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Physics is a strange science. It's full of funny laws. Take for instance one of the laws of motion. A body in motion tends to stay in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by some other force. OK. Get out your Physics books. I don't profess to know exactly how the laws are worded but they do make for fascinating reading.

Let's apply that law to a motor cyclist. The body in motion (IE the motorbike and rider) tends to stay in motion (IE 100 kilometers per hour in a sixty kilometer zone) unless acted upon by another force (IE he is traveling too fast and runs into the back of the car in front whose owner had to brake suddenly when a dog ran out in front of him) Now here's the real funny part of physics. You see according to physics the bike and the rider are treated as separate bodies in motion. When the bike stops suddenly unfortunately the rider keeps going until the same force or some other force stops him. (IE the car stops the bike and maybe be some of the rider until the lamp post stops all or the rest of the rider.)

Oddly enough it took years and years of road accident deaths before car manufacturers decided that if they didn't start paying attention to Physics there soon wouldn't be any left to buy their cars. Now days cars are fitted with all sorts of safety features designed to give the occupants of a motor vehicle some chance of survival in an accident.Not so the motorcyclist. No seat belts, air bags, ABS, traction control for him ,however air conditioning is free depending on speed. Only the foolhardiest of people would ride a motorcycle without the maximum amount of body protection. A helmet would have to be the most basic of protection.

If you know or see a motorcyclist not only wearing a full head helmet but also wearing leather gloves , a full leather suit and full boots designed for motorcyclists ask him or her their age. Chances are they will be a fair age. Ask them how many accidents they have had. Chances are they have survived a few.

It might be a bit hard though to find a motorcyclist who is a fair age and has survived an accident when not wearing a helmet. You could try the local cemetery first. There's bound to be lots of them there.

Learn more about this author, Barry Williams.
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