CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — As the weather improves, more motorcycles are hitting the roads, and officials are reminding people that safety is critical. Local experts provide tips and safety advice about how to keep yourself and others safe when sharing the road.
In Canandaigua sits one of the largest helmet apparel stores in upstate New York.
“My husband has been in business for 49 years,” K.C. Cycle Helmet World co-owner Doreen Carlile said. “He went to motorcycle mechanic school. And then we got into racing and all the safety parts with the helmets. And then we started with 100 helmets. Now we carry over 2500 helmets, plus a large array of motorcycle gear.”
They offer hundreds of products ranging from leather jackets, helmets and gloves.
“I’m a mom of a racer,” Carlile said. “He’s had a few, you know, accidents like everybody else. You want to make sure that there’s protection. Dress for the slide, not the ride.”
She supplies riders with both gear and knowledge.
“Cars are not ready to hear bikes, see bikes,” Carlile said. “They don’t pay attention. Some of the bike people think that the speedometer says 100. It needs to go 100. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit on both aspects.”
She’s helping out customers, like the founder of the motorcycle group Stay Alive in 585.
“One of the worst things about being an administrator of a group of 10,000 people that ride is that every year we get new riders and every year people die,” Stay Alive in 585 admin Jim Tapp said. “And in the last 14 years, I’ve seen hundreds of riders pass away. Unfortunately, it’s every single week, every single season that we see some type of accident and oftentimes fatal.”
Tapp understands the inherent risks and finds the advancement of technology and wearable airbag apparel to be a game-changer.
“I took about 10 years off riding on the street when I had a relatively serious accident about 12 years ago,” Tapp said. “I have a daughter now. She’s 5 years old, and every time I get on my bike, that’s something that I have to think about. So, I ride in a way to try to keep myself as safe as possible.”
He’s finding the advancement of technology and wearable airbag apparel to be a game-changer in motorcycle safety.
“When I come off the bike, the pants inflate actively like an airbag,” Tapp said. “This jacket is an active airbag. When you slow down, it lights up. If you slow down quickly, it blinks. This is triggered anytime the bike slows down. There are so many great people in this community. I think motorcycling often gets kind of a bad rap. I would love to try to change community perspective, particularly when it comes to things like sport bike riders, young riders, etc., but I don’t have the time to do all that. I wish that I could, and every time that a crash does happen, you know, I don’t feel responsible, but I do feel like there’s an obligation there that we could all do more.”
Also recognizing the importance is one organization that helps promote motorcycle awareness and safety, American Bikers Aimed Toward Education of New York
“We’ve seen a rise in distracted driving accidents and ABATE right now, we’re trying to get a bill to eliminate the increased size of these screens, because it’s just it’s an added distraction,” ABATE of New York vice president Rob Hagenbuch said. “We’ve already had two accidents and a death already this year. I hate to see it. It’s tough when the weather starts getting nice because you don’t know if it’s going to be your last time out on a ride. People need to get more aware of their surroundings and not be distracted.”
The nonprofit hosts safety courses across the state. Hagenbuch stresses the importance of paying attention no matter what you are driving.
“[A] good friend of mine in Pennsylvania is a paraplegic because somebody didn’t pay attention and turned in front of her,” Hagenbuch said. “I get choked up every time because I just get tired of going to funerals. We’re trying our best.”
According to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee of New York, they have reported seeing a sharp decline in the number of fatal crashes, it is still critically important to continue efforts to reduce them further, whether that be through education, enforcement or engineering.
