Motorcyclists often incorrectly portrayed

To the editor

   Many people think that motorcycles and their riders are accidents waiting to happen.
   The fact of the matter is that automobile accidents are more common on the roads today.
   Similar to learning to drive a car, it takes practice to ride a bike. Bikers spend a lot of their time after purchasing a motorcycle to do as they are taught, to learn the limits of the bike itself and themselves, making them a safe rider on the streets.
   Motorcyclists are often unjustly blamed for their accidents. Bikers are taught by magazines and rider courses to be as safe as they can be. "See and be seen" is a reoccurring saying that governs the dress for motorcyclists. Most accidents are the fault of other motorists who drive cars and trucks.
   A typical response to an officer is "He came out of nowhere, I never saw him!" In actuality in most accidents, the cyclist was there and clearly signaled his intentions. The motorist never saw them because they pay attention to other cars and trucks and seem to overlook motorcyclists and their bikes.
   The evidence found at a motorcycle accident scene isn’t the same as in a car accident scene. Many police personnel are not properly trained to evaluate motorcycle accidents. Many times the officer looks for a skid mark from the tires when sometimes there isn’t any because the cyclist tried to avoid the obstruction rather than stop.
   Like many aspects of our lives, media plays a big part of how we see things and issues. The media portrays the riders as "bad boys" and a nuisance to society. When in reality motorcycle clubs are healthy tools to talk with friends and have club events. For example, a club barbeque at a professional venue or a charity ride are fun and typical events.
   Due to media portrayals and the misleading accident information, politics seem to get their hands on this. Because of political misinformation about statistics, they decide to move government funding from helpful motorcyclist tools like the rider education system to other programs. Politicians should leave the money alone to these programs because they help create safer motorcyclists.
   We need to get rid of media stereotypes and to be more open-minded. Investigations for accidents involving motorcycles should be researched more in the test grounds to be more productive in the field. Then a clear representation of accident causes can be determined.
   This, in partner with driver awareness, should reduce motorcycle accidents.

Etai Scharf
Hillsborough High School