Ridin' Safe with Vicki By Vicki Sanfelipo

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.allstateridernews.com/safe_with_vicki.php Ridin' Safe with Vicki By Vicki Sanfelipo

Vicki Sanfelipo, RN/EMT is the founder and Executive Director of Accident Scene Management, Inc. and the author of "A Crash Course for the Motorcyclist" and "Advanced Bystander Assistance." Vicki is an Iron Butt Association Member, Life Member of ABATE of Wisconsin and HOG. She is also a member of the AMA, SMSA and the MRF. She has presented her programs to hundreds of groups and has been a guest presenter for most of the national motorcycle conferences in the USA. She has taught classes at both the MSF and Harley-Davidson. Vicki travels to Washington DC several times each year to represent ASMI in Motorcycle Safety Network Meetings held by NHTSA at the DOT. Vicki has also co-founded the "Road Guardians," "Women In Motion Road Guardians" and is the Founder of the "Diamond Posse." A memorable ride, raising awareness and more For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of motorcycling is the opportunity to get away from the phone and computer, and simply enjoy some of the "me" time that rejuvenates my spirit. Even when riding with others, I still find plenty of time to think and reflect on the day at hand — or even on life in general.

I recently had a lot of time to think and reflect as I completed a 3,000-mile ride in support of our military veterans. Held in conjunction with National Armed Forces Week, five women (myself included) took part in the ride for a number of reasons: to show appreciation, respect and honor for our veterans, and to raise money to assist the veterans who are returning from war with injuries and other issues.

We call our little group of riders the Diamond Posse, because diamonds are "forged under pressure." They start out as lumps of coal, and over great periods of time under extreme pressure, they become beautiful, multifaceted gems.

Our adventure began in San Antonio, Texas, at The Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center. Eight days later, we completed the journey in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the Diamond Posse opened up Harley-Davidson's "Celebrate Women Riders" event. Each day of the trip, we stopped at a VA hospital to visit with veterans. In the evenings, we'd gather with fellow motorcyclists to raise money and awareness for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

As I was riding the 1,300 miles to our journey's starting point in San Antonio, I paid particular attention to motorists' awareness of me, and I thought about how right-of-way violations account for up to 50% of roadway crashes. I also pondered how this problem is being addressed and what we, as motorcyclists, can do about it.

In my previous Allstate Rider News column, I briefly introduced the Six Areas of Motorcycle Safety that are outlined in the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (NAMS), and by the Road Guardian Program. One of those six areas is Motorist Awareness. To help increase awareness of motorcyclists and reduce right-of-way violations, Allstate has launched a program called "ONE" (Once is Never Enough) in communities that play host to major motorcycle rallies. ONE staffers work closely with these communities to identify the most dangerous intersections, then place highly visible yellow caution signs at those locations. The signs feature a motorcycle silhouette along with the simple message "Look." Thus far, the positive response to the program has been overwhelming! In fact, as I write this column from the Laconia Bike Week Rally, the big question everyone seems to be asking me is, "How can we get more of these signs?"

Here at Laconia, I'm making appearances at the Allstate Garage, speaking to motorcyclists about safety, and hammering home the idea that they need to be proactive about being seen by fellow motorists. While we all want others to be more aware of us on the road, we also need to do whatever we can to make sure that we help them to see us.

There are several proactive measures we can take to increase awareness, such as:

Position ourselves in a lane so drivers can see us. Don't hang out in the blind spot of a car, and if you can't see the driver of the vehicle in their mirror, then you must assume that they don't see you. Wear light/bright-colored or reflective clothing. We've all seen the safety-green shirts, right? It's hard to miss them. Consider ways of standing out with color contrasts or reflective material. Reflective materials perform best at night, and fluorescent colors work best in the daytime. Be aware that motorists are not anticipating our ability to accelerate quickly, and may not judge our speed properly. Be a defensive driver. Always look for an escape if your right of way is violated. This includes maintaining a safe distance that allows for braking. On my recent road trip I did some awareness "data collection" of my own: I counted the number of times that people did not appear to see me. While there were many times when people saw me, but didn't seem to care that I was riding nearby, there were three times when people did not see me at all, despite my defensive maneuvers. On those occasions, I had to hit my brakes to avoid a collision. Each time that happened, I was prepared to give up my right of way.

I always say a good day is one where nothing bad happens. Quick assessments of those situations, and my quick reactions, helped me avoid a bad day.

If you'd like an even more in-depth look at motorcycle safety education, I encourage you to attend our 2nd Road Guardians Bikers' Betterment Conference (BBC), scheduled for November 13, 2010, at Smokin' Harley-Davidson in Winston-Salem, NC.

This one-day conference will incorporate a combination of displays, demonstrations and guest speakers to address the Six Areas of Motorcycle Safety identified by the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety. Road Guardians programs of Resources, Rewards and Recognition further define these six areas and encourage lifelong learning. We are working with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, ASMI instructors and our attorney partner, Hardison and Cochran, to bring this regional conference to the southeast U.S. In addition, Allstate Agents will be on hand to provide useful information about what constitutes adequate motorcycle insurance, and they'll explain various benefits and discounts available to motorcycle riders.

I had a great ride and hope you do too. For additional safety information, visit www.roadguardians.org and check out our safety resources.

If you are interested, additional information can also be found at the following websites:

www.accidentscene.org - First Response classes www.roadguardians.org - Comprehensive Program of Motorcycle Safety Resources, Rewards and Recognition www.diamondposse.us - Serving Veterans

Allstate Insurance Company is not affiliated with Vicki Sanfelipo. Allstate makes no warranties or representations and is not liable for any goods or services provided by this company.