Chaska Herald - Cruising for a bruising? - Comments

Mollee, you probably don't

jmirick — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:44:11 -0500

Mollee, you probably don't write the headlines, but this one seems rather unfair -- to blame a perfectly good section of road for these deaths. I mean, let's see here:

One individual was going 80 - 100 MPH in a stretch posted at 55 and warning-signed at something like 45;

One deliberately ran a stop sign and missed that pesky pickup truck that broadsided him;

One was drunk, or at least impaired, at the time of the crash.

So why should the road be blamed? What would be improved, that would protect against these actions? The road is fine, it's (as usual) the loose nut behind the wheel -- or in this case, hanging on to the handlebars. The headline ought to read, "Drunk riding, racing, and inattention kill them today as they will tomorrow." Gustafson and Hahn really said it all: as a rider, you're often your own worst enemy. It's not the road's fault.

James R. Mirick
Chaska

In 2007, Minnesota had more

Mollee Francisco — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:07:56 -0500

In 2007, Minnesota had more motorcycle crashes than it had since 1980. Here are the stats:
* 1,623 motorcycle crashes in Minnesota (highest number in 17 years)
* 1,368 resulted in injury (highest number in 17 years)
* 60 resulted in death
* 2 deaths on County Road 40
Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety

(Mollee Francisco is a staff writer for the Chaska Herald. She can be reached at mfrancisco@swpub.com.)

Here are some safety tips

Mollee Francisco — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:06:18 -0500

Here are some safety tips for motorcycle riding from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:
* Get trained. Rider training classes for a variety of skill levels are held on a regular basis from spring through fall. Visit www.motorcyclesafety.org for more information.
* Ride straight. If you drink, don’t ride, and if you ride, don’t drink.
* Wear protective gear. The Department of Public Safety recommends eye protection, a DOT-approved helmet, boots, gloves, motorcycle jacket and long pants.
* Make yourself visible. Wear bright-colored gear, position yourself in traffic where you are most visible to other drivers. Visit www.highviz.org for more recommendations.

(Mollee Francisco is a staff writer for the Chaska Herald. She can be reached at mfrancisco@swpub.com.)

Cruising for a bruising?

Mollee Francisco — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:34:57 -0500

County Road 40 south of Carver is an idyllic country road. Heading through Dahlgren and San Francisco townships, it is dotted with picturesque farm houses and fields filled with rows of corn and soy beans.