motorcyclebloggers.com » Riders Safety

Pillion Recommendations

rhino — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:42:23 +0000

While motorcycling is primarily a solitary activity, there are times when riding two-up is a nice change of pace. Carrying a passenger can be a thrilling and pleasurable experience for both operator and pillion, but it can just as easily be uncomfortable, risky, stressful or downright dangerous. Following a few simple suggestions can go a long way towards insuring a successful outcome. I’ve given many a ride in my career, and have learned some very valuable lessons, both the hard way and from the experiences of others.

This is my list of do’s and don’t. I’d like to hear from you, if you’ve got any to add.

Motorcycle Passenger Rules (REQUIRED)

1) If you don’t trust or feel comfortable with someone, don’t ride with them. (As a minimum, insist on a valid motorcycle license and insurance. After that, motorcycle specific training, several years of experience and the desire to make your comfort their highest priority should seal the deal )

2) Hold onto the operator, NOT hand holds, seat straps, grab rails, bodywork, etc. (The best way to hold the operator is with hands on the sides of the operator’s waist. This allows grip during both accel and decel circumstances and it’s less intrusive than other positions)

3) Mount and dismount ONLY when instructed by the operator to do so. (Failure to notify the operator is likely to result in a bike on it’s side and two people sprawled across the pavement)

4) Keep your feet on the passenger footrests at all times. (Never let you feet dangle as they may get caught in the rear wheel or your leg burned on the exhaust pipe. Also, never try to dismount the motorcycle by putting your foot directly on the ground, it’s very difficult for most passengers to reach the ground from the passenger seat)

5) Carry proper identification, medic alert info, extra cash and a CEL phone.

6) Wear proper protective gear EVERY time you ride.

Motorcycle Passenger Rules (SUGGESTED)

1) Look up! It reduces the feeling of speed. During turns, look over the inside shoulder of the operator. Stay directly behind the operator at all times. Never lean into or away from the turn.

2) When a substantial bump is approaching, raise up just a little to let your legs absorb some of the impact.

3) Don’t move around much, especially during critical situations like slowing/stopping, accelerating and turns. It makes the bike unstable and hard to control. If you need to move more than a few inches, tell the operator and get acknowledgement first.

4) Try to anticipate deceleration (slowing/stopping) to keep your helmet from contacting the operator.

5) Keep the chatter to a minimum. It’s a distraction. Only talk briefly and succinctly.

6) Inform the operator immediately if you are uncomfortable and need to stop, especially if it’s their driving that’s making you nervous.

7) Look around and enjoy the view, the smells and the feel of the wind. Notice the temperature subtly changes in different environments. Be glad you don’t have to pay as much attention to the road and can just enjoy the sensations.

Motorcycle Operator Rules (REQUIRED)

1) Check tire pressure, and if necessary, add pressure to compensate for added weight.

2) Check suspension settings and if necessary, increase preload for added weight.

3) Check fuel quantity often and allow for decreased fuel mileage.

4) Give first time passengers a briefing entailing your requirements and expectations. (And consider reminding even mutli-time passengers, especially if you are likely to encounter unique conditions such as inclement weather, bad road conditions or other unusual situations)

5) Know that the performance of your motorcycle will be reduced. (Longer braking distances, longer acceleration distances and less precise handling will result from any additional loading. Also, your rear brake can be more effective with a passenger supplying additional force over the rear contact patch. Unexpected wheelies can manifest under hard acceleration)

6) Tell your passenger when you are ready for them to mount/dismount the motorcycle.

7) Have a plan and let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.

Carry all proper documents (license, registration and insurance) as well as medical conditions, allergies and emergency contact information.

Motorcycle Operator Rules (SUGGESTED)

1) You can’t ride as far two-up, don’t try, you’ll both be miserable. (You will both have a lot less room to move around. You won’t realize this until you are locked into one position for a few hours.)

2) Develop a sign language for basic communication. (Have simple gestures or touches that indicate the need to stop, slow down, go to the bathroom, get food, get water, take a photo, etc.)

3) Be attentive, if your passenger is in need, it your job to accommodate them since they have no control.

4) Relax your pace, give yourself more reaction time to compensate for performance degradation.

5) Ride in such a manner as to minimize G-forces. This makes it easier for your passenger to feel stable and safe.

The happier your passenger, the more likely you’ll be offered another chance to share the experience again. I can always tell when I’ve given a good ride. My passenger asks for another!

Rhino

Jimmy Lewis Off-Road Riding School: Review

rhino — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 03:27:02 +0000

When you learn more in 2 days than the previous 10 years of riding, it’s significant. Such was my experience under the tutelage of Jimmy and Heather Lewis. Jimmy stresses proper body position, peg weighting, throttle/clutch control and picking an appropriate speed as the keys to success.

I spent a recent weekend with about 30 like-minded nutcases in Primm, Nevada learning how little I really knew about riding off-road. I started riding in the dirt pretty late in life, about age 35. Fortunately, several experienced friends gave me plenty of practical suggestions to get me through my initial rides. And over subsequent years, I acquired additional ideas that helped me refine my craft. But over the last few years I could smell the stagnation of a lack of fresh information. So it didn’t take much cajoling from one of my early mentors to convince me to sign-up for professional instruction.

Besides, the fact that I could combine it with a preceding week of riding in AZ this time of year didn’t hurt.

In case Jimmy’s name isn’t familiar to you, he was Cycle World magazine’s off-road editor for a bunch of years. He also competed in numerous long distance dirt events including the Baja 1000 and the Paris to Dakar. In the later, he took 3rd place in 1994. So the guy pretty much knows what he’s doing. The fact that he rides a BMW GS1200 means he tends to attract the Beemer crowd, but all brands, displacements and skill levels are welcomed. Jimmy performs all the same drills he asked us to attempt, but on the big and very heavy GS.

The class lasts 2 full days and costs about $600 and includes a very complete lunch both days as well as dinner the night in between.

The class had quite a diverse group of attendees. In addition to the expected GS, HP and X-Challenge BMW groups, there was substantial representation from the Austrian and Japanese faithful also. One guy even gave it a go on A Suzuki 650 V-Strom. The age seemed to range from mid-20s well into the 50s and maybe beyond. Even the fairer gender had several representatives. This mix demonstrates a large diversity of riders in the off-road community.

We spent the first day doing drills. While this may not seem very interesting or challenging, it really let’s you know where you’re at and some of them were things you normally wouldn’t attempt while just out for a trail ride. My favorties were:

Purposely locking up the front wheel to get intimate with the sensation, and then reacting appropriately by releasing the front brake. I’ve always been very uncomfortable with a sliding front wheel but as I gained the “feel” for it, I started purposely trying to hold it on as long as possible and “enjoyed” it. The low sun angle this time of year allowed us to see the spokes stop rotating and feel the difference during the transition from rolling to sliding and back. Fantastic!

I also really enjoyed practicing unweighting the front wheel to assist in clearing objects which may be encountered out on the trail. It didn’t take long for this to turn in wheelie practice due to the ease with which the WR would hoist the front end.

The second day we went trail riding and interspersed it with a few additional practical drills. We divided ourselves into “hard” and “easy” groups and took separate trails to various rendezvous points. I choose the hard group and was rewarded with several very challenging sections that really test my mental and physical envelope. Perfect!

My most remembered moments were:

On a first stop of the second day, during a demonstration of ledge ascent/descent, Jimmy used me as an example of how vertical a bike bike can get without going over.

Later in the day, some of the riders in the easy group were given a chance to try something a little harder. When the first two members of the hard group got stuck going up the steep climb, most of the courage gathered earlier in the day by several members of the easy group waned. Most headed back down the easy way. As the third starter, I motored past one of the zero-velocity climbers and made it to the top without event. Serious accomplishment confidence!One of our stops was a sizable sand dune. My first attempt at a long, steep sand climb was successful and exhilerating, so I did it several more times, gaining additional confidence and knowledge.

No one was made to do anything they didn’t want too, which kept everyone basically in their own personal comfort zone.The biggest lessons I learned were: I should be spending most of my time on the pegs (sitting takes away stability and control), the front brake is still more important than the rear (even in the dirt), smooth throttle application keeps your wheels in line and in control and it’s better to slow down and have more time to react to a hazard than hammering it and hoping for the best.

I definitely give this class my highest rating and will probably take it again next time my skills need a jump start. And if you find yourself looking for a top notch school to improve your own personal off-road riding skills…….

http://www.jimmylewisoffroad.com/Jimmy_Lewis_Off-Road_Riding_School/Ji mmy_Lewis_Racing_Inc._.html

Rhino

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLASS MEMBER JASON LIEBRECHT

Motorcycle Myths

retrorider — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:26:33 +0000

Art Friedman has detailed a dozen motorcycling myths over at Motorcycle Cruiser:

Other Drivers Don’t Care About Motorcyclists
Loud Pipes Save Lives
Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks
Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger
A Helmet Won’t Help in Most Crashes
A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died
A Skilled Rider Should Be Able to Handle Almost Any Situation
If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down
One Beer Won’t Hurt
It’s Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes
I’m Safer on the Street than on an Interstate
A Skilled Rider Can Stop Better with Conventional Brakes than with Anti-Lock Brakes

Good stuff. What other “myths” have you heard about motorcycling?

Speed Kills! …. well, not really!

rhino — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:55:00 +0000

One of the most oft repeated cliches of modern times is “Speed Kills”. For the last several decades, it’s been constantly used by several well meaning but misguided groups trying to promote safe driving. I believe the original use of the term was popularized in the ’70s to warn people of the danger of methamphetamine. But, now it has come to be construed that anyone who violates the posted speed limit is a homicidal maniac. The problem with this inaccurate and over used the phrase, is it has become part of our collective unconsciousness and its meaning is taken as fact without question. I really hate this kind of mass brainwashing as it keeps people from asking hard questions; instead, relying on catchy phrases to guide their thoughts and actions. This makes it even more difficult to get at the root cause of problems, as the cultural bias must be overcome first.

I reached my breaking point this past weekend. A person I normally hold in high regard, uttered this phrase during a discussion of motorcycle safety at an Experienced Rider Course (MSF-ERC). I’d finally tired of hearing this ridiculous supposition used to continually explain virtually all risky driving practices and called him on it. My little tirade got plenty of attention and the group became very quiet. Even the instructors had no rebuttal (hopefully they agreed but weren’t about to start a real debate as it would derail the class).

Speed in and of itself does NOTHING. If speed kills, than most of us should be dead. Throughout history, when the next faster moving device came along, the current population decried it as the latest death trap. When the car first appeared, and was able to go 25 MPH, I guarantee the horse and buggy crowd was all up in arms. While speed may be a factor in accidents, it is rarely the cause. What kills is bad driving (or riding)!

What speed actually does, is reduce reaction time and increase energy. Physics verifies both of these concepts. But what can’t be verified and we ignorantly accept as truth, is that going fast causes death. The Autobahn, the Bonneville Salt Flats, motor-sports of any kind; if these activities truly “kill” than why do they have safety rates better than average drivers commuting to work? Because the people who engage in these activities tend to be well trained. Maybe if we considered limiting driver’s licenses to people who can actually prove they have driving skill, we could put a more significant dent in fatality statistics.

Sure, if we all slow down, less people will die ….. and no one will get anywhere in a timely manner. But maybe if our politicians instead insisted all drivers get serious training and are required to pass rigorous testing, maybe instead of a band-aid, we can put a tourniquet on this bleeder. Sure, a lot of people won’t be able to get a license, but shouldn’t they be on the bus anyway? The best way to promote the use of mass transportation, is to make sure there no second choice.

We have this Speed = Death expression today because law enforcement wants two things: the first is to scare us into slowing down, which minimizes their workload and second, and more importantly, it gives them license to generate revenue in the name of safety. There are several variants, the most popular being the use by police to “explain” an otherwise unknown accident causes: “it was speed related”. It’s become the “catch all” of excuses. Even though it’s frequently indeterminant, what speed a vehicle was traveling; we just believe whatever the cops (aided by the media) tell us.

I’ve ridden at extremely high rates of speed, both on and off the track, and after 27 years the worst I have to show for it is a crooked collarbone. What I know, is there is a time and place for speed. Good judgment, practiced proven skills and plenty of experience makes a lot more difference than MPH. Does this mean we should go as fast as we want anytime, anyplace, hell no! It means, start realizing velocity only one of several factors in the big picture, it’s never the ONLY factor.

And a little P.S. to the Cops …. If you really care about safety and some guy is out on a rural road virtually by himself and “doin’ the ton”, I contend he’s very little danger to society in general, so leave him alone (or at most, a friendly warning). But if that same guy is doin’ 10 over down a residential street at 5 PM, now your talkin’ a real public safety issue!

But that’s just my opinion,

Rhino

Winter Riding (Part 4)

rhino — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:29:36 +0000

I’ll be devoting this latest episode of “Winter Riding” to only one piece of gear: the facesheild!

Making sure your vision is unobscured is the most significant safety precaution you can take. It is integral to competent riding and anything which restricts this source of invaluable information needs immediate correction. One of the problems with riding when the temperature starts dropping is condensation. Most riders use the term “fogging” and it’s effects can range from annoying to dangerous. It can be particularly bad in humid climates, even at moderate temperatures. Even though it’s virtually impossible to eliminate all the warm moist air you exhale from finding its way to your facesheild, there several techniques that will help mitigate it’s effects.

My HJC CS-12 helmet came with a “real” breath guard that actually seals around my nose and mouth and vents through two snorkels that plug into outside vents. This is the most ffective solution I found to eliminate shield fogging. Don’t count on the standard breath guard on most other helmets, it’s mostly a cosmetic feature which makes only a marginal attempt to deflect your breath from ending up on your sheild . There are several products like the FogCity which apply to the inside of your faceshield and do a remarkable job of minimizing fogging. My chief complaint with these type of products is a tendency to slightly blur your view, especially at night. Many riders notice no effect at all, but you won’t know unless you try it. You might also consider a DOT approved snowmobile helmet which provides excellent protection while incorporating specific cold weather features like special venting and double-paned shields.

A home remedy for fogging I’ve used with great success in the past, is to wear a painter’s paper facemask and cut a quarter sized opening in the bottom (so your breath is directed down and out of the helmet). Some helmets have a small piece of fabric that runs across the bottom of the leading edge of the helmet (these are to reduce noise). You must remove this when using the facemask technique or all that hot moist air will just get redirected back up into the helmet. Another method that works well, but requires constant interaction, is cracking open the faceshield a couple millimeters. This keeps it clear at higher speeds (above 25 MPH). Below that speed a few more millimeters works. At full stop I open my sheild all the way. This method might not suit you, as your face will be pretty cold. As a last resort, try to exhale downward by putting your upper lip forward of your lower lip. I even try to modify my breathing velocity and rate when traveling particularly slow or when stopped (rush hour traffic).

Keeping your sheild clean inside and out is one of the best ways to reduce fogging. You should occassionally clean your sheild inside and out with soap and water. I like to remove my sheild from my helmet and then hand-wash it in the sink about once a week. Not only are your hands the least likely material to scratch your sheild, but you can feel encrusted crud more easily and give it a little more knuckle grease. Make sure not to use any paper products (which contain wood) to clean or dry your sheild, it’s pretty much guaranteed to scratch, if not immediately, then cumulatively. My preferred “rag” is a piece of an old T-shirt that’s been washed many times.

Between thorough cleanings I like to use a product called Plexus which is specifically designed to clean and polish plastic products. Not only can it minimize very light scratches but it causes bug splat to have a much less adhesive quality (kinda like PAM spray for your facesheild). Eventually, over time, your sheild will become scratched to the point where it’s hard to ignore the lack of clear spots and starbursts start to form around the headlights of oncoming vehicles. At this point, there’s no use trying to polish out the imperfections; just bite the bullet and buy a new sheild.

Daylight becomes pretty scarce commodity about the time Halloween rolls around. Inevitably you’ll get caught out after dark. If you like to wear a tinted shield (like I do), it’s imperative you carry a clear shield with you everywhere you go. Believe me when I say you will go out during broad daylight with the intent of returning before sundown, and at some point your plan will go awry. If you don’t have someplace on your bike to put that extra sheild, I recommend putting it inside your jacket under your arm, surrounding your rib cage. It’s out of the way and almost unnoticeable, but it’s there when you need it! Always protect your spare sheild from scratches by putting it in some type of soft-material sleeve; old socks work great.

Just like darkness, wetness will eventually catch up with you at some point in your riding career. In areas where you’ll be following a lot of traffic, the spray thrown up by the 4-or-more-wheelers is usually so fine it sticks to even the newest,cleanest sheild. I purchased a thumb squeege which slip over the gloved thumb of your left hand and does an excellent job of wiping away this particularly persistent mist. Well there you have it, keep that thin piece of plastic between your eyes and the rest of the world as clean, clear, smooth and moisture-free as possible and you’ll eliminate one more risk factor. Rhino

Motorcycling is "bad public policy"

retrorider — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:41:40 +0000

“Any public policy that encourages anyone to get on a motorcycle is bad public policy. The problem is that the vehicle is inherently dangerous.”

So says Dr. Jay Falk with the Florida College of Emergency Physicians and academic chairman of emergency medicine for Orlando Regional Medical Center. The quote is from an article about Florida’s lack of a mandatory motorcycle insurance law. (Washington and Florida are the only two states that do not require motorcyclists to carry insurance.)

The thrust of the article is that by not requiring insurance, Florida makes motorcycle ownership more attractive to young riders, specifically teens, who then crash and die. To bolster the argument they offer the following examples:

Last weekend, three Palm Bay teens died when two uninsured motorcycles carrying them crashed into each other at high speed. And late Monday, a 23-year-old, uninsured Kissimmee man died when he crashed a Honda motorcycle while passing three cars in a no-passing zone.

Sorry, but a 23-year-old man is not a teen; nor I suspect would a law requiring him to carry insurance have necessarily kept him off a bike or kept him from violating traffic laws.

But wait, there’s more; referring to crash involving the three Palm Bay teens:

In last weekend’s triple fatality in Palm Bay, two 19-year-old men — one with a passenger celebrating her 17th birthday — were riding without insurance or motorcycle licenses. They crashed into each other going at least 80 mph on a residential street, police said.

So not only did they not have insurance, they did not have motorcycle LICENSES. The deaths are tragic, certainly. But please, someone explain to me how a law requiring these riders to have insurance would have prevented these deaths? The lack of a legally-required license did not stop them; why would lack of legally-required insurance?

Quoting from the same article:

Older riders tend to be more cautious and carry insurance, police say, but still crash and die routinely.

Huh, so the older riders that have insurance crash and die too? Interesting…

Winter Riding (Part 1)

rhino — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 16:19:34 +0000

I feel like a lone wolf when I’m riding these days. Primarily because other motorcyclists are virtually absent from the roads. Winter riding is pretty much a solitary activity, your pack is hibernating. There are a number of reasons riding this time of year is not desirable. The risk increases while comfort decreases as the temperature starts heading toward freezing mark. Traction can diminish or disappear entirely, cager awareness of motorcycles drops off sharply, hypothermia goes from possible to likely and daylight is in seriously short supply. So why would someone ride this time of year ?…….. because riding is always FUN, no matter what time of year. With a little preparation and common sense, winter riding risks can be mitigated. No, you won’t be able to ride everyday; snow and ice will guarantee that, but you can keep your steed away from the dreaded winter storage and your riding skills sharp for the spring days when daily riding becomes possible again.

The previous 5 miles were through 4 inch deep slush

A rather unfortunate incident forced me to become a winter rider again. A couple of weeks ago, my cage, a Chevy Express van, suspiciously burned in a parking lot while I was on vacation. While waiting for the investigations of the fire department and insurance company to finalize their bureaucratic machinations, I had to find alternate transportation. My insurance only covered about a week of rental vehicle (check your policy), so it was either ride the bike or pay out of my pocket about a $1000 to have a car for a month. I’m cheap, so you can guess which option I choose. The first two vehicles I owned and operated were motorcycles (that cheap thing again), which I rode year-round until I was able to afford a car several years later. Being forced to ride in all seasons and all kinds of weather is a test of your true enthusiasm for motorcycling. And while this circumstance may seem to be terribly inconvenient to the average fair weather rider, I saw it as a challenge to my passion and opportunity to improve riding skills and experience. With all the recent (last 10 years or so) advances in riding gear and equipment, hypothermia and other low temperature bodily challenges have pretty much been overcome. The only big concerns I have now are traction and wildlife related.

Arsonists Suck!

Winter riding was much more difficult in the early ’80s, mostly due to a lack of available cold weather gear. But between a $40 snowmobile suit, ski gloves and heavy hiking boots, a bearable compromise was achieved. One of the biggest differences was made by discovering a product called “Hippo Hands”. These were like 2 small tents that wrapped around the handlebars and allowed you to slide your hands into openings up to your elbows to keep them out of the wind. On the plus side, no wind whatsoever touched your hands, allowing you to use lighter weight gloves; the drawback was not being able to see your controls. It was quit difficult for a time (I still look at the keyboard when I type) but eventually I became quite adept at “feeling” the controls. Being forced to do something is the best way to learn it well and fast.

Now you know “why” I ride in the winter. In the next installment, I’ll give you some advice on “what” you should do to improve your odds and comfort.

Rhino

Graduated Licence

JJ Rider — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 22:15:39 +0000

I was strolling down the street this summer looking forward to the end of another work day. It was around 90 outside and I was looking forward to my ride home along the lake. I ran into Dave sitting having a smoke and solving the world’s problems. We started talking about a bike he had built and sold then the conversation moved to BCCOM. Dave is one of the hierarchy in the BCCOM organization.

BCCOM is the British Columbia Coalation of Motorcyclists. They have a rather strong voice when it comes to lobbying the goverment on behalf of all motorcyclists. They lobbied to have us included in HOV lanes, and priority loading on BC ferries, to name a few.

Anyhow they are now tableing the idea of graduated licences. Now it has it’s good points and it’s bad so I am sure there will be quite a few opinions on this. There is no way that the manufacturers are going to take any responsibility for selling some green horn a R1 and sending them off to their certain doom. They now propose manditory driver training to help people gain some of the basic skills before they head out. They aren’t all agreed on how best to lay down the graduated licences part. I’m thinking if you set it up so new riders have to start out on low cc bike then work their way up after a year to a bigger bike it may help slow the rise in motorcycle related accidents. I started out on a RZ350 I hated the fact everyone else had faster bikes but looking back it was the smartest thing I ever did. I realize there may be lots of very experienced riders just getting their licences but rules are put in place to save the weak and stupid.

Washington Motorcycle Rider Safety Task Force Report

retrorider — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 03:28:49 +0000

The Washington Motorcycle Rider Safety Task Force, formed in January of 2006 by Governor Chris Gregoire, has released their report and recommendations to reduce motorcycle fatalities in Washington state.

The task force included members of motorcycle rider groups and state agency representatives, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Health.

The task force identified the following trends in motorcycle fatalities in Washington:

Most fatalities occur during daylight hours in dry weather.
More than 80% of fatalities occur between April and September
Half of all fatal motorcycle crashes were single vehicle crashes. When alcohol is a factor, two-thirds of fatal crashes are single vehicle crashes.
The most common contributing factors to motorcycle fatalities are lane error, speeding, alcohol and inattention.
One-third of fatalities were motorcyclists who did not have a valid motorcycle endorsement.

Based on these findings the task force concluded that the most important factors are within the control of the rider and that, therefore, efforts should focus on rider skill and behavior.

Among the recommendations are:

Washington needs to increase the availability of rider training courses and move to a training model similar to that used in Oregon.
A major education and public awareness campaign should be mounted to counteract motorcycle and automobile driver behavior that contributes to fatal crashes.
Impounding the motorcycle of riders found to be riding under the influence or do not have a proper or current motorcycle endorsement.
DoL should discourage dealers from allowing unendorsed motorcycle purchasers to ride a newly purchased motorcycle from their lot.
A current motorcycle endorsement should be required to renew a motorcycle registration.
Motorcycle groups should encourage proper endorsement for participation in organized riding events.

The complete report, with lots more detail, is available at: http://www.dol.wa.gov

Drivers on Cell Phones Are as Bad as Drunks

retrorider — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 17:00:01 +0000

When I ride I maintain an extra margin of safety from drivers who are talking on cell phones. I generally assume that they will, at any moment, do something stupid and endanger me and other drivers. Until now this has been a habit born of instinct and experience. Now there is some science behind my instincts.

Researchers at the University of Utah have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cell phones while driving are as impaired as drunk drivers.

Read that again.

Talking on a cell phone while driving results in impairment equal to a blood alcohol level of 0.8.

“We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit” of 0.08 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U.S. states, says study co-author Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology. “If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving.”

The study found that both handheld and hands-free cell phones impaired driving, with no significant difference in the degree of impairment. That “calls into question driving regulations that prohibited handheld cell phones and permit hands-free cell phones,” the researchers write.

The study found that compared with undistracted drivers:

Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly slower, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes, displayed 24 percent more variation in following distance as their attention switched between driving and conversing, were 19 percent slower to resume normal speed after braking and were more likely to crash. Three study participants rear-ended the pace car. All were talking on cell phones. None were drunk.

Drivers drunk at the 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level drove a bit more slowly than both undistracted drivers and drivers using cell phones, yet more aggressively. They followed the pace car more closely, were twice as likely to brake only four seconds before a collision would have occurred, and hit their brakes with 23 percent more force. “Neither accident rates, nor reaction times to vehicles braking in front of the participant, nor recovery of lost speed following braking differed significantly” from undistracted drivers, the researchers write.

“Impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk,” they conclude.

This leaves me wondering about devices that allow motorcyclists to use cell phones while riding. If talking on a cell phone makes you as impaired as being drunk, and with the very high percentage of motorcycle accidents where rider impairment is a factor, why would anyone use one of these devices?

You can read the full study at http://www.hfes.org/Web/PubPages/celldrunk.pdf