GA-Z Motorist Awareness
Saving Lives Through Awareness Education
Ray & Lynn Roberts
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Ten Things All Drivers Should Know
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May 19, 2007
BY MEGAN ALMON
megan@newnan.com
How many motorcycles have you seen today?
Lynn Roberts has been asking that question a lot lately in the form of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association Chapter Z bumper stickers that are raising motorist awareness all around the state.
Roberts, who -- with husband, Ray -- serves as assistant chapter director for Newnan's Chapter Z, didn't begin counting motorcycles until she rode one. The experience brought about a sudden change -- each time she was out and about, she found she began noticing more and more of the two-wheeled machines.
"I didn't know how many motorcycles were on the road," she said.
Since motorist awareness is one of the driving forces behind the GWRRA organization, Roberts thought that question should be posed to all motorists. The bumper sticker -- which is slightly more to the point than the well-known "Look twice, save a life" -- was born.
Now, Chapter Z and GWRRA are being bombarded with requests from dealerships, riders and others asking for copies of the sticker.
Roberts and her Chapter Z family couldn't be more thrilled.
Chapter Z Director Alan Head said the amount of motorcycles "titled" since 2005 has tripled, in addition to motorcycle licenses. Riders enjoy the "freedom" of being exposed to the elements while touring the nation on the back of a bike, in addition to economical benefits. And with the growing popularity of "Trike" conversions, motorcyclists are able to ride well into their older years.
"Many people have a 'bad taste' for motorcyclists," Head said. The generality comes from groups like "Hell's Angels" and those who abuse privileges on sport cycles, commonly called "crotch rockets."
But Head said "you never know" who might be on the back of a motorcycle.
"The average age of a Gold Winger is around 40," he said. "You might be looking at great grandmothers on the backs of Trikes," because even at 90 they want to ride but might not have the strength to balance a large bike when it stops.
The amount of accidents that involve motorcycles -- with motorists driving at an average of 35 mph -- has doubled in the past few years, Head said.
GWRRA is fighting that battle at both ends by trying to educate both motorists and riders.
Bob and Karla Greer, Georgia Assistant District Directors for GWRRA, started a Motorist Awareness Campaign. The fruit of their labor was most recently seen when the Governor's Office of Highway Safety -- in honor of National Motorcycle Safety Month (May) -- allowed "Share the road" and "Watch for motorcycles" to flash on electronic information signs throughout Metro Atlanta, especially along interstates 75 and 285.
On the flip side, Chapter Z is doing its part to educate riders.
Certified Rider Education Instructors Paul and Lorraine Burt of Chapter Z hold regular "Parking Lot Training Courses" in the parking lot of Westside Restaurant on Temple Avenue, where the club meets regularly.
The courses are part of a four-level riding safety program, the equivalent of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Experienced Riding Course. Riders pay nearly $250 to complete the MSF course. GWRRA members can complete the Burts' program free of charge.
In addition to Paul's experience with rider training, Lorraine is certified to educate co-riders -- "to help them know what helps and what inhibits" their driver.
Paul compared the required written tests to receive a motorcycle permit in the U.S. to what is required overseas.
"In the U.K., you can't get on the street [on a motorcycle] without 20-to-30 hours of exhaustive training," he said. "The government takes motorist awareness to a whole new level."
In addition to regular training sessions, the Burts present "safety briefings" each time Chapter Z meets.
But no matter what your riding ability, what walk of life you come from or even what kind of bike you ride, GWRRA, though it is a Gold Wing organization, is "open to anyone with a love of riding," said Head.
"It's like being in high school for grown-ups," Head's wife, Denise, said.
"Since we started GWRRA, we've made lifelong friends," Alan added.
Motorcyclists share a special bond, always waving at one another when they pass on the road, whether they know the other rider or not.
GWRRA is its own tight-knit family. Head, whose name and number is listed in the national GWRRA "Gold Book" along with thousands of other riders, claims the "trust" between members is amazing.
