Texting while riding

[jaygollner]

I think I have seen it all now.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/07/30/texting-motorcyclist-dies-after--65-crash/30917917/

Brandon R. McClain, 43, Indianapolis, was texting while riding his motorcycle southbound in the left lane of Interstate 65 around 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Indiana State Police said. It cost him his life.

McClain’s bike drove into the grassy median about six miles south of the Ind. 28 exit, police said. He lost control of the motorcycle when he over-corrected as he tried to get back onto the interstate.

McClain, who was not wearing a helmet, was airlifted to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where he later died, police said.

Sgt. Kim Riley of the Indiana State Police said on Friday he could not disclose how officers know McClain was texting.

"The investigation is still ongoing, and I can't go into how we knew he was texting or was in the process of texting," Riley said.

Southbound and northbound I-65 lanes between mile markers 150 and 155 were closed Thursday while a helicopter landed to airlift McClain to Indianapolis.

The southbound lanes were nearly at a standstill for about 90 minutes because of a traffic accident about six miles south of the Ind. 28 exit, Indiana State Police confirmed.

The southbound flow returned to normal around 5:20 p.m.

The accident remains under investigation, police said.

Meanwhile, police also confirmed there was a second accident in the northbound lanes at the 151 mile marker. This accident was not serious.

[stroguy]

It's just not that important. Sad.

[Bryster]

It's endemic over here, used to be a that a stop due a weaving car was because he was most likely drunk driving, now it's because they're texting..... or digging for the phone, updating facebook, or selfies..

[flat6bagger]

I was not texting,but caught myself doing something just as dangerous.
The other day I was on the back roads of Central Illinois out in the middle of nowhere riding.
I had my MP3 playing through the system and a song came on that I did not want to hear.
I flipped open the cubby,grabbed the MP3 and proceeded to start to scroll through the song list.
All of a sudden reality snapped back in my brain and I thought,"Doug,what the Hell is wrong with you?"
"Are you trying to kill yourself?"
I just dropped the MP3 back in the cubby.
I then pulled over,shut off the MP3,closed the cubby lid and sat there for a minute thinking how stupid I was putting my life in danger.
My point is that whether it is texting,adjusting the MP3,scrolling the directions on a GPS or whatever, anything other than giving 100% attention to riding a motorcycle may some day cost us our lives.
Lesson learned and luckily I didn't crash from not paying attention.

Doug

[bobbyf6b]

I was not texting,but caught myself doing something just as dangerous.
The other day I was on the back roads of Central Illinois out in the middle of nowhere riding.
I had my MP3 playing through the system and a song came on that I did not want to hear.
I flipped open the cubby,grabbed the MP3 and proceeded to start to scroll through the song list.
All of a sudden reality snapped back in my brain and I thought,"Doug,what the Hell is wrong with you?"
"Are you trying to kill yourself?"
I just dropped the MP3 back in the cubby.
I then pulled over,shut off the MP3,closed the cubby lid and sat there for a minute thinking how stupid I was putting my life in danger.
My point is that whether it is texting,adjusting the MP3,scrolling the directions on a GPS or whatever, anything other than giving 100% attention to riding a motorcycle may some day cost us our lives.
Lesson learned and luckily I didn't crash from not paying attention.

Doug

I have no tolerance for people who are playing with their MP3 players. Sorry, but while someone may think it is fun doing it, you are putting innocent peoples lives at risk.

See what I did there? :icon_wink:

[flat6bagger]

I new that was coming when I replied.
I deserve that.
I am totally guilty.
I can admit when I am wrong.
It is hypocritical to pick and choose what action is more dangerous than others.
I was wrong in doing so.
Please accept my apology.:icon_redface:

Doug

[bobbyf6b]

I new that was coming when I replied.
I deserve that.
I am totally guilty.
I can admit when I am wrong.
It is hypocritical to pick and choose what action is more dangerous than others.
I was wrong in doing so.
Please accept my apology.:icon_redface:

Doug

No need to apologize, I'm just glad you got the joke. Neither thing we did was smart but thankfully we get a chance to learn from our mistakes. A group of riders I know have a motto:

RIDE TO RIDE ANOTHER DAY!

Basically the way you ride today might determine whether you ride tomorrow.

It all good! :icon_mrgreen:

[ghostrider]

"While I'm riding I'm glad to be alive, when I get done riding I'm glad to be alive."

"Neil Peart"

[dickiedeals]

I turn my phone off wile riding. People can wait. Unless listening to music from it. Then its in the cubbie while riding. I in fact love the solitude of not being bothered by the phone.... Stop for gas, potty, and phone check at least every 200 miles.............................Dickie

[Steve 0080]

I am guilty here...although I use voice commands to send texts and activate the phone to make calls...still a distraction...Flame on !!!

[ghostrider]

I am guilty here...although I use voice commands to send texts and activate the phone to make calls...still a distraction...Flame on !!!

:spank:

[FF-Ed]

Texting is not necessarily the problem.

Distracted Driving is the problem.

With my scalarider, I text while riding. I check my text, send text and do a host of other things...

(it is all hands free, my texts are read to me and come thru my helmet speaker, I give voice commands and speak my return texts, No biggy. My eyes are on the road).

That being said, My F6B is the FIRST of nearly 30 motorcycles I owned that has a stereo, radio, mp3 player, weatherband, digital trips, thermometer, Gps, speed control, retractable road pegs, and a phone.... I've run up on vehicles not paying attention to the road, while trying to calculate how many miles i'm gonna get out of this tank of fuel...

I had ppl rail on me when I say that occasionally, I ride without a helmet. But when I ride without a helmet, I dont have incoming calls & texts. I dont have alerts from my gps, and I ride without the radio... (I'd venture to say that my riding is safer without the helmet, I'm more aware, reserved, less aggressive, and generally slower....)(I'm not telling you to ride without a helmet, just saying MY personal riding style changes dramatically with it).

Honda makes this motorcycle with plenty of distractions to start with, maybe we should try to remember how we enjoyed the ride before we had all this stuff, keep our eyes on the road & just ride.

I have these same thoughts as I take my 3 kids to florida in the minivan each year. That is serious distracted driving.

also little sympathy here for the tard who was pecking out a text on the Interstate.

[Steve 0080]

+ 1

[53driver]

I am guilty here...although I use voice commands to send texts and activate the phone to make calls...still a distraction...Flame on !!!

Man's got to know his limitations.
In my world, everything can wait.
All "Op-Immediate" stuff left a long time ago.
If no one is shooting at me, there is nothing more important than my ride.
And I like it that way.

[Big Jay]

Yep hands free or nothing at all as far as the phone goes.

[grendl]

Plus 1 on all the responses that ignore the phone and all the other things that would distract me.I use an Ipod so don't have to worry much bout that part of it. I wear my phone on my belt and when it rings I get the vibration of it.
No way am I going to look at it or anything else.
I maintain contact with my children and I let everyone know if you need me,don't text.If you really need me keep calling in a row and I will pull over .
I do the same thing,check phone at gas stops,if not important I ignore and not even call back. My time on the bike is to get away from it all,I refuse to acknowledge the rest .
Even changing songs on the Ipod,I have to focus to get my fingers to the button,just embarrassed my self - thought I was going for the next song and blew the horn.So much for graceful exits.
No distractions,when I'm traveling I check my route at gas or rest stops not while I'm riding.If I think I made a mistake,missed a turn or wrong exit stop and review. Dont want all that 'stuff hanging on my bars.
Keep in mind 60 MPH is 88 feet per second...

[shooter]

You guys are riding too slow. Pick up the pace and you can't think of grabbing anything but the clutch and the brake. No time for phones and mp3 players when the pegs are scraping.:nono:

[BIGLRY]

You guys are riding too slow. Pick up the pace and you can't think of grabbing anything but the clutch and the brake. No time for phones and mp3 players when the pegs are scraping.:nono::icon_laugh::yes:

[Brian D]

Make the fines really high and enforce them. As a cdl truck driver if I was to get caught texting while driving a rig the fines would be 3000+dollars in PA it's 100bucks for people in there cars. I would never text and drive. I see it everyday to and from on the pa turnpike. People texting and driving and all over the road. It's really hard to feel bad for a guy texting and riding his bike who wrecked and died. Just glad he killed himself and nobody else

[Bryster]

Ours is currently 400... Doesn't stop em..
They wave the phone at me, "I'm on hands free!",
then I ask, "what hand are you holding it in?"

They wave the phone at me and say "this one! And it's on speaker too!"

You can't fix stupid.

😬

[maxrider]

Ours is currently 400... Doesn't stop em..
They wave the phone at me, "I'm on hands free!",
then I ask, "what hand are you holding it in?"

They wave the phone at me and say "this one! And it's on speaker too!"

You can't fix stupid.



:thumb::thumb: Can't fix it

[FF-Ed]

You guys are riding too slow. Pick up the pace and you can't think of grabbing anything but the clutch and the brake. No time for phones and mp3 players when the pegs are scraping.:nono:

+1