On The Road With Birdman

Argus Battery Bug for Motorcycles

2009-06-22T20:46:00.004-07:00

Back in 2007 while walking the floor of the SEMA show in Las Vegas I discovered a product called the Argus Battery Bug. It was a cool little unit that was marketed as a way to monitor your batteries health. The only issue with the unit they were showing at the time was that is wasn’t very practical for motorcycle use. I actually spent about 20 minutes with the engineer at their telling him what would like to see and he actually took notes!

Fast-forward to 2008 and I stopped by Argus booth and was surprised that both guys working the booth remembered me and then they excitedly showed me their new Motorsports Battery Bug. This one would be able to be mounted away from the battery and had a much better cable that could be routed in a manner to place the display somewhere it could be viewed.

There is not much to review on this product. It shows the voltage on the battery and the percentage of life left on the battery to start the vehicle. In a nutshell you’ll be buying piece of mind. It allows you at a glance to understand that you are first of all not taxing the electrical system with electrical components and that when you shut the bike down or right before you start, you’ll have enough cranking power to accomplish that task.

I recently installed one on my ST1300 right before my trip to Alabama and it provided me with quiet comfort that all was good with my battery. In the past I’ve never been sure when my battery might give up the ghost, so it will be interesting to see exactly how well the Argus Battery Bug serves its purpose. I’ll report back when I find out more, but I am pretty sure this will be a “long term” review.

A Little Trip to Barber

2009-06-14T14:54:00.003-07:00

In July of 2007 I was able to visit the Barber Motorsports Museum for the first time (Barber Photo Set) and was stunned by the absolute perfection in execution of the facility itself and the attention to detail of the restoration and preservation of the bikes.

The reason I was so interested in restored bikes was not because I was actually restoring a bike, but I had just completed a tribute of sort. The bike as most know is my ST1300, but what most do not know is that the bike was styled after the race bikes that made Honda the company that it is today. When Honda finally won the TT on the Isle of Mann, they achieved what Soichiro Honda had proclaimed that they would do just a few years before.

While my goals might not be as lofty I at least like to do what I say I am going to do and when I visited that museum I decided I needed to get a shot of my bike in front of it, even though it was 1800 miles away.

The reason I was able to visit Barber was because my father lived just 60 miles away, so the easiest way to make what I wanted to happen was to ride to see my father. I of course did that and then was able to get the above photo after riding to Barber the day after I arrived at my father's.

I stopped in the museum again, snapped a few shots and had a great conversation with one of the stewards of the bikes. Then after a little conversation I got to do something I was asked to not publish, so you'll have to see me in person and I'll tell you what it was. Of course if you follow this blog, you probably can figure it out.

Here are a few shots from my trip, including my dad's house and a few things along the way. I had fun and I'm now ready to set another goal.

Shots from the Trip!

Trip Complete - AZ to AL and back

2009-06-10T13:39:00.002-07:00

First the numbers

3674.7 - Total Miles Traveled
600 - Average Miles per day (2.5) on trip to Alabama
600 - Average Miles per day (2.25) on trip back
$235.56 - Total Gas Bill
$214.49 - Hotel Bill
$144.54 - Food Cost
6 - Number of times I thought I forgot to put on my glasses
2 - Number of nights in Hotels headed to Alabama
1 - Number of nights in Hotels headed back from Alabama
1 – Number of nights spent at a friend’s house headed back from Alabama
1 - National Landmarks Visited (Fly by actually)
1 - Old National Highways Traveled (66)
.1 - Number of days I was rained on
3 - Number of times I saw police pull over speeders
1 - Number of times I actually forgot to put on my glasses
0 - Number of times stopped by police. (Top speed shown was on a closed course.)

I decided this year that I would ride to Alabama to visit my Father and Step-Mother and also got to see my Sister and Husband, Step-Sister and her 2 boys.

The trip much like anything cross-country had highs and lows but for the most part was pretty easy. I did find that the I-10 to I-20 route was very, very boring. I also found that the difference in mileage for the I-40 route to my house was a whopping 12 miles.

Along the way the biggest challenge turned out to be on the way back, initially I would have figured that it would have been the trip there as it was very hot and quite boring, but that would all change about 20 miles after leaving my Dad's house.

I could have made the trip there more interesting if I would have stopped and looked around, but I wanted to spend time with my Father, so getting there was the goal! The way back was much the same since I had a deadline to meet at the other end. Not the perfect plan for the trip but it worked.

The morning I left my fathers I did all my pre-checks for myself, my equipment and my bike and everything checked out. Unfortunately for me a part on my helmet didn't fail when I checked it but about 15 miles later when I pushed the face-shield forward on my Schuberth C2 helmet to city mode the side clip popped off and I was left with a face shield held only with one clip. This would prove to be a challenge the entire trip home.

I ended up covering 680 miles the first day and only in the last 200 miles did I fasten the visor in place with a paper clip. This meant I could not open or close the shield and hoped that in rain it would provide enough seal.

The next morning I awoke to heavy clouds and upon leaving dealt with a little rain. At that moment I learned a couple things. One was that the shield would not seal and the second was that I was not wearing my glasses (I had left them on the bed of the hotel.) I returned for the glasses, the rain stopped and I continued on my way.

About 100 miles from Albuquerque the clip failed and I was left once again with a loose visor.

I awoke the next morning after spending a very restful night at a friends house and fashioned yet another clip. This time I though I had one that would be better for opening the upper section at stops (not the visor, but the chin section.) The previous design popped off each time. Well, 20-miles out of Albuquerque I turned my head for a lane change a in an instant the entire visor was gone! Out loud I literally said "The whole thing...really?!?"

I did not even bother to turn around an look. I simply raised my ST1300's windscreen and lowered the internal (now only) sun-visor to shield my eyes.

While the skies threatened rain the entire 400 miles home it never happened and I arrived home safe and sound.

I have a few more stories about the trip I'll share in a few days (including a very odd bird incident) but the visor (or lack of) was the pivotal riding challenge.

Sweet Home.....from Alabama!

2009-06-05T15:34:00.003-07:00

Well, my time in Alabama is coming to a close and I'll be heading home in the morning. My time here in Alabama has been fun, but the trip here was not as exciting, that's for sure.

I decided that I would ride I-10 to I-20 across Texas and that is something I can now say i have done and will most likely NEVER do again! It is long, straight, boring and sometimes a bit scary. (Mostly at night.)

My route tomorrow is not yet set, but most likely I'll take I-40 across the US back to AZ. Of course looking forward, I have that wonderful state of New Mexico, that I am convinced hates me that and will most likely try to blow me back to Texas. But, compared to the Southern route that might not be such a big deal anymore.

When I get back I'll report on the entire trip and get ready to head back out almost immediately for yet another adventure.

Streetfighter Reveal

2009-05-22T19:17:00.002-07:00

Stopped by the Ducati Superstore tonight to see the unveiling of the new Streetfighter.

They did a stellar job and even started the bike. This is why this is the shop to visit folks. Can't wait to try this bike out on the street!

Just Trying to be Recognized!

2009-05-13T14:00:00.003-07:00

I am beginning to believe that their is no such thing as too much light on a motorcycle. For that reason and the the fact that I had light mounts on my bike that I'll no longer be using for the PIAA 910's I decided to try something different.

What you see here are what you would typically see mounted on the police light mounts of a ST1300, Whelen TIR3 strobes. The only difference is that instead of red and blue, which would certainly get me pulled over, I am using amber to double as turn lights, fog lights and possibly signal strobes.

I'll be integrating a few lights into the rear as well, but right off the bat I am happy with my decision and they actually do quite well lighting up the road ahead.

Since I already have the police switch mounted these will be easy to control, the fun part will be the integration or adaptation of these light to work both with the factory turn signals and independently.

Stay tuned for the final wiring and usability on my bike.

Follow Birdman on Twitter

2009-05-06T20:22:00.003-07:00

Hmm, this should have been an obvious connection some time ago??

Well, thanks to technology and the ability to rss feed to Twitter you can now follow The Birdman Blog and the occasional Tweet os Twitter by following Birdman_H54.

URL is here - http://twitter.com/Birdman_H54

See ya soon!

Sometimes We Just Need to RIDE!

2009-05-01T12:48:00.005-07:00

Yeah, cones on a stick.....it is a metaphor to remind everyone that sometimes we should leave critical evauluation, training and testing our skills at home. Go out and simply ride completely within our limits.

I was sitting at breakfast this morning with a new friend of mine and the issue of riding with someone that had to always evaluate skills and turn every ride into a lesson came up. The comment was made that it just wasn't fun and sometimes just riding should be the goal. It actually stuck a nerve and I decided I might explore that comment in a written perspective just to first ground myself with the statement and to share it with others as well.

Let me go first in the fact that it just might be possible that I can fall into this category for some people. I know that I don't ride every ride as a lesson and when I ride alone or with others that I ride with a lot I don't tend to worry about it or even take inventory of things that could be better. But, throw me into a larger group with new individuals and one based off of the site I maintain and I do turn on certain parts of my "coaching" brain. Since I've completed my MSF RiderCoach training I have seriously learned the lesson of what over-coaching can do, so I do know I've backed off a bit in that respect, but introspection is always a good thing, yes?

That being said when on a group ride we all need to be aware of what the limit for the group should be and then not force others into the role of being a coach or offering advice by not pushing that limit. The vast majority of crashes on group rides comes from inattention or an attitude that the limit isn't being pushed, in reality when the incident is reviewed the reduction of speed would have always allowed more time and space to have avoided the situation (of course there are always plenty of more variable, but nothing can be controlled more by a rider than speed.) The burden of reduced speed should not always be placed on the actual rider who crashed or even the newest rider, when we enter into a group ride we all need to back things down to a common denominator. On SouthWestRides.com we always support the "Leave No Rider Behind" philosophy, that put simply means that others will always wait up and not force a rider to keep up, but in reality all riders need to balance their skills with the people they are riding with and not get near pushing their own limits. Sometimes that means a reduction of riding to 2/10ths of ones ability. I've been there on a group ride and even then still needed to wait up for another rider.

As with anything in life a balance needs to be achieved, but only if all riders in the group enter into a shared responsibility for all riders will safety become a priority without any individuals being forced into playing the role of "coach." Trust me when I say that being a coach all the time isn't fun, just as being coached all the time obviously isn't fun.

So, next time you feel the need to push yourself to learn, do it by yourself, or with someone with whom you want to be coached.

But, when you head out for a group ride with new individuals make sure everyone is on the same page in regards to pacing, top speed, stops and destinations so that no one has to coached or be a coach. After all, shouldn't rides be fun for everyone?

The Heat is On!

2009-04-21T16:51:00.003-07:00

Well, there it is! The first 100 degree day of the year, and even though the forecast is not calling for more of them soon, we all know what is coming.

Well, all of us who have lived in the Valley of The Sun for more than a few years that is...

This year will be just as brutal as years past, but this year I'll be hosting a Hydration and Nutrition Clinic at my garage to help riders better deal with the heat. As the name implies I'll have a guest speaker who will address Hydration at the scientific level and then also we'll be talking about how gear can aid in dealing with the heat much better.

Look at swrides.com for more details soon and make sure to save the date when it is announced.

Arizona Bike Week - 2009

2009-04-05T17:47:00.004-07:00

Today brings to a close a week of rides, festivities and events that are marketed as Arizona Bike Week by FX Promotions Inc. all centered around the valley and with their main focus being at WestWorld in the form of an Expo called Cyclefest.

Now as far as Bike Week on the whole, we as a valley don't really need it as year round we have great weather, great rides and even great events, so the real focus is the Cyclefest and what it does exactly for us as riders.

Above is a photo taken at 2:30 pm on Friday in the midway of the Cyclefest event...notice anything? I mean beside that fact that there are no people!?!

Forget the thing about people for a second and let's focus on just two items. One is the absence of motorcycles and the other is the primary sponsor of Cyclefest......yes, Jagermeister.

The first is actually the most surprising to me, the fact that an event called Cyclefest would not have a way for people to display and show off their motorcycles?!? I mean heck, I am pretty sure they could even make a little more if they sold passes to include riding your bike in the area. Now before I get some excited comments from the promoters of this event I am sure that WestWorld has limitations, but I do remember just a few months ago the place being full of cars moving around, yes?

Hold on, I actually know the real problem.

OK OK forget that as well, because once we focus on the real issue everything begins to become clear.

The real issue is a large bus sitting there on the right of the photo. It belongs to the primary sponsor of Cyclefest. Yes, Jagermeister is the key sponsor of Arizona's Bike Week and the Cyclefest specifically, good choice right? I mean since alcohol is the #1 killer of riders I guess they should pay for the show....(Um, yeah I didn't think so either.) of course since they need to sell alcohol at the event, you can't exactly have people riding their vehicles around, can you? Thus, no bikes in the Cyclefest.

I would think that if the show was centered on motorcycles and riding in Arizona the sponsors would be be either motorcycle related or heck even hydration centered, not something that leads to the deaths of motorcyclists directly.

So, let's back up and consider what this event is really about. Specifically for motorcyclist there were demo rides and I even got reports that sport bikes were available. That's a good thing. As far as vendors there were a lot of t-shirt, chaps and head accessories, but beyond non-DOT half helmets I didn't see a single helmet vendor. Also there were a good amount of other companies represented, even some in the sportbike realm, not a lot but look folks the vendor availability wasn't low.

So, what's wrong with this show?

Nothing, if you understand what the show really is all about.

Arizona Bike Week and Cyclefest is a 5-day concert series with a motorcycle cruiser theme!

Yup that's it folks, it isn't Daytona Bike Week, it isn't Sturgis, heck it isn't even a real rally. It is simply a decently put together Country Thunder for the cruiser crowd.

If you're a vendor and you were standing around wondering where all the riders or people were, they didn't show until later for the concert, so figure out a way to integrate into that or do something off-site during the days of ABW to drive traffic to your location specifically.

So, the next time you get upset about what ABW does or doesn't have just understand that $20 gets you into one concert and $38 gets you into 5 days of concerts and it should all make sense. Everything else that happens at WestWorld and is advertised around the Arizona Bike Week moniker is just additional marketing and money for the promoters.

Make sense now?

I'm not going to worry about it, or even try to change it...I'm just gonna ride!

New Tunes, From A New Toy

2009-03-17T19:15:00.003-07:00

I love music and I love hearing a lot of different music, but what I don't like is sitting around creating playlists and syncing music.

For me satellite radio was a godsend because I didn't have to do anything but pick a genre and the rest was done for me and on my ST1300 that works just fine, because I have the space and area to place a radio (or GPS with it built in) and an antenna.

But, when it came to my Uly and now my Night Rod the issue is space. Well, space and the fact that on the NR a bunch of electronics would just look plain stupid!

So when I found that Slacker Radio had introduced a radio I was intrigued and when I discovered that it would update via WiFi I was practically sold.

I found Slacker Radio about 3 years ago when I was invited to a suite to be shown their product and the owner of the company explained how the service worked and how their G1 Radio at that time would be working. That product was a little large for a portable, so I only considered it something usable on a touring bike.

A year and a half later they introduced the G2 Radio, it is much smaller, about 2" x 4" and a 1/2" thick. Perfect for an inner jacket pocket!

Well, I took the radio out of the package, went online and selected which stations (including my own custom ones) I wanted on the G2 and then told the G2 to sync via WiFi. I never plugged the unit into anything and I was ready to roll a short while later.

Now when I come back to the house my stations will update automatically or I can manual make them update.

The sound quality is good, I can see on the screen what is playing and the unit holds 4 Gigs worth of music. So, I'll play with it for a while and check back later.

So far, all smiles!!!

Master of "The Box!"

2009-03-01T16:49:00.002-07:00

OK, no more cryptic posts and blogs about kicking cones and continued learning, after 80+ hours of classroom and range instruction I have finally completed my certification as a MSF RiderCoach.

I started this process a few months ago and even before I entered the RiderCoach Prep program I had to complete a Basic RiderCourse and then audit a course from beginning to end.

The process from then to know has taught me a lot about myself and re-enforced a lot of my own closely held beliefs.

As with anything when you break things down to a basic level and then rebuild step by step you help to make sure that you have a solid foundation and your fine skills get even better. I just completed a class with real live students (not other RiderCoach Canidates acting as students) and had an object lesson in the form of one participant that literally went from worst to first in 2 days.

I can't wait to continue to learn and pass that learning on as time goes by and doubt that kicking cones is ever going to get boring!

Congrats to the rest of the guys and gals in my class and I'll see you soon, be it on the range or on the road.

Home, Home on the Range

2009-02-15T20:05:00.004-07:00

I've been spending a lot of time kicking cones, riding around a range and learning lately and I've got to say it is paying off in ways I didn't really expect.

We have all heard the phrase "Practice makes perfect" and I've even referred to a modified phrase my College Orchestra Conductor would recite, "Perfect practice makes perfect." I've always understood how to break down a music performance to the base level and rebuild it, but I am now learning how to do exactly that with motor skills and in an adult learning atmosphere. The process is remarkably similar to many things I have experienced in my life, but it is completely refreshing to see the results on a different stage, so to speak.

I am a good 2/3 thirds through a process and hopefully in a couple weeks I will begin yet another journey that allows me to interact with even more riders in way that allows them to have a safe and enjoyable riding experience.

Meanwhile I think I'll kick a few more cones and Practice - Practice - Practice!

Leftovers!

2009-02-08T15:17:00.003-07:00

And not the Dinner from the night before variety, I'm talking about leftover parts here.

As I customize my bikes I always seem to end up with extra parts. Mostly nuts and bolts, but every so often I have the occasional large part, like an exhaust or a cover.

I've always kept these parts, but drew the line at keeping extra parts for bikes I have sold. In the past I have sold the extra parts, but typically I give them away with the bike I am selling. At least that person will have the bike the extra parts below to, right?

Since I've started customizing my newest bike I've already started to accumulate a bunch of new parts and this time I've decided to label them as I go, just so I know exactly what I've got. As it is I have a bunch of bolts from other "projects" that I just can't throw away.

So, here's to more organized clutter!!

Ready to Roll

2009-01-30T19:46:00.002-07:00

OK, there is one thing that will make me not ride on a Sunday afternoon and this Sunday it will happen.....again!

Yes, the Steelers are ready to play in yet another Super Bowl and until kickoff I think I will need to ride or wrench just to take my mind off the game.

You see, I am a Steelers Fan, I have probably been one since birth, but even since I can remember I have been cheering the Steelers to the Super Bowl and in 5 out of 6 visits I have seen them win.

Nothing upset me like seeing a rider make a bad decision and get hurt, but when Big Ben almost ruined the Steelers by not wearing a helmet I was really upset. Seriously, you just don't mess with the machine that is the Steelers.

Now years later I find myself in Arizona the land of the Cardinals (surrounded by Steelers Fans) and I am pumped to see the game play out.

I feel good about this game as it seems the Cardinals will bring a real game to the field and the victor will truly have to play the game to the fullest to win. I have confidence in my Steelers, I just want to game to get going.

GO STILLERS!!!!!!

It's A Bike, So Ride It!

2009-01-25T18:14:00.003-07:00

I picked up my Night Rod the other night when it was raining and the woman at the service counter laughed when I did.

She mad the statement that I must not be made out of sugar, I laghed back and said nope, far from it. ;)

As I left from the shop there were several guys sitting under the canopy looking at the rain. One guy said, hey you're not gonna get that pretty bike wet are you? I said, heck yeah, it's a bike, I'm gonna ride it!

Of course after I get a bike dirty, I wash it all back nice and pretty for my next ride. It is just part of the Zen I enjoy about motorcycles.

I've been spending a lot of time on different bike lately and it is really making me enjoy the ones I have and the things as I ride more and more that I learn. I'll never stop learning about riding and that is probably the best thing, well until I get to pass that knowledge along....

Supercross Is Go!

2009-01-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

The races are on on Phoenix. I'm glad I made it back from Vegas.

CES Moto-style

2009-01-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been walking around the show floor all morning and I just walked
into the XACT booth and found this!

Many saw this truck at SEMA, it is a custom Desmosedici hauler.
Complete with solar cells and a full built in garage. More later.

Welcome to 2009!

2008-12-31T23:41:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year to All and I wish Everyone Safe and Enjoyable Rides in 2009.

I personally had a great 2008 and I look forward to an even better 2009.

Even with the economy and the stress we all have been through, I believe things have made people concentrate on what really matters and also appreciate what we all have a little more.

As far as New Year's resolutions I am going to reconsider everything I buy this coming year and make sure it is something that I will both use and appreciate. I also have some pretty specific motorcycle goals and plans for trips and reports. I hit all my goals last year, so here's to another fun and exciting year.

I wish everyone well in both their hopes and dreams.

Welcome to 2009!!

A Merry Moto Christmas

2008-12-24T17:20:00.004-07:00

‘Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the garage, not a creature was stirring not even Stegy.

The bikes were all snuggled, warm in their spots, while visions of carbon fiber and high octane fuel danced in their ECM's.

I had just settled in from dodging some birds when all of the sudden from above, I heard a great clatter.

It wasn’t a dry clutch, nor a really loud exhaust, but something different, while familiar in a way.

Across the drying irrigation water I saw the reflection of spoked wheels on the roof. Above I head the squeaking of race boots and the whirring of a generator.

I don’t have a chimney, so I was rather confused. I ran to the downstairs door and burst out on the lawn.

As I turned to the roof I heard the familiar release of velcro and saw the tire warmers being thrown in a trike.

What did I see but a round little man in red and white leathers. He gave me a wink and I heard his fuel pump buzz and then with a flip of his thumb his stead roared to life.

Up off my roof and into the sky I heard him declare “Merry Christmas to all and to all Safe Rides!”

More Options

2008-12-15T12:28:00.002-07:00

Today I stopped by a friend's shop to take a look at a new prototype
for a Kawasaki Concours Police Bike.

You may notice the crash bars, but a little harder to see are the side
bags that have been modified to open from the top.

In reality there are a whole lot of small modifications built into
this bike that exist because this design included input from Officers and Riders at the start.

The final product is pretty close to complete and when done I'll post
up some more photos.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

2008-12-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Still in NYC and still watching with much admiration the guys and gals
riding scooters and motorcycles around this place.

Next time I'm gonna ride or rent a bike here.

No Bikes Here

2008-12-02T16:29:00.001-07:00

But, there should be, yes?

Since I was nearby and like the building anyway, I thought I would give it a shot anyway.

I have seen quite a few bikes on the city streets since I arrived Monday night and I am really in awe of what these guys have to deal with on the road. From rough road conditions to uber-aggressive cagers, the streets here are not for the timid.

I'll get a few bike shots and post them up later.

BTW, New York's finest even have their own Motor Division.

The Crash Scale

2008-11-26T18:19:00.007-07:00

I was talking to someone today about crashes and the fact that there was a story that I have been wanting to write for some time, but hadn’t yet due to the fact that I didn’t want any one person to feel it was about their specific crash.

After my chat today I decided what the heck, and when you read the entire way through this it might make sense that any single person isn’t the cause of a crash anyway, not entirely alone.

Learning To Drive

I was taught to drive through a pilot program in the State of Ohio, which included high performance driving lessons and an intensive approach to traffic and collision understanding. Probably because of that training and the fact that my father was an Ohio State Trooper I approach traffic and crashes from a completely different and quite often misunderstood position and understanding. I was taught from day one that all crashes are a result of multiple factors, some that we control and other than we don’t. In all traffic situations (are subsequently crashes) there are three distinct sets of variables (called factors) that are always in play.

Those Sets were given to me as Conditions, Obstacles and Individuals. Within each set there are always typically multiple factors and every single factor influences the flow of traffic and are a part of any crash. I was taught to not refer to a crash as an accident, not because all crashes are avoidable, but because accident tries to place blame on one particular factor and never is one factor the complete reason for a crash. Saying “It was an accident” stops the search for the combination of factors that lead to the crash, thus stops learning. If you stop learning you’ll continue to repeat the process and in the same set of factors, a crash will most likely occur again.

If you have gone through the MSF BRC this line of thought will look very similar. MSF uses an Oval of Safety and a Chain to show factors and the program I learned under used a scale. Basically, if you overload on side of the scale with danger, it tips and a crash occurs. In fact I specifically remember an example of drinking and driving (back then DUI was not as hot a topic as today) and how it could lead to a crash. They described three factors, one was time of day the other drinking (a single drink) or not and the third, driving a car. Any two of those factors alone and there might not be a problem, but combine the three and a crash was likely. Odd example, but you get the point.

The biggest thing that was stressed during this training was that as an individual (driving or not) you are always a factor in a crash. That doesn’t mean you are the only factor and certainly does not mean you are the largest factor, just that you are always a factor and in any traffic situation you should observe yourself as a factor for your own sake and for others as well.

Factors Are Not Causes Alone

I’m condensing 3 months of training into a single story, so I’ll obviously there is more to what I am trying to convey, but you can always ask and I can answer. The base point that was made after we discussed factors and many different types of traffic flow situations and crashes (Keep in mind the training taught how to drive to avoid crashes and to limit others from crashing around you as well.) is that looking for blame or fault in any crash wasn’t typically helpful. In fact the police award a citation for certain violations of specific code and those codes have point attached to them. The original reason for points was to track how often a person made bad decisions, which created factors that lead to crashes. With enough points those individuals had their privilege suspended or removed. Over the years insurance companies introduced the concept of fault, but you find it very hard to find that verbiage in police code (at least the original codes.)

We spent 3 days on tickets and the explanation that really stuck was that most people think if they didn’t get a ticket they didn’t do anything wrong and if they did the officer was a dick. It was stressed over and over that always viewing yourself as a factor in your and others behavior on the street could reduce your participation in any crash. (Yours and others.) And if involved in a crash, a person should review all the factors of that crash including their actions and attitude as a part. Only critical review would lead to understanding and a way to reduce the chance for a crash. Also understand that mistakes are part of driving, some are small and some are large, but all figure as factors, and most typically a minor mistake combined with a bunch of other factors can lead to a crash. Yes, it may be a mistake made a lot or by many people, at the wrong moment it just ends poorly.

Lessons In Life

A year after the training a crash happened involving a person who was in the same class with me, and it really drove home the lesson. In Ohio we had a lot of roads that were basically gravel of asphalt and once you learned certain corners you could literally slide your way through them. It wasn’t something that freaked us out it just was the way it was. Well, after a particularly long winter the State of Ohio decided to pave on of these roads and that friend of mine went flying into the corner expecting to slide and found……a perfect road. With perfect traction he was setup completely wrong and ended up slamming a corner and rolling the car. When we talked about it later the crash occurred because the road was perfect and since he didn’t change the way he drove (for a bad road) he crashed. Only one factor changed and he ended up crashed. His crash was also a factor for the rest of us not having a crash on the very same corner.

A few years after that I was coming down a road at night in my girlfriends car, saw a possum starting to cross the road and decided to straddle it. It caught under the front wheel, pitched me sideways into a bridge and ended up with the photo you see at the top. Click for more shots. The result of that crash was a totaled car, the loss of a girlfriend and no ticket. While I was not speeding. didn’t break the law and did not receive a ticket, a combination of factors that I was directly involved in lead to that crash. Specifically, it started with washing my car at night and factors piled on from that point forward. (My girlfriend wasn’t in the car, but was a factor. My car wasn’t involved, but was a factor.) Lucky for me I wasn’t speeding and was wearing a seatbelt (not even the law then) which allowed me to step out of the car and be able to tell this story. One slight change in a factor would have left me dead, something I firmly understand to this day.

So, the next time you hear me say that people must accept their part in any crash, (yes, even people not even there) maybe you’ll understand that I am not assigning blame or fault, just saying that looking at the bigger picture reveals a lot more than most would ever believe. It is not about being perfect on the road, it is about constantly understanding all the factors and adapting to balance the scale.