Motorcycle wreck kills Forsyth man proclaims the headline of an article in the Gainsville Times by Matt Stewart.

It's an accurate title, I guess, but it seems to miss the salient fact that a negligent motorist turned in front of the motorcycle causing him to die. This is sadly one of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents and deaths by far.

I'm sure the driver of the Chevy Astro van feels very bad and is sorry about the situation and what she has done. Unfortunately she faces possible fines if not likely jail time depending on Georgia laws and the court's mercy. Even if the judge suspends the sentence, she'll always have this young man's blood on her hands.

While journalists (rightfully so) take a factual approach to these accident report stories, it frequently seems the focus on the "another motorcycle crashed" side of the story rather than the "motorcyclist killed" aspect of the story. While the "wreck" did kill the "man", it might be more accurate to say "Motorcyclist killed by careless driver" in a headline.

Motorcyclists: Assume that every other driver out there doesn't see you and drive accordingly. Defense is all you have; if you slowed down ahead of time you may end up only pissed off instead of dead when someone does turn in front of you. If you haven't taken an MSF class, sign up for one today.

Drivers: Please double check when you scan for oncoming traffic. Oncoming motorcycles are narrow and can be difficult to see. When you do notice a motorcycle, put yourself on "high alert" about your surroundings. Also, please be aware that motorcycles accelerate and stop significantly faster than cars, so give us motorcyclists some room. (No one seems to realize this in real life.)

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a motorcyclist and I am an AMA member. If you ride, consider joining.

Links to articles about the Janklow/Scott case:
American Motor.Com
AMA article from February 2005

AMA Justice For All Campaign

The full story of Chris Young's wreck. This is what happens (and what you'll look like) if you wreck at high speed without proper protective gear. Gnarly pictures and all the gory details...

Tags: left did not see motorcycle MSF current events motorist care turn beware scott AMA intentions bill janklow death transportation murder politics education killed accident left-turn invisible danger aware injury careful janklow intentional learn