WHEN are they going to stop blaming the motorcyclist for "not being visible" and start blaming the motorist for "not looking".

When are they going to make it illegal in all states to use a cell phone or text message while driving ?

When are they going to start teaching motorcycle awareness in Driver's Ed courses around the nation.

As fuel costs go ever higher, there are more and more people riding small mc's back and forth to work.
These steps need to be taken NOW, not later, not "after more study", We all know that if they don't see us with 3 halogen lights blazing a neon vest isn't going to help.
People only see what they are looking for.
So TRAIN people to LOOK for motorcycles.
Call your state Reps and if it isn't law yet, get it made into one.
Save each other, save yourselves, cause no one else will.

I remember when I used to think, "watch for eye contact". Hell, now days it seems like more often than we'd like to think, the lights are on but no body's home. Looking my way doesn't ease my mind. You have to be "looking for me", not "seeing if I can get on with my busy day". When you take that approach, your not trying to save me from an injury or worse, your trying to save yourself an inconvenience of time. Something obviously more important and valuable than anything that any old biker might have going on.
I intend to get active in any awareness campaign I can get up and running locally. I hope to use local media be it public service announcements or whatever they can offer. The stats on previous years accidents are public and easily accessed in this day of the web.

I drive truck when I'm working and the visibility issue is, and has been, a big part of safety and awareness. The ironic thing is the reverse rolls in that case. The car, or bike, CAN'T be seen in those God awful blind spots and too often that's exactly where they WANT to be. All I can figure is the "dirty air" close behind me gives them fits as they get closer. They really don't want to go faster, they just want to see more than my tail lights (could it be they're too close ?), and get out of that dirty air. I've seen so much from up in that seat, it's enough to scare you out of ever wanting to share the road with all those distracted drivers. At least the bikes usually scoot on by. The cars sometimes take 3 or 4 miles to pass a 70 foot long,80,000 lb. killing machine they expect to stop on a dime when they make that "last second adjustment" to their drive. Not to mention what happens when 1 of 18 or more tires blow.
I thought about that every time I passed a semi.

All we can do is talk about the issues to anyone who'll listen. In the meantime, I'll keep scratchin' my head about it too!

Jeff, I used to drive a big truck myself.
Hauling oilfield heavy equipment and such.
The thing that always scared me the most was someone in a car or truck pulling out in front of me "thinking" that I could stop as easy as they can. Big rigs can't stop on a dollar, much less a dime.

Now, I've had friends literally run over by motorists who are TEXT MESSAGING while driving. Not just cell phone talking, but actually text messaging in reply to received texts they just got.
No charges filed, just another injured biker.

So go to the local radio stations, talk it up. Go to the local churches, believe it or not there are church riding groups also, and talk it up there too.
Whatever it takes, that's what we've got to do.

We're starting to get our act together on this end, but it's taken a hell of a lot of time. Maybe we can make a difference, maybe we can't, but I'd feel like a putz if I didn't at least try.