1
Oct
2014
In my younger years as an enlisted Marine, I had all the qualities of an effective warfighter — strength, tenacity, energy, speed and fearlessness. Those qualities, however, didn’t necessarily translate well to safe motorcycle riding.
It’s no secret that over the past few years there has been an increase in the number of motorcycles on the road. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that motorcycle accidents are on the rise. I am now a part of both of those statistics.
It was a little nerve-racking to ride in a car after returning from Iraq. As any combat veteran who consistently went outside the wire will tell you, every pothole or pile of trash on the side of the road was a threat. When you return home, it’s natural to think the same.
On my cross-country trip last summer, I was surprised to see that highways in general have deteriorated over the past several years. One major hazard I encountered was deep ruts in paved roads. And they were surprisingly hazardous.