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Watch for cyclists on roadways
As the weather starts to get nice, people who own motorcycles and bicycles will be hitting the roads. Both forms of transportation are, in their own right, fun, but with them come a certain level of danger.
Visibility is more difficult the smaller the motorcycle or bicycle. A few years ago, my husband and I responded to a vehicle versus bicycle accident on Hwy. 281. A couple Saturdays ago, I was covering for a paramedic from 6 a.m. until the other paramedic arrived at 8 a.m. Because it was beautiful outside, the paramedic chose to ride his Gold Wing Motorcycle to work from Moses Lake to Quincy.
The ride was perfect, not a lot of traffic until he got to Hwy. 281. As he headed north on Hwy. 281, he was about to Road 7 NW when he noticed a pickup in his lane heading directly for him. The driver of the pickup was completely oblivious to the motorcyclist in front of him while he was passing a car. The car, noticing the motorcyclist, quickly moved onto the shoulder to give the lane of travel to the pickup. The motorcyclist also moved onto the shoulder to get out of the way of the truck still in his lane. The motorcyclist was my husband on his way to work. Did I mention that my partner that morning was my daughter! I can't imagine what could have happened that morning had the driver of the car not slowed down and pulled over ... responding with my daughter to my husband would have been difficult to say the least. To the driver of the southbound car that pulled over, "Thank you!!!" To the driver of the pickup, please be more attentive to your driving and remember that bikers are not as visible. To all the drivers and student drivers out there, remember we need to be aware of things around us as we travel on the roads and highways. To all the bikers, don't forget to be a "defensive driver," it may save your life!
xe3 Nancy Schanze
