All The Gear, All The Time
I read a lot of motorcycle crash reports. It's part of the job. So often I see statements like these:
The rider said he wasn't wearing leather chaps at the time because he was close to home.
Or this one, from the widow of a rider:
Shane was one of those who just thought I am just going around the block for dinner. He was only going 20 mph when the accident happened.
These are excuses. Excuses from either the rider or someone close to them, for why the rider was not wearing protective gear.
The "close to home" excuse is classic. Everyone feels safe in their own home and neighborhood right? It's as if there is a "safety bubble" that extends for some distance around our home.
Sorry folks; no such thing. You can be injured or killed on your own street just as easily as you can thousands of miles away. You can even be killed in the dealer parking lot while picking up your new bike.
That's where ATGATT comes in. All the Gear, All the Time will assure that you are wearing the protective gear you need to maximize your chances for a positive outcome in a crash.
John Davis is a rider and writer. His current ride is Victoria, a candy red Honda VTX1800 Retro. John writes for several web sites and blogs in addition to his own site, NorthwestCycleReport.
