I'm sick of these sayings: "it's not if you get in an accident, it's when" and "well its the other drivers that you have to really look out for." This is BS for people who don't know anything about safety or riding. I've been on my 250 for over 3 years, not owning a car, about to hit the 100k mark, and have never been in an accident or wreck. Sure, I've laid it down teaching myself how to lean in a parking lot. But as far as safety on the road, I'm a big disbeliever in the "it's not if but when" mentality and every day I last on the road is just a stronger case for it. Sure, it's 100 times EASIER to get in an accident. And the longer you ride without one, the greater the chances one may be coming. But it's not a truth that you'll someday have an accident. It all depends on YOU and how safe you are. If someone hits you because they didn't see you, it's your fault for putting yourself in that position, because you know that most of the people on the road are ignorant and careless drivers.

Well, you may think you have more control over situations than you do from the sound of it. There are times where you can be "in the right" and doing everything properly and safely and still have an accident - and it's not going to be your fault. It can happen where you won't have any time to react to a threat before if affects you. If you can't imagine a situation where a car can make a completely unpredictable move and take you out, you aren't as safety conscious as you think. For just 3 years of riding, you may be overconfident in your abilities and the amount of control you have over situations on the streets. Read this - Victim of Warren County crash was a legend in motorcycle community, subject of book http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warr...ty_motorc.html The 53-year-old motorcyclist killed Sunday in a Warren County highway wreck was a legend in an elite motorcycle community and had a reputation as a skilled and adventurous rider, his friends said today. John Ryan, who lived in the Long Valley area of Washington Township, Morris County, logged well over 1 million miles on his motorcycle during coast-to-coast rides and day trips through places like New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, Anthony Mills said. While he "begrudgingly" owned a car, according to Mills, Ryan was at home on the motorcycle and had become a luminary in the long-distance riding community. "There are some people who only feel alive on two wheels and that's the focus of their life. John was one of those people," said Mills, of Jersey City, who met Ryan two years ago at a charity event. The subject of Melissa Holbrook-Pierson's book, "The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing: Long Distance Motorcycling's Endless Road", Ryan set a record in 2009 when he completed a 5,564-mile trip from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Key West, Fla., in just over 86 hours, according to several published reports. In a video interview posted on YouTube in January, Ryan said he grew up riding motorcycles in and around New York City. While working odd jobs to support his hobby, Ryan said he had traveled as many as 1,200 miles during a single day in some of the country's biggest cities as part of his long-distance riding. "At some point you learn to push yourself and see what you can do and you're always testing that and looking for ways to improve and learn a little bit about endurance," he said in the video. Ryan was killed Sunday when his motorcycle collided with a sports car about 11 a.m. on westbound Interstate 78 near the Phillipsburg/Alpha exit in Alpha, about 3 miles from the Pennsylvania border in Warren County, according to New Jersey State police. State police said Ryan's motorcycle veered for an unknown reason into the left lane and into the path of a Ford Mustang. The driver of the Mustang then hit the motorcycle from behind, police said. Ryan was taken by the Phillipsburg Emergency Squad to St. Luke's Hospital in Phillipsburg, where he was pronounced dead. Police said today no further information was available as the investigation was ongoing. A woman who answered the phone at Ryan's home today declined to comment. Friend Don Eilenberger, of Spring Lake Heights, N.J., said in an email tonight that Ryan was diagnosed as a child with Type I diabetes. He went on to a career that lasted decades as a painting contractor. "I think at some point, John realized that there were things more important to him than making a comfortable living, and he set out riding to find them in whatever time he had left," Eilenberger wrote. (see link for complete article)

I started riding in April and haven't dropped or laid down my bike, let alone had an accident. Just put the thought out of your head and enjoy your ride and keep your attention on what is going on around you, not what might happen.

I prepare for the best..... Wallet... Condom.....LOL