If you’re on a bike, they tend to look right through you,” he said. Somehow, he manages to enjoy riding while maintaining a mindset that every motorist he sees is actively trying to kill him, he said. Timms looks, looks again, and lets the other motorists do what they will. It’s amazing how many drivers don’t use their turn signals. If he’s coming up on an intersection where there is no light, he does the same. When the light turns green, he lets oncoming traffic, or even the vehicles in the lane next to his, clear or at least proceed before he hits the throttle. “You just don’t count if you’re on two or three wheels. Or people so focused on their cell phones that they don’t even realize that they’ve drifted into another lane. He tells stories of people following him so closely that he can’t even see their headlights. Tailgating and cell phones are equally lethal in Timms’ view. “The last wreck I had was a lady yakking on her cell phone,” he said. But there’s little anyone can do about distracted drivers. In a world where visibility is a matter of life or death, Timms has no problem stacking the deck: His custom three-wheeled Honda Gold Wing is decked with over 50 lights. Safety is everything, and other vehicles - both cars and trucks - are the enemy, Timms said. If it happens again, their membership is voided. Anyone riding side by side or falling too far behind gets one warning. Riders must maintain a staggered formation. As Guardian of Membership for Ravenna 12 Ohio Widows Sons, a motorcycle club exclusive to riders who are at least third-degree Masons, it’s his job to ensure safety. “That was the good ol’ days,” he laughed. Just ask Ron Timms, 80, who’s been riding since he was 14 and can remember when license plates cost 45 cents. Riders insist the problem is getting worse. “So I think looking specifically for a motorcycle before you potentially cross a roadway or turn would be very helpful. “If you’re looking for a specific thing such as a car or truck, you may miss what’s also there in front of your face,” Cannon said. In other words, they are not expecting to see a motorcycle, so in their mind it’s not there. If you have a distraction on top of that, that’s going to increase that effect.”Ĭannon cited situational blindness, a documented phenomenon where people do not see what they do not expect to see. “So if someone takes a quick look rather than a thorough look, they’re likely to overlook it. “A lot of it is not only distractions but motorcycles, being a lower profile, are not quite as apparent as a car or truck,” said Ohio Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Cannon. From 2017 to June 21, 2022, the Ohio Highway Patrol recorded a 40% increase in overall crashes involving distracted drivers aged 15 to 24. So far this year - and the season is young - the state has tallied 54 fatal accidents involving motorcycles and 331 serious injuries.Īnother factor may also be at play: young distracted drivers. What 2022 will bring is anyone’s guess, but the statistics speak for themselves. The upticks in 20 may be related to the pandemic, when people preferred to pass the time on their bikes instead of interacting with other people, OHP Lt. The Olson tragedy factored into Mahoning County’s statistics. So far this year, the county has tallied 12 total crashes, with 11 injuries and one fatality. The year 2021 closed with 57 crashes causing 48 injuries and one fatality. In 2020, Portage County had 59 crashes with 49 injuries and no fatalities. 1, 2017, to June 21, 2022, Portage County logged 279 motorcycle-related crashes, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. Redd was ejected from his bike and pronounced dead at the scene.įrom Jan. The 21-year-old driver of the truck was in the process of turning into a private driveway. The accident occured on Waterloo Road near state Route 43 in Suffield Township. On June 5, 26-year old Aaron Redd of Ravenna was killed when his Harley crashed into a Ford F-150 that was pulling a farm tractor. With the riding season in full swing, the dangers of hitting Ohio’s roads on a bike have already shattered three lives in Portage County, and public safety officials are urging drivers to be aware of each other. The high school sweethearts who had been married since 1981 were both killed, one at the scene and one shortly afterward. The Olsons’ motorcycle struck the truck’s right side. It was a beautiful day.Īt about 4:30 p.m., a 17-year-old from Deerfield failed to yield while making a left turn in his pickup at state Route 224 and Bedell Road in Mahoning County. Maybe later in the day they would visit with their children and grandchildren. Joseph and Christie Olson of Windham decided to take their 2012 Harley-Davidson out for a spin.
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