Motorcycle History: Heroes and Helmets

In the opening scene of the 1962 movie, Lawrence of Arabia, Lawrence is speeding along a country road on a motorcycle, sans helmet, when he swerves to avoid two bicyclists and is ejected over the handlebars. The camera focuses on his riding goggles, dangling from a roadside bush and then the scene cuts to his funeral whereupon the story of T E Lawrence and his exploits in the Arabian desert is told. The real T E Lawrence, though, was in a coma for five days with a fractured cranium at Bovington Camp Military Hospital while specialists, such as neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns, were brought in from around the country to try and save his life, to no avail. Lawrence was 47 when he died in that 1935 accident, and the Brough Superior motorcycle he was riding, a gift from playwright George Bernard Shaw, now sits on display in a British museum.

Early in the Second World War, Dr. Cairns noticed the high mortality in motorcycle despatch riders as a result of head injuries. According to Maj Neil Walker, Trauma and Orthopedics, Queen Margaret Hospital, “Cairns felt that many of these deaths were largely attributable to the lack of protective headwear worn at the time of the injury. Cairns published his observations in the BMJ, noting that over 2000 motorcyclists and pillion passengers were killed in Britain in the first 21 months of the war, with head injuries the most common cause of death.” With physicist  A Holbourn, according to Walker, “Cairns began to research different types of crash helmet, using as a basis those worn by racing motor cyclists. Between them, they eventually produced a helmet that was adopted by the Army.  

Cairns used his influence at the War Office, and the wealth of evidence from his research to persuade the Army of the benefit of helmets. The wearing of crash helmets became mandatory for Army motorcyclists in 1941…. An immediate reduction in fatalities was the result. In his paper of 1946, Crash Helmets, Cairns concluded that the ‘adoption of a crash helmet as standard wear by all civilian motorcyclists would result in considerable saving of life, working time, and the time of hospitals.’ The compulsory wearing of crash helmets by civilian motorcyclists did not become law in the UK until 1973, but much of the credit lies with this tireless work by Cairns.” To view the opening scene from the 1962 movie with Peter O'Toole in the lead role, check out the post on my profile page. It seems such a strange and somewhat banal end to one who had been through so much danger and exotic adventure, which you realize after you watch the entire movie and learn more about Lawrence's life. It also highlights the risk of riding without good protective head gear and speeding, a lethal combination for anyone as it was for legendary hero T E Lawrence.

Weather, Riding and You

Weather affects our lives on an almost daily basis. It can determine what we wear, where we go, what we do and how we do it. We talk about it often. We gaze out windows to check the sky for signs of rain, and we listen more attentively when the forecast is given on the morning or evening news. Weather is important. At this time of year, as both a pedestrian and motorcyclist, it is especially important  because it really does determine what I wear, where I go and how I might get there. As we approach the shortest and darkest day of the year, we are not only well into the rainy season, but also approaching lower temperatures. Because of the ice and wind-chill exposure, I avoid riding in temperatures lower than 5 degrees Celsius. Similarly, if the rain is so heavy it seriously impairs my vision and tire traction, I’ll park my bike and wait it out, use an alternative means of transportation or stay home.

Recently, I heard a forecast for rain in the morning followed by showers. Since I was going out on my bike to a medical appointment about 15 minutes away, I wanted to know what I should expect. To be honest, I didn’t know the difference between “rain” and “showers” so it was time to find out. Fortunately, The Weather Network has an entire page dedicated to definitions of this kind. Rain means: the sky will be overcast and the rain will be continuous, with water droplets greater than 0.5 mm in size. Objects will get wet quickly and outdoor activities will be affected. When heavy rain is forecast, flooding is possible. Showers, on the other hand, means: some sun is expected, interspersed with showers from time to time. As opposed to rain, showers describe liquid precipitation that can vary greatly in intensity over a short amount of time.  There are over forty more weather terms and definitions meteorologists  use on The Weather Network site as well as, of course, the weather forecast. Bookmark it or download the mobile app because it might just help you ride a little more safely.

As a rider, the other main weather concerns I have besides rain, as mentioned above, are temperature and wind chill. The two go hand in hand. Wind chill factor can get a little complicated, but the gist of it is knowing that if the wind is calm and the weather is dry and the temperature outside is 5 degrees Celsius, for example, and you are riding your motorcycle at 50 km/hr, it can “feel” as if it is -1 degree, which is below freezing. Of course, if you are well insulated, then it may not and if your skin is wet or you are riding against the wind, then it will feel much colder than -1 C. Both Environment Canada and the United States National Weather Service have Wind Chill Factor Index calculators on their websites that you can access in addition to the science and math behind it. It’s worth noting that some people are also more susceptible to the effects of wind chill, according to Environment Canada, such as the elderly, people with a tall, slim build and those who do not live in a cold climate. If you do happen to be riding and become cold, try to find a dry, sunny location and get warm by running on the spot, drinking something hot and adding on another layer of clothing. Hypothermia occurs when you are cold over a prolonged period of time and causes a drop in body temperature below the normal 37 degrees C. Shivering, confusion and loss of muscular control can occur. That’s dangerous, needless to say, when you’re riding a motorcycle on a winding mountain highway. It can progress to loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest. You just don’t want to go anywhere near there or it may be the last trip you ever take.

Middle-Aged Men & Female Passengers

According to British Columbia statistics, most motorcycle accidents occur in June and July among middle-aged male drivers between 3 pm and 7 pm during daylight in dry weather. The male to female fatality ratio is about 3 or 4 to 1. Say what?  You might think those young new drivers who have not acquired the necessary skills to drive on dark wet roads would be involved in most motorcycle collisions. You might also assume females are better drivers because they are involved in far fewer collisions and die less often in them. But when you do a little data drilling and think about it more, these stats are really not unusual at all. Most of the licensed, insured drivers are middle-aged men who do most of their riding in June and July between the hours of 3 pm and 7 pm on “nice” days.  Many of the females that do die in a motorcycle collision, sadly, are actually passengers! Motorcycle safety campaigns may be most effective focusing on middle-aged male drivers in spring and summer, and women should be advised of the risk of riding two-up. They may want to think twice about it, and consider if they might be better off getting licensed and driving their own bike.

Safety Tips

One of the safety tips on the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s (ICBC) website advises riders to read vehicle language and “never rely on other road users’ judgment or assume they’ll respect your right of way.”  In Let’s Ride, Sonny Barger offers up similar advice, but in his own words:

“When riding on public highways, I recommend adopting the attitude that every single person on the road is a sociopathic serial killer who has just escaped from an asylum for the criminally insane. This might seem a little pessimistic, but you’ll live longer if you assume everyone else on the road is a homicidal moron whose sole purpose is to kill you.”

Some of the most common high risk driving behaviours of other motorists when resulting in a collision with a motorcycle involving injury or death are fail to yield, ignoring traffic-control devices, following too closely, speeding and improper passing. Other adverse behaviours include improper turning, driver error, distraction, fatigue and drug/alcohol impairment.

Collisions involving contributing factors assigned to motorcycle drivers in British Columbia are speeding, driver inattentiveness, driver error and alcohol. Other factors contributing to collisions include weather, roadside hazard/debris/surface defects, improper passing, following too close, failing to yield, driving on wrong side of road, defective tires, sunlight glare, improper turning, ignoring traffic control and cutting in.

Although there were over 200,000 British Columbians licensed to drive a motorcycle in 2011, there were only 98, 000 policies or insured motorcycles. According to ICBC injury claims and police reports, there were 1,500 motorcycle collisions involving injury. That’s less than 2% (1,500/98,000). The injury rate for other drivers is also about 2%. The fatality rate for motorcyclists, however, is at least 4 times greater than other drivers and injuries can be more severe.  Some common types of injuries are:

Knee/lower leg/foot, elbow/lower arm/hand, shoulder/upper arm, hip/upper leg/pelvis, back and neck. Many fatalities involved severe injuries (massive trauma) to the head, entire body or chest. Other injuries identified in these reports include fractures, bleeding, amputation, abrasion, burns, lacerations, concussion, dislocation, whiplash and bruises.

What these statistics from insurance claim and police reports really reveal is the importance of protective clothing and defensive driving in minimizing the risk of death and injury to the rider. They help to identify and measure the risks of riding a motorcycle which then allows us to take steps to control the risks. With that in mind, here are some risk management tips of my own:

1.    Drive rested and sober

2.    Be attentive

3.    Be patient and courteous

4.    Obey the speed limit

5.    Obey traffic signs

6.    Check your tires and inspect your bike before each ride

7.    Dress appropriately

8.    Give yourself a space buffer and try to maintain it

9.    Pass or change lanes when safe and necessary

10. Check before entering an intersection

11. Turn properly, left or right

12. Beware of hidden driveways and parked cars about to pull out

13. Take extra caution during certain higher risk conditions

14. Take time to practice and improve your skills

15. Learn some basic First Aid and carry a cell phone

It also bears repeating Sonny Barger’s sage advice: you’ll live longer if you assume everyone else on the road is a homicidal moron whose sole purpose is to kill you!