Could be why we call bikers "organ donars"!

Desperado, are these solo accidents or car vs bike accidents that you are seeing? I just ask because it's not just new riders that are a growing problem, but drivers who are not careful enough to watch for motorcycles.

Regarding the motorist part of the safety equation, I'm visiting my mom in San Francisco for Thanksgiving and I have to turn up the "radar" a notch when I drive here because of all the bicyclists in San Francisco compared to down in SoCal where I live. In particular, I make sure to signal and make a little extra effort to look before making right turns or before opening the driver's side door when parked on the street (had a lot of close calls when I used to bicycle here a lot myself). For drivers, just being aware of the possibility of a small bicycle being somewhere near your vehicle is half the challenge of driving safely since bicycles, like motorcycles, can be places where you normally wouldn't expect a car, like a motorcycle splitting lanes down the left side of your stopped car or a bicycle riding at a good clip in the bike lane on your right.

I do it because I hope someone would do so for me.

Same reasons I ride. All should consider alternate ID like dog tags. Years ago when I went down on asphalt, the first thing to go was a down jacket (looked like a pillow fight where I first hit). The second was my wallet when the butt of my Levi's burned through.

I have "custom dog tags" with ID info and contacts on them plus a USB thumb drive with that and Medical records. Hopefully I don't need it, but if so I hope it is noticed and helps.

I shall discuss USB later.

[quote=Arney]Desperado, are these solo accidents or car vs bike accidents that you are seeing? I just ask because it's not just new riders that are a growing problem, but drivers who are not careful enough to watch for motorcycles.

Some of each, but the three I have witnessed / helped at were single vehicle. One was DWI + lack of experience + too much speed for curve. The other two lack of experience + too much speed for conditions.

Ones not witnessed (local paper) were combination of above and left turn vehicle into motorcycle right of way.

As far as bicycles, mostly car vs kid. While it is the motor vehicle operators responsibility to not hit kids on bikes, I do not see that adults are teaching kids to be safe like they used to.

"...I do not see that adults are teaching kids to be safe like they used to..."

Most kids I have talked to about riding their bikes against the flow of traffic, instead of with it as required by CA law, said that is what their parents told them to do. Most kid on bike crashes I worked involved a car making a right turn at an intersection, or when entering a highway from private property. Driver looked left for oncoming traffic, didn't see the kid riding up from the right, kid t-bones car in the right side. Most kids wear helmets as required in CA, few fasten the chin strap.

Re bikes and adults, I rarely see an adult on a bike stop for a stop sign, they just pedal right on thru, sometimes at pretty high speed. When questioned, they always respond "but I'm on a bike!"...

[quote=OldBaldGuyRe bikes and adults, I rarely see an adult on a bike stop for a stop sign, they just pedal right on thru, sometimes at pretty high speed. When questioned, they always respond "but I'm on a bike!"...
[/quote]
Same with red lights here. Bicyclists rarely follow traffic law. I often yell at them and say
"You have to follow the law too!"
At which point many then raise their hand and show off their "IQ" finger

Absolutely!

In fact, these wrecks are all happening at the same place, we've had DOZENS of them since May, where normally, we'd only have 4 or 5.

The first few times, when we called Medevac, we gave coordinates (right at the scene in an open lawn) and then they did the usual circle twice, then ease in slow for a landing that they do at an unfamiliar LZ.

After a few more calls, they still took coordinates, and circled once, and landed in the LZ.

By the 10th call for a motorcycle wreck at the same location, we just told them "Chestnut Ridge LZ" and they came in like there was a big "H" painted on the ground - no coordinates needed.

I have to admit that I learned more about major trauma this summer than in the past 6 years of being a firefighter thanks to all the motorcycle wrecks.

Re the LZ. I have seriously considered some kind of smoke signal device and an aviation radio in the truck kit. One time the helo beat everyone on scene as it was on return trip from another flight. A smoke gives'em wind, radio to discuss hazards. (Wont do it, but the old Air Assault days keep coming to mind)