Fact or Fiction

Greetings to all, I"m going to do something a little different with this months safety article. I want to see how many people really take the time to read and absorb good safety information, so I'm going to propose a question, and then log the results/responses to the questions on the next safety article.

To respond to the question, please send you response/answer to my email address. I will then tally them up and discuss all the replies next Month.

The question is:

Do Loud Pipes Save Lives ? (Fact or Fiction) ?

again send your response to me via email tacticalrooster@aol.com Let the discussions begin!

Lee "motorman" Smith

GLRC Safety Officer

Fact or Fiction Part 2

Do Loud Pipes Save Lives?

Greetings to all!

01 APR 2017 - The results are in! I want to thank everyone who took the time to read and respond to the
old methodical question that every motorcyclist has heard, “Loud Pipes Makes You Safe”, as your GLRC Safety Officer and a person who is passionate about motorcycle training, I based my research on several studies and training facts.

Out of the 10 members that responded 8 members said “No” and 2 members said “Yes”!

The fact of the matter is “Loud Pipes Don’t Do Anything for your Safety on the Road” and here’s why! As motorcyclist’s we are invisible on the road that means other vehicles don’t see us, or hear us, (in theory) of course. It’s perception and reaction that saves lives! Based upon your skill level, once you see it then you can react to it.
I’m going to refer to an article I previously posted on my safety page that explains training. The way to achieve making motorcycling as safe as possible is to make sure that you are never the cause of an accident (yours or for anybody else), try to avoid those situations that are demonstrably less safe than reasonable, and you have developed the skills and judgment to deal with any dangerous situations that may occur. Since the clear majority of motorcycle accidents involve some level of “rider error”, it makes a practical sense to strive for making no errors and the best way to do this is through training.

Loud pipes and other environmental conditions are more detrimental to your well-being as it relates to hearing. Based on several research studies, by the Industrial Paramedical Services, Inc. (IPSI), the major contributor to hearing loss in the motorcycle industry remains the “silent killer” known as "wind noise." Generically termed as the amount of noise turbulence produced around the head while the rider is in motion.

Over time when adequate hearing protection is not worn, results of irreversible hearing loss occurs. I will be talking about this subject a little more in detail in some of my future articles.