On open letter to Andrew Trevitt of Sport Rider Magazine

Dear Mr. Trevitt,
First off, let me tell you that I am extremely sorry to hear about the accident that you were involved in. Though this type of thing happens everyday, it does not lessen the severity of the issue at hand. An accident of this type can happen to even the best educated, best equipped motorcyclists in the world when a car driver does not take an extra second to look twice - once for cars, a second time for motorcycles.

I am an avid motorcyclist, and have been since I first threw my leg over my (soon-to-be) first bike - a Kawasaki EX500 - at the age of 18. When it gets in your blood, it seems to be there to stay. A few months after purchasing my first and second bikes (a Yamaha FZR 600 that followed the Ninja into my garage within a few weeks), I fell on hard times and had to sell both. I then spent the better part of 6 years without a bike. I passed much of that time working at a bike shop: a truly unique form of self-inflicted torture when you don't have a bike, I assure you. During that time, a fellow co-worker lost his life on his beloved YZ125. Even though it was a tragedy, everyone at the bike shop kept in the back of their minds that he had at-least died doing what he loved. His accident was the result of a temporary lapse in judgment, and in some ways, that softened the blow, in others ways, it made it much worse.

I have recently acquired another FZR 600 that I ride constantly. I never fail to accept the possibility of the worst as I put my helmet on, as do you, I am sure. A motorcyclist must know that every time she or he swings a leg over their bike, they may not dismount as gracefully, no matter how hard they try to avoid an accident. There are many reasons for this: gravel, misjudgment, and overconfidence to name a few. However, the worst reason (and probably the most common) is the intrusion of an automobile into one's lane of travel, resulting in an unavoidable obstacle, and a horrific crash.

An event such as this, when a rider of obviously high levels of skill and ability is struck down by an unobservant motorist (doing something illegal in this case), is a time for us all to reflect on a few basics of motorcycle safety. First and foremost, your accident should be a message to every rider, be it dirt or tarmac that calls to you: we are all mortal.

Secondly, even though I am sure you were adorned with the proper equipment, we should all realize that to ride with anything less than the absolute best safety gear we can afford is to unnecessarily increase the risk that we might not come home. An accident can happen a block from your house (research shows that most do, in fact), and a quick run to the store should require the same precautions as a cross-country road trip.

Lastly, one must always assume that the motorist does not see you, for often they don't. Even with precautions such as this, sometimes it is impossible to avoid. So, as you recover, with thousands of motorcyclists alongside you in that hospital bed, we should all take these three basic lessons to heart. More importantly, however, we must not let the fear of what might happen rob us of something that we are all so passionate about.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do is educate our car-driving friends and acquaintances about the need to be constantly vigilant for vehicles with two wheels, with which they are required by law to share the road. Motorcycles are smaller than cars and we that ride them are much more vulnerable than someone riding in a 4000 lb. steel box. As such, our presence should demand an appropriately larger portion of motorists' attention.

None of what I say is news to you, I know. However, there are many motorcyclists that may not know these basic principles, and through your experience, take them to heart.

I wish you a speedy and thorough recovery. May the thoughts and prayers of so many motorcyclists and friends see you through this difficult period. Be well in spirit, while you get well in body.

Very sincerely yours,
Jesse Phillip Cecil