Hello, everybody--Happy
Labor Day and Happy Fall! I hope you've gotten
through most of the Summer riding season by now
without incident, and that you're gearing up for
what should be an interesting and enjoyable Autumn
in the Sooner State. While trying to stay
optimistic, I'm awaiting the tally of how badly our
Riding Community got hit during the Summer Vacation,
which will come to light after the Labor Day holiday
weekend. Right now, we've received good
news--Oklahoma has tied with several other states at
third in the Nation in overall reduction of motor
vehicle deaths, reflecting a ten percent drop in
fatalities over 2003 compared to the previous year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
attributes this to increased emphasis on Seatbelt
Law enforcement, which supposedly has caused a
twenty percent increase in seatbelt usage in our
state over the past two years, and to more vigorous
prosecution of drunk drivers. While gratified to
hear that fewer Oklahomans are dying on our state
roads, I think the root cause probably involves a
few more factors than some of our governmental
agencies want to get into, and ABATE will continue
to be vigilant against their using skewed statistics
and simplistic explanations as motivation to
advocate further restriction of Freedom of Choice,
like another run at a Helmet Law.
One set of statistics
recently released that should alarm all of us
motorcyclists and trikers involves the frequency of
hit-and-run wrecks in the Oklahoma City metro area
(and I wouldn't be surprised if the rate was similar
in the Tulsa metro area). Between twenty and
twenty-five percent of all wrecks in Oklahoma City
are hit-and-run in nature, with June, 2004 being the
worst month for them over two years. There were
over 300 hit-and-run wrecks during that month,
resulting in numerous deaths and injuries, and
millions of dollars in medical bills and vehicle
damage. Over the past month, we've experienced
three of our number in Oklahoma City being
victimized by hit-and-run drivers, two of which will
spend months recuperating from serious injuries.
The idea of some callous motorist leaving a
grievously injured motorcyclist lying in the street
is horrifying and despicable, and our entire
community is affected when just one of our number is
touched, whoever it might be. I feel this is an
outgrowth of so many motorists in our state that are
driving without insurance, out there with suspended
or revoked licenses--in short, people that have no
right to be on our roadways at all! Those that
don't care about anyone else on our roads enough to
honor their responsibilities aren't going to be
bothered about such things as red lights, left turns
and stop signs--or motorcycles, and certainly won't
want to hang around after they cause wrecks that
hurt and kill people! That's why additional
penalties need to apply--to secure Justice for the
victims, and to provide additional deterrence for
those that might consider adding to the carnage. I
refuse to consider these incidents as
"accidents"--they're CRIMES! As members of
Oklahoma's Motorcycling Family, it's important that
we continue to defend our rights to ride, share the
road, and protect against the actions of the
irresponsible, both on the highway and in the halls
of government. These ends ABATE will continue to
fight for.
We lost another member
of our motorcycling community over a summery August
weekend, and it was unfortunate to read about, as it
always is. According to the Daily Oklahoman, twenty
year-old Darron Branch of Blanchard died August 15
as a result of a motorcycle wreck about 2:45PM
Saturday August 14 on Elm Road near Slash Cave Road
in Grady County. Branch crashed riding north on Elm
Road, and was taken to OU Medical Center, where he
died. The Highway Patrol routinely reports whether
a motorcyclist is wearing a helmet or not, even
though Freedom of Choice regarding helmet wear is
still legal in the Sooner State, and no information
is provided as to whether wearing the helmet
contributed to injury or death. That, however, is
not why I'm including this. Every death involving a
motorcyclist or triker saddens me, but I was angered
by a follow-up news piece on Channel Four in
Oklahoma City the following Monday night.
Apparently, there are some trees on Elm Road that
have grown over the road to the point where they've
been obstructing visibility. Area residents have
petitioned Grady County in the past to cut back the
trees and surrounding foliage. According to
residents that were interviewed, county authorities
informed them that they couldn't afford the money or
manpower to send a tree-trimming crew out to cut
back the foliage, but the residents would be
permitted to cut back the trees at their own expense
if they desired. They felt poor visibility due to
the trees contributed to the motorcyclist's wreck.
After Darron Branch's death, Channel Four News
contacted Grady County offices on Monday, August 16,
and were informed that the county regretted the
unfortunate accident, and were going to send a crew
out on Tuesday, August 17 to cut the trees back.
I'm sure we've seen this kind of response from
governmental agencies in the past, but it STILL
doesn't make it right that citizens have to wait for
road improvements to be made until someone gets
killed. The motorist killed on I-35 as the result
of falling concrete from a deteriorating bridge
comes immediately to mind. I figure with the amount
of taxes we pay, we should at least expect roads to
be maintained to the extent that users don't have to
risk their lives due to the roadways themselves as
the result of a crumbling infrastructure. We
motorcyclists and trikers have enough to worry
about, that's for sure! We have to keep agitating
for our right to ride on safe streets, which as
contributors we're definitely entitled to! The
adages "An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of
Cure" and "The Squeaky Wheel gets the Grease"
certainly apply here, I think. It might do well to
get media exposure involved regarding potentially
dangerous roadway conditions more often. So,
another motorcyclist has been lost, possibly the
result of governmental inaction which is now being
remedied, another life too late! Let's continue to
remember the families of all our Brothers and
Sisters taken needlessly in thought and prayer.
It sure was a treat to
experience one of our cooler and more pleasant
August months on record in our state, and I hope
it's set up an equally nice September to kick off
some terrific Fall riding. ABATE's Chapters have a
number of fun events planned for your enjoyment,
chief among which is Tulsa ABATE's Silver
Anniversary Celebration, slated for September 24 and
25 at the Akdar Shrine Temple. The Brothers and
Sisters of Tulsa ABATE are counted among our oldest
Oklahoma Freedom Fighters, so everybody is cordially
invited to share in honoring this milestone in their
history. Make sure to log onto the State Website
Biker Calendar to find out what's happening, or head
over to
www.abateok.com and check out the links to the
home pages of seven of our Chapters. Or, just give
me a shout at 405-672-1008 and I'll try to steer you
in the right direction. As mentioned last month,
the ABATE September State Party and Swap Meet will
not be held this year. This represents our first
cancellation since we started hosting it. We
discussed the issue at the July State Board Meeting,
and it was decided that there was not enough
volunteer support or vendor interest this year, and
putting on the event would pose too much of a
monetary risk after last year's financial loss. So,
we'll take a look at all factors well in advance of
next September, make the appropriate decision, and
start early in the year to prepare for hosting a
quality and fun event if the decision is made to do
so. Many thanks to our ABATE Chapters that were
ready to provide volunteers and financial support
for this year's Party--your involvement for this
year was greatly appreciated.
Wow--look at the
time! While sitting here at the computer, I'm
noticing that it's a sunny day, and the road
beckons. So, I'm going to knock it off for another
month and get rolling down the highway. Hopefully,
you were able to take part in the Primary Run-off
candidate voting August 24. Now, be sure to
research the candidates and state issues as you
prepare for the General Elections on November 2.
Being part of an informed electorate is one of the
most effective means of our demonstrating Biker
Power! Tiger's Tip O' The Month: The Fall Season
always seems to include lots of leaves on the
roadways and an increase in rainy weather. That
produces an environment where you can end up dumping
your bike on slippery leaves, whether it involves
cornering, slow-speed parking lot cruising or just
throwing a leg over your sled prior to heading out.
Also, the wide range of temperature changes can
cause lots of large cracks and potholes that can
cause you to lose fillings, parts or control of your
scooter. In any case, be aware of what's under your
feet! Take care of each other, stay aware out
there, and don't stop taking Freedom seriously, but
don't stop having fun either. I'll catch you next
time, during Football Season and Leather Weather!
Keep It On The Black
Strip Between The Trees,
Tiger Mike