Night Moves

As autumn unfolds and the temperatures fall along with the leaves, another annual event happens which causes some even more distress: the end of daylight savings time! Yes, although it is nice that the sun is up for most when you awake or at least go to work in the morning, now the sun sets before 5 o'clock in the afternoon! In fact, today's sunset is at 4:47 PM. So what's the problem? Well, for commuters, it means that the drive home is going to happen in the dark. Very depressing, and dangerous. It's a fact that more accidents happen at night versus the daylight. The statistics are even worse for motorcycles. Motorcycles aren't seen as easily by motorists due to their lower profile. You probably won't miss that Mack truck or semi tractor trailer chugging past you, but how many times have you not seen a motorcycle in the lane you were about to change in to? Motorcyclists must be even more cautious and defensive when driving in the dark than they are in the daylight hours. In addition to watching out for inattentive drivers, motorcyclists must carefully watch the road for potholes and debris not easily seen in the dark as in the daytime. Hitting an object or a big hole in the road could mean dumping your bike and possibly being struck by oncoming vehicles following you. Even with lights on, it's not as easy to pick up bumps in the road, so be careful. If you are in a car or truck and see a motorcycle, give him some room and pay attention to the road. Everyone wants to get home and eat dinner. Don't ruin some one's day by not paying attention when you're driving. Be careful out there!