Crash survivor’s story shows why everyone has a part in motorcycle safety
Terry Russell was out for a weekend motorcycle ride with friends, enjoying a straight stretch of road in Columbia County Wisconsin’s rich farm country when the driver of the car in front of them, without warning, slammed on the brakes while trying to avoid trash bags lying in the road.
There was little time to react as the motorcyclists dodged to avoid the car, one another and debris now scattered on the road from the trash bags that exploded as the car ran over them. One of the riders entered the ditch and corrected before safely stopping. Other riders maneuvered through the debris scattered over the roadway. Russell, who had his 10-year-old son Kyle on the back of his bike, hit the back of the lead rider’s bike.
“When I hit him, my handle bars went [sideways] and we went down, sliding on the highway,” said Russell, recalling the crash nearly 20 years later while sitting at the dining room table of his Cottage Grove, Wis. home. A large tattoo he got after the crash covers much of his scarred right bicep, which took the brunt of the impact with the pavement.
Eyes out for motorcycles
May is National Motorcycle Awareness Month. As weather continues to improve, Wisconsin’s 535,000 licensed motorcyclists will be pulling out on Wisconsin roads. For drivers, this means expanding their scope of awareness to be on the lookout for these low profile vehicles.
“Because of their smaller profile, it’s easy to misjudge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle,” said Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Transportation Safety Director David Pabst. “That’s why we ask car and truck drivers to look twice for motorcycles before pulling out from a stop sign, turning left at an intersection or changing lanes.” Taking extra care to be on the lookout for bikes and giving them extra space when they are nearby is good practice for all drivers. This becomes especially important in busy metropolitan areas or during rush hours when distractions are plentiful.
Where’s Kyle?
Once Russell finally came to rest on that highway after the crash, his first thought was for his son. As they were going down, Kyle had come off the seat and over the top of his dad. The next thing he heard was his son crying, and a sigh of relief came over him as he looked over to see Kyle lying next to him. He looked him over for injuries and not seeing any, pulled him free from the wrecked bike. Aside from the trauma of being flung from the saddle at 55 mph and dragged along the pavement for several hundred feet, he only had a small spot of road rash on one hand. Deep scrapes on his helmet told what could have been a much worse situation had he not been wearing protective gear.
“If he hadn’t been wearing a helmet, he definitely would have had a head injury, at the least.”
Riding responsibly
All motorcyclists in Wisconsin are urged to wear personal protective gear while riding, including a full face helmet, a leather or heavy duty jacket, leather or heavy long pants, over-the-ankle boots, and full finger gloves. A protective face shield attached to the helmet, glasses or goggles is required for all motorcyclists. If the windshield rises 15 or more inches above the handlebars, eye protection is not required but is strongly suggested.
Another part of that protective gear is being mentally prepared to ride. Safely operating a motorcycle requires training, practice, and a high degree of coordination and concentration. Riding while drowsy, drunk, on drugs or otherwise impaired is dangerous and it’s illegal.
Motorcyclists are also required to have a Class M license, which is obtained by passing a Division of Motor Vehicles driving skills test or successfully completing a Wisconsin DOT-approved rider education course. For successfully completing an approved education course, motorcyclists earn a skills test waiver they use to obtain their Class M license.
Awareness: everyone’s responsibility
Russell’s friends immediately rushed over to make sure he and Kyle were okay. Emergency responders arrived soon after and father and son were transported to the hospital.
For Russell, the biggest takeaway from that day was awareness. He says there is a responsibility for all drivers, including motorcyclists, to avoid distractions and remain alert to what is coming up on the road. The crash, he said, could have been avoided if the driver would have slowed down well before reaching the road debris and safely drove around.
There is also the question of why the debris was in the road in the first place. The likely answer being that it had fallen from a vehicle where it was improperly secured. A AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report estimates that improperly secured loads and roadway debris contributed to an average of 50,658 police reported crashes contributing to 9,805 injuries and 125 deaths annually in the United States from 2011 to 2014.
Wisconsin law provides for a $200 citation for failure to properly secure a load or for spilling a load or waste along a highway.
“Items that bounce out of trailers or away from trucks such as coolers, chairs, lumber or ladders become dangerous obstacles that can damage other vehicles or result in crashes when drivers swerve suddenly to avoid roadway debris,” said Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent J.D. Lind. “Covering a load is not required by law, but having a cover over a truck bed or trailer will help ensure that any load is properly secured and contained.”
Russell repaired his Harley soon after the crash and still has it today. He enjoys driving it to work on nice days and still gets out for those weekend rides.
“You can ride your motorcycle on the same stretch of road you drive your truck every day and have an entirely different experience. Everything has a unique look, sound, smell and feel when you ride. Nothing compares.”
This story originally ran in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Connector Newsletter
