash. Perhaps the troopers do have a sense of wariness as the riding season approaches.
The Trib article introduces the Utah Department of Public Safety "Drive Aware - Ride Aware" program attempting to decrease the number of motorcycle deaths and injury. The slogan for the Drive Aware - Ride Aware program is "Cars have bumpers. Bikers have bones." A quick check of the website for the motorcycle safety program however shows left over brochures from last year's program and nothing new about solving the motorcycle crash problem.
Both articles talk about the necessity to wear safety equipment including helmets. As a reminder to the public it is not the law Utah that all motorcyclists wear a helmet. Only motorcycle riders less than 18 years of age are required to wear helmets. So if you see a motorcycle rider without a helmet and assume that he or she is breaking the law you are wrong. The whole helmet issue is a choice issue and has been blogged about and written about extensively. Believe me - I know this issue inside and out and even though I personally wear a helmet and all of the gear 99% of the time I can respect the choice to not wear a helmet.
What really troubled me about both articles is that the commentators and the overall tone of both articles seem to persist in putting the blame on motorcycle riders. I forget the exact source but about 75% of all motorcycle crashes are the result of the other vehicle driver. In other words the motorcyclist is only responsible 25% of the time and the vast majority of them are single vehicle crashes. In both articles reference is made that because motorcycles are small relative to cars that motorcycles have a tendency to hide in the blind spots of drivers. Maybe to remedy the problem drivers have to watch for motorcycles in blind spots!
In my motorcycle injury practice time and time again I hear the offending vehicle driver say "I just didn't see him." I hear it time and time again. When the offending driver says "I just didn't see him" I hear "I just did not care enough to slow down and check my blind spot or to look before..." Something has to change in this state. That something, in my opinion, is the awareness that vehicle drivers bring to situation when driving. Car and truck drivers are doing everything in their vehicles except paying attention to driving. They are eating, drinking, shuffling papers, singing, gawking around and most offensively texting or talking on cell phones. How about driving and paying attention for a change!
Utah law has made texting while driving a criminal offense but legislation to make talking on the cell phone while driving an offense failed. I think we need to make the use of all cell phone while actively driving an offense - perhaps not criminal but an escalating fine system would work wonders and save lives.
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City. Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
Zachary Graham Brown was killed in a motorcycle crash in West Haven Utah on April 7, 2010. Like so many motorcycle crash cases we handle the driver of the car told police she never saw Brown on his motorcycle until the two collided. Brown was reported to be going through a green light where the speed limit is 50 mph.
Again, like so many motorcycle crash cases we handle it appears that Zachary Brown was doing everything right. he was reported to be wearing all of the proper gear including a helmet, gloves, leather jacket and boots. His motorcycle had a high intensity headlight and a very loud muffler. All of this did not stop a driver of a car from simply not seeing him.
It is also reported that the car that caused the crash is registered to Mr. James Chipp who is the driver's father and who happens to be a retired captain with the Weber County Sheriff's Office - the same agency investigating the crash. The parents of Brown rightfully want the investigation of the crash to be performed by another agency even though Captain Chipp worked in corrections and not enforcement. It also appears that a blood / drug test was not performed on the driver of the car - standard operating procedure where a fatality results.
These questions, and more like them, can be answered by a good motorcycle injury laawyer who uses tried and true resources to independently investigate the crash. Such a source would be an independent crash scene investigator for example.
Utah Bike Law and its lawyers are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well. Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
I thought this was hilarious and wanted to reprint this article from North American Defense Against Squirrels where you can find many more anti-squirrel propoganda:
I never dreamed that slowly cruising on my motorcycle through a residential neighborhood could be so incredibly dangerous! Little did I suspect. I was on Brice Street - a very nice neighborhood with perfect lawns and slow traffic. As I passed an oncoming car, a brown furry missile shot out from under it and tumbled to a stop immediately in front of me.
It was a squirrel and must have been trying to run across the road when it encountered the car. I really was not going very fast, but there was no time to brake or avoid it -- it was that close! . I hate to run over animals, and I really hate it on a motorcycle; but a squirrel should pose no danger to me.
I barely had time to brace for the impact. Animal lovers, never fear. Squirrels, I discovered, can take care of themselves!
Inches before impact, the squirrel flipped to his feet. He was standing on his hind legs and facing my oncoming Valkyrie with steadfast resolve in his beady little eyes. His mouth opened; and at the last possible second, he screamed and leapt! I am pretty sure the scream was squirrel for, "Bonzai!" or maybe, "Die you gravy-sucking, heathen scum!" The leap was nothing short of spectacular. He shot straight up, flew over my windshield, and impacted me squarely in the chest. Instantly, he set upon me. If I did not know better, I would have sworn he brought 20 of his little buddies along for the attack. Snarling, hissing, and tearing at my clothes, he was a frenzy of activity. As I was dressed only in a light T-shirt, summer riding gloves, and jeans, this was a bit of a cause for concern. This furry little tornado was doing some damage!
Picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and leather gloves, puttering at maybe 25 mph down a quiet residential street, and in the fight of his life with a squirrel.
And losing...
I grabbed for him with my left hand. After a few misses, I finally managed to snag his tail. With all my strength, I flung the evil rodent off to the left of the bike, almost running into the right curb as I recoiled from the throw. That should have done it. The matter should have ended right there.
It really should have. The squirrel could have sailed into one of the pristinely kept yards and gone on about his business, and I could have headed home. No one would have been the wiser. But this was no ordinary squirrel. This was not even an ordinary angry squirrel. This was an EVIL MUTANT ATTACK SQUIRREL OF DEATH!
Somehow he caught my gloved finger with one of his little hands; and, with the force of the throw, swung around and with a resounding thump and an amazing impact, he landed squarely on my BACK and resumed his rather antisocial and extremely distracting activities. He also managed to take my left glove with him! The situation was not improved. Not improved at all. His attacks were continuing, and now I could not reach him. I was startled, to say the least. The combination of the force of the throw, only having one hand (the throttle hand) on the handlebars, and my jerking back unfortunately put a healthy twist through my right hand and into the throttle. A healthy twist on the throttle of! a Valkyrie can only have one result.
Torque.
This is what the Valkyrie is made for; and she is very, very good at it. The engine roared, and the front wheel left the pavement. The squirrel screamed in anger. The Valkyrie screamed in ecstasy. I screamed in - well, I just plain screamed.
Now picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a slightly squirrel-torn t-shirt, wearing only one leather glove, and roaring at maybe 50 mph and rapidly accelerating down a quiet residential street on one wheel, with a demonic squirrel of death on his back.
The man and the squirrel are both screaming bloody murder.
With the sudden acceleration, I was forced to put my other hand back on the handlebars and try to get control of the bike.
This was leaving the mutant squirrel to his own devices; but I really did not want to crash into somebody's tree, house, or parked car. Also, I had not yet figured out how to release the throttle. My brain was just simply overloaded. I did manage to mash the back brake, but it had little effect against the massive power of the big cruiser.
About this time, the squirrel decided that I was not paying sufficient attention to this very serious battle (maybe he was an evil mutant NAZI attack squirrel of death); and he came around my neck and got INSIDE my full-face helmet with me. As the faceplate closed part way, he began hissing in my face. I am quite sure my screaming changed intensity. It had little effect on the squirrel, however. The RPMs on the Dragon maxed out (since I was not bothering with shifting at the moment); so her front end started to drop.
Now, picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a very raggedly torn T-shirt, wearing only one leather glove, roaring at probably 80 mph, still on one wheel, with a large puffy squirrel's tail sticking out of the mostly closed full-face helmet. By now, the screams are probably getting a little hoarse.
Finally, I got the upper hand. I managed to grab his tail again, pulled him out of my helmet, and slung him to the left as hard as I could. This time it worked - sort of.
Spectacularly sort of ...so to speak.
Picture a new scene. You are a cop. You and your partner have pulled off on a quiet residential street and parked with your windows down to do some paperwork. Suddenly, a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a torn T-shirt flapping in the breeze, and wearing only one leather glove, moving at probably 80 mph on one wheel, and screaming bloody murder roars by, and with all his strength throw! was a live squirrel grenade directly into your police car.
I heard screams.
They weren't mine.
I managed to get the big motorcycle under control and dropped the front wheel to the ground. I then used maximum braking and skidded to a stop in a cloud of tire smoke at the stop sign of a busy cross street. I would have returned to 'fess up (and to get my glove back). I really would have. Really. Except for two things.
First, the cops did not seem interested or the slightest bit concerned about me at the moment. When I looked back, the doors on both sides of the patrol car were flung wide open. The cop from the passenger side was on his back, doing a crab walk into somebody's front yard, quickly moving away from the car. The cop who had been in the driver's seat was standing in the street, aiming a riot shotgun at his own police car.
So, the cops were not interested in me. They often insist to "let the professionals handle it" anyway.
That was one thing. The other?
Well, I could clearly see shredded and flying pieces of foam and upholstery from the back seat. But I could also swear I saw the squirrel in the back window, shaking his little fist at me. That is one dangerous squirrel. And now he has a patrol car. A somewhat shredded patrol car, but it was all his.
I took a deep breath, turned on my turn-signal, made a gentle right turn off of Brice Street, and sedately left the neighborhood. I decided it was best to just buy myself a new pair of gloves. And awhole lot of Band-Aids.
On Saturday at about 4:00 p.m. near Santaquin Utah a motorcycle driven by a 39-year-old man and a 6-year-old girl crashed into a recliner chair that had fallen onto I-15 near Santaquin, Utah. This crash was reported in the Salt Lake Tribune.
The man was taken by medical helicopter to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center with extensive road rash and was listed in critical condition but fortunately his injuries were not life-threatening. The young girl passenger on the motorcycle sustained only minor injuries but was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
From reports it appears that the motorcycle was following a pick-up that was carrying the recliner and the recliner fell off the truck directly into the path of the motorcycle. The motorcycle probably had no chance to avoid the chair and crashed into it causing the bike to crash and throwing the riders. The driver of the truck was apparently cited for failure to secure the load.
The driver of the truck will probably also be sued! This type of crash happens all too often and I have blogged about this before talking about tire and wheel maintenance and in another article titles Top Ten Motorcycle Facts All Drivers Need To Know. There was another incident last year I recall when a motorcyclist near Bountiful crashed after hitting a large hose that was strewn across I-15. There was also a recent post on a facebook group I belong called Utah Motorcyclists talking about how another local motorcyclist escaped a crash that would have been the result of highway debris. In 2007 the Deseret News reported that calls about debris on roads in Salt Lake County from January through July of 2007 were:
• 4,814 calls
• 280 crashes involving debris
• 203 "attempts to locate" on vehicles spilling gravel
• 63 "attempts to locate" on a person who was littering
Cleanup efforts by UDOT:
• $1.8 million average cost each year
• 3,000 dump truck loads annually
• 99,600 trash bags used in 2006
The driver of the truck should be sued. After all, it appears the driver of the truck caused this crash. The insurance company will probably argue that somehow the motorcycle driver should have avoided the crash. They may claim that the motorcyclist should have recognized that a precarious load may fall off a truck and therefore the motorcyclist should have changed lanes and avoided the crash. Plausible - maybe - enough to get the truck driver off the hook - I don't think so.
Furthermore, the motorcyclist may have to sue his own insurer if the truck driver's insurer does not have enough coverage to completely compensate the injured motorcycle driver and passenger. This is a good example of why every motorcycle rider needs good underinsured and uninsured coverage. These two motorcyclists were relatively lucky. They were lucky that their injuries were not much more substantial or they were killed.
Utah Bike Law and its lawyers are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well. Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
Women Riders Now is a great website that is dedicated to women motorcycle riders. You can sign up for their great newsletter that is of high quality and timely every month. For example this month's newsletter reminds all of us that May 7, 2010 has been designated International Female Ride Day and encourages all motorcycle groups and dealers to recognize women motorcycle riders.
The website and the newsletter discuss everything about motorcycles and women including how to be safe on a motorcycle to women motorcycle fashion. The newsletter this month talks about Harley Davidson's new motorcycle leather jacket line-up for women naming it "New Spring 2010 Riding Apparel - Harley Davidson Goes Bold and Bright." The site also offers helpful motorcycle tips. Using new Glad ForceFlex garbage bags for keeping all of your clothes dry in a saddlebag for example.
The site also has a great link to what they call the WRN Mall that has all kinds of links to motorcycle gear specifically designed (and targeted) toward women. A lot of my female motorcycle friends tell me that female clothes are different than men's - the cut is different and men's clothes just do not work for women and they have a tough time finding female riding gear. If that's true this might be the place for you to find all that you need.
The site is much more than just this however. It is a true motorcycle destination for all female riders. The site includes great reviews on motorcycles, tips on riding right, profiles of women riders and much much more all tailored to and from a female perspective.
Social networking is a great way for you to check out Women Riders Now and you can find them at Women Riders Now on facebook.
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City. Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
Eight out of 10 motorcycle crashes result in injury or death compared with 2 out of 10 car crashes. The more extensive use of anti-lock braking systems (ABS) might be part of the answer to decreasing the number of deaths and injuries related to the surge in motorcycle use. Motorcycle registrations increased to 7.7 million in 2008, up from 4.3 million in 2000. The IIHS and the HLDI have determined that ABS are saving lives and reducing injury.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation's highways.The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) is affiliated with the IIHS and shares and supports the mission of the IIHS through scientific studies of insurance data representing the human and economic losses resulting from the ownership and operation of different types of vehicles and by publishing insurance loss results by vehicle make and model. The following are excerpts from a recent HLDI study.
Stopping a motorcycle is trickier than stopping a car. For one thing, the front and rear wheels typically have separate brake controls. In an emergency, a rider faces a split-second choice to either brake hard, which can lock the wheels and cause an overturn, or hold back on braking and risk running headlong into the emergency. This is when anti locks can help by reducing brake pressure when they detect impending lockup and then increasing the pressure again when traction is restored. Brake pressure is evaluated multiple times per second, so riders may brake fully without fear of locking up.
The main finding is that motorcycles with anti-locks versus without are 37 percent less likely to be in fatal crashes per 10,000 registered vehicle years. Bolstering this finding is a separate HLDI analysis of insurance claims filed for
damage to motorcycles. Bike models with anti-locks have 22 percent fewer claims for damage per insured vehicle year than the same models without anti-locks.
Bottom - Bottom Line - all things being equal - buy a motorcycle with an anti-lock braking system!
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City. Utah Bike Law and its attorneys are licensed to practice law only in the State of Utah and maintain offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. No attorney client relationship is established by simply visiting this website.
Only a talented few can simultaneously talk on a cell phone and drive safely, according to a study from researchers at the University of Utah. Only 2.5 percent of all people were found by the study to be "supertaskers." The pertinent fact is that 97.5 percent of us can't drive safely while talking on the phone -- even a hands-free phone.
For the vast majority of people, performance suffered in both driving and comprehension. Braking time increased by 20 percent while following distances increased by 30 percent. Memory performance declined 11 percent and math performance 3 percent. The deterioration in performance was comparable to the impairment seen in drunken drivers, the authors said.
The authors caution that more studies are needed. The study will be published this week in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review.
You, are probably not one of the 2.5 percent supertaskers - right? Wrong! Chances are you are not a supertasker and neither am I - well probably not me.
This raises a question - should be be allowing the use of cell phones while driving at all? I think on a clearly scientific level the answer is no. I handle a lot of motorcycle crash cases and in a majority of those cases cell phone use of the negligent driver is an issue. There are more and more studies like the University of Utah study that shows that talking on a cell phone is similar in impairment to driving drunk. We do not allow drunk driving and we should not allow cell phone use while driving!
As it so happens the University of Utah developed some technology that they licensed to a group named Acendo which further developed and marketed that technology. That technology effectively stops the driver from using their cell phone while driving. This technology is now widely available to everyone for a reasonable cost - about $100. For a very interesting look on how this new technology came to market visit the Acendo page and follow their news and events chronologically.
The gadget can be reviewed and bought at SafeDrivingSystem and I highly recommend it. I recommend it to all people who allow their sons and daughters to drive their cars. I highly recommend it to owners of fleet vehicles who still allow their employees to talk and drive thereby endangering the lives of their employees and all users of public roads - especially motorcycle riders.
Cell phone use while driving and has become a topic of national concern. Oprah is even talking about it! We need to talk with our legislators and get legislation passed that will make the penalties for using a cell phone while driving and causing a crash to be more in line with the devastating harm caused. Believe me - I will be out there waiting to sue you in behalf of the next motorcycle driver you crash into becasue you were on your cell phone!
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.
Every spring I take my motorcycle and along with my daughter, who has her own motorcycle, go down to the school parking lot on 5400 South State in Salt Lake City and practice. We go here because the Motorcycle Safety Foundation teaches a motorcycle safety class here almost every weekend throughout the spring and summer and they have markings for the motorcycle course on the parking lot. We go through the routines of tight cornering and evasive maneuvering usually finishing up after an hour with what I call panic stops - straight and on a curve. This is an annual beginning of season ritual for me and I hope it is for you too.
Unfortunately for Andrew Lang of Willard he was test riding an off-road motorcycle in a parking lot early yesterday morning in West Haven in Willard County, Utah. Unknown to Mr. Lang a car entered the parking lot and apparently each failed to seee each other and the car and motorcycle collided.
Lang, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown over the car, said Weber County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Stettler. Lang was transported to McKay-Dee Hospital, where he was taken into surgery for serious head injuries as well as leg and arm injuries. No citations have been issued in what Stettler termed a "freak accident."
So you have to be careful when you are on a motorcycle - whether you are in a parking lot or not!
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.
We are seeing more and more motorcycle crashes that result when the motor vehicle driver is using their handheld wireless communication device. I said 'handheld wireless communication device' because that is the term used in Utah Code Section 41-6a-1716 that makes texting while driving a criminal offense.
Utah Code Section 41-6a-1716 states:
Prohibition on using a handheld wireless communication device for text messaging communication while operating a moving motor vehicle -- Penalties. (1)Â As used in this section: (a) (i)Â "Handheld wireless communication device" means a handheld device used for the transfer of information without the use of electrical conductors or wires. (ii)Â "Handheld wireless communication device" includes a: (A)Â wireless telephone; (B)Â personal digital assistant; (C)Â pager; or (D)Â text messaging device. (b)Â Â "text messaging" has the same meaning as defined in Section 76-4-401. (2)Â Except as provided in Subsection (3), a person may not use a handheld wireless communication device for text messaging or electronic mail communication while operating a moving motor vehicle on a highway in this state. (3)Â Subsection (2) does not prohibit a person from using a handheld wireless communication device while operating a moving motor vehicle: (a)Â during a medical emergency; (b)Â when reporting a safety hazard or requesting assistance relating to a safety hazard; (c)Â when reporting criminal activity or requesting assistance relating to a criminal activity; (d)Â when providing roadside or medical assistance; or (e)Â when used by a law enforcement officer or emergency service personnel acting within the course and scope of the law enforcement officer's or emergency service personnel's employment. (4)Â A person convicted of a violation of this section is guilty of a: (a)Â class C misdemeanor; or (b)Â class B misdemeanor if the person: (i)Â has also inflicted serious bodily injury upon another as a proximate result of using a handheld wireless communication device for text messaging or electronic mail communication while operating a moving motor vehicle on a highway in this state; or (ii)Â has a prior conviction under this section, that is within three years of: (A)Â the current conviction under this section; or (B)Â the commission of the offense upon which the current conviction is based.
This specific code section makes only texting while driving a criminal act. It makes no mention of speaking on a phone while causing a crash. Almost every week in my practice we receive a call from a victim of a crash that was caused by a person while they were talking on their phone. Maybe it is about time that we took distracted driving seriously in the state of Utah!
Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.
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