Why did that motorcyclist drive past me insanely fast like that? Is he mad with a death wish?
At this point, we all saw a speed maniac on a bike pass us in the blink of an eye.
Why do motorcyclists act like that?
First, only SOME motorcyclists like to ride recklessly and madly fast.
Most of us bikers do not encourage such behaviors, and it infuriates us that these guys give us such a bad name.
Why Do Motorcyclists Drive So Fast?
Motorcycles are extremely powerful and speedy vehicles for their size. With a bike’s ability to go so fast, It is easy to get addicted to the sensations of speed and excitement these machines can deliver. Yet motorcyclists that take speeding to the extreme represent a minority.
I am a biker myself and I too am astounded every time I come across one of these adrenaline junkies on two wheels.
Now that this is out of the way, why do some bikes try to break the sound barrier?
In short; Because they can.
They are excessive thrill-seekers looking for fun.
The human mind is easily bored and constantly seeks distraction and stimulation.
Riding a motorcycle at drastic speed and betting your life on it is a heck of a remedy to boredom.
You could add to the mix;
- Pride
- The seeking of approval of their buddies
- Sense of accomplishment
- Once in a lifetime experience (true if they crash)
- Compensating for something
- etc
The real problem is not that these motorcyclists go too fast.
The issue is that they imperil others because of their actions.
If these guys can find a road in the middle of nowhere to go all out, this is already a way better scenario.
What Should You Do If You Come Across Speeding Motorcycles
Please do NOT succumb to anger and the urge to put these punks in their places.
Say no to the dark side 🙂
If you really feel the need to seek justice, here is the best course of action.
First, the list of don’t do
- Do not chase the motorcyclist or group if there is more than one.
- Don’t put yourself in a way to block their path.
- Don’t engage in conversation with them.
- Drive as you normally would.
There is no scenario where this is a good idea to stop them or put on a showdown yourself.
It will only make things worse.
Be the smarter person in your play against them.
Stay calm take a deep breath, and suppress your frustration as best you can.
Imprint your memory with as much detail as possible.
- What color is the bike?
- What type of motorcycle did it look like?
- The clothing colors of the rider.
- What color is the helmet?
- Did he have a backpack? what color?
- Any other noticeable features?
- Was he alone? how many riders.
- The approximate speed they were going
- What time did it happen
- Where did you see the event? (for example between exit number (xx) and Exit number (xx) on-road or highway (xx)
- What direction were they going?
If you can catch one of their license plates, good, but don’t go chasing them to get it.
Try to remember as much detail as possible.
Now, Time To Make a Phonecall (911)
Assuming you are driving a vehicle, don’t use your mobile device while driving.
Even if you have a hands-free system, I recommend finding a place to stop for that kind of situation.
Calling 911 can be stressful and unless you are used to it, stress and distraction don’t go together while driving.
Remember to be the wiser person? That is part of it.
If you have a passenger, you can delegate the phone call to them if they feel up for it.
Otherwise, take the next exit if you can and find a suitable place to pull of.
Make your call and be calm while talking to the operator.
Remember that you are recorded and that tape might come in handy later, so act professional and credible.
Try to keep it under two minutes; get to the point with a clear description of the pieces of information you got.
If you had a dashcam camera rolling when you saw the motorcyclist’s actions, mention it.
Most likely, the operator will ask for your information and name if they need to contact you as a witness.
At this point, you did the best thing you could do.
Congratulation on keeping your cool. 😉
Is There Anything Else You Can Do?
At the time of the events, no.
Go on with your day at this point.
But there is something you can do before anything happen.
Get a dashcam.
If officials ever catch the wrongdoing motorcyclist based on your signaling, that good.
But if they don’t see them speeding themselves, it is your word against them.
A dashcam will take care of that issue.
If you mentioned to the 911 operator that your dashcam recorded the event, they may ask for a copy.
Otherwise, it is an excellent piece of equipment to have in your vehicle for many reasons.
I got the bestseller unit on amazon, and I got nothing negative to say about it,
It used to be in my truck and now it is in my personal car since I don’t do trucking anymore.
Yet so far, it cleared me of responsibility to my previous employer during a minor collision.
Sadly I only got pictures of the incident.
I formatted the SD card like a dum dum before making a copy. My mistake.
At least my boss saw the tape before that.
Speaking of which, remember to get a micro SD card too.
Are There Solutions To Remedy To Motorcyclists Driving Too Fast?
Some motorcycles models are slower with moderate speed and acceleration.
Other faster bikes are what we call ‘’crotch rockets’’.
I think you get the meaning of why.
Here is the problem;
It should not be that simple for an adrenaline seeker to buy some of the fastest motorcycles available.
It varies from a state to another, but it doesn’t help that getting your motorcycle license in the majority of the USA should not be that easy.
What is my proposed solution?
I am not reinventing the wheel; it already exists in Europe.
Restricting the Number of Motorcyclists That Goes Too Fast
In Europe, you get your motorcycle license in ‘’stages’’ depending on your age and driving experiences.
You can only move up a stage after two years.
The first stage means that as a young rider, you are only allowed to ride small and less powerful bikes at first.
After two years, the rider is then allowed to move up to more powerful motorcycles but not the fastest ones yet.
Then, after all these years (usually 4), the full range of motorcycle selection opens up.
Will thrill-seekers wannabe motorcyclists have the perseverance to wait four years?
For most of them, I don’t think so; they don’t like boredom remember?
Small bikes are fun, but if you’re looking for speed, they get old pretty quick.
Also In 4 years, most young motorcyclists will be mature enough by then to know better.
For the Rest, chances are they will take their adrenaline-seeking elsewhere in other activities.
These rules also combine that is more effective for a newcomer rider to learn by starting on smaller bikes.
They are far easier to handle, and mistakes forgiving as a rider learns.
Is this proposed solution perfect? No, but it could make things better.
There is still going to be the occasional daredevil; there always will be, that is part of life.
But If you think this might be a good idea why don’t you write to your elected representative about it?
The more of the same things ending up on the desk politicians, the better the chances of something moving up.
Conclusion
Why Do Motorcyclists Drive fast?
Most of us don’t bikers don’t. But an easy-to-spot minority of motorcyclists sadly does.
They go fast because they want to have fun.
I get the point of ”Live a little” by seeking excitement.
The problem is that this enthusiasm impedes others.
Please try your best to ignore them.
Eventually, they will get their fill and stop… or karma will take care of it.
Take care.
Drive and Ride Safe.
Photo sources in order of appearance
