I've been in one motorcycle accident. In 2000 I was on my way to work when I was rear-ended on the freeway. The guy hit me with enough force that my motorcycle was stuck upright in his grill (they had to use a winch to remove my motorcycle). Somehow I ended up flat on my back on the side of the road. I'm not sure why I didn't end up on his hood or windshield. I was a little dazed even with my helmet. Had I not been wearing a helmet, at best, I'd have ended up in a coma. I still have scars on my shins from where they hit the handlebars. I had minor neck pain for nearly a year too. I though my riding days were done, but about a year later I was riding again.
I did have an accident while on vacation in Montana earlier this summer. A car pulled out in front of me. Luckily I was driving a van and not my motorcycle. My van was totaled and the other car actually flipped. Thankfully, no one in my family was hurt. And, somehow, the other driver only suffered minor cuts from crawling out of his car through broken glass. As I was looking at my totaled van with it's "start seeing motorcycles" bumper sticker, I thought maybe I need to get a "start seeing full size vans with headlights on" bumper sticker for my next vehicle!
I think getting in an accident gets most people thinking about whether or not the risk is worth it. Just do what feels right. If you stop riding you can always start again someday.
Reply With Quote