Over a hundred motorcyclists took a ride last weekend in honor of one of their own, who is no longer around to enjoy a spin on his bike. The event was a part of the “Do You See Us Now?” ride promotion to discourage distracted driving by motorists, which has been a major cause of road fatalities for motorcycle riders for the past half century. Last May biker Todd David, out of Kalkaska, was struck by a truck that ran a stop sign and smashed into his motorcycle head on. He was killed instantly. So this past weekend riders from the North Michigan area gathered and rode in remembrance of him. Sadly, almost every motorcyclist at the event can tell a story or two of near misses when a car or truck did not take the proper precautions and was not paying enough attention, many times due to distractions from phone usage, when sharing the road with motorcycles.
While this tragedy is sadly not uncommon, one company is working to help stop distracted driving. Kwik Fit has created an interactive game that tests your stopping speed rate whilst trying to use your phone which can be played here! It can be easy to forget that being distracted by your phone is incredibly dangerous.
Todd David’s widow is now involving herself in the movement to end distracted driving and bring down motorcycle fatalities. She told reporters at the rally that the most common causes for distracted driving today are cellphone and texting, along with turning around to handle distractions in the back seat of their vehicles like children or pets. Over in the town of Gaylord the local Harley Davidson dealer heard about her work and decided to help by creating the hundred mile motorcycle marathon to honor the memory of David. The dealership expected a few dozen riders, and so was amazed and gratified when over a hundred riders showed up last week in support of their fallen biking brother and his bereaved wife.
During the ride bikers shared their frustrations with one another, and the media, about the growing prevalence of distracted driving on today’s roads. Many bikers on the ride wore bright orange vests with the motto: “Do You See Us Now?” stenciled on them.
