They are everywhere, those damn motorcycles. Buzzing around like "nats" (sic), hated by foreigners but infused into the "Dominiculture" every bit as much as rice and beans.
They are going nowhere. In fact, over time we'll see more of them. Yes, they can be annoying, no doubt. But for better or worse, they are a part of the Dominican street petrie dish. If one wants a successful life in the DR, one must achieve acceptance and peace with them.
But the stratospheric issue well beyond mere annoyance is the human & societal damage motorcycle accidents are causing. According to the Ministry of Health, from data I have collected for myself, the economic cost of motorcycle accidents is enormous:
? 83% of all traffic accidents involve motorcycles
? 80% of those accidents happen at night
? 65% of all motorcycle accidents involve alcohol
? Motorcycle accidents are the #1 cause of death for Dominican men 16-25
? Motorcycle accidents cost the Dominican health system over RD$1.3 BILLION a year
And this list does not include the thousands of survivors with brain damage or permanent paralysis. We don't see them because his abuela, madre y hermana are taking care of him at home, unable to leave the casa.
Expats and tourists are not immune from this carnage as we read about motorcycle accidents, injuries and deaths within that group regularly. This should come as no surprise because motorcycles and pasolas often become the preferred transportation for them.
There are few places on earth with better motorcycling than the DR. The weather is great, we have some of the most awesome roads on the planet---especially being a smaller island--- and there just isn't anything quite like the feeling of freedom riding a motorcycle in Paradise provide.
Robert Persig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, said it best:
I advocate the awesomeness of riding here with one caveat: with the Ying of spectacular motorcycling comes the Yang of the simple fact you're on your own and are fully responsible for your personal safety, health and life.
I post this with the goal of creating an ongoing "open thread" for the purpose of talking motorcycle safety. I hope experience riders and motorcycle safety advocates participate and share their experiences. My intent is for less experienced riders to gain knowledge, new riders to develop a solid safety base and to keep us all from becoming an unfortunate statistic.
Motorcycling is a life-long passion, once infected you can never shake it. It's an epic activity but can be very unforgiving in an instant of inattention or lapse of good judgment.
Crashing hurts---if you survive. Let's discuss the best ways to avoid that pain by controlling what we can with knowledge, debunking of myths, risk management and safety considerations. Let's control what we can control, and mitigate what we can't.
Let's not be a statistic.
Great thread. I rode all my life and my first bike was a BSA 650. I have owned nearly every fast bike made. Always liked being king of the hill. Only one Hardly Davidson as they are too big too heavy and too slow. Favorite was zx1100, fastest was Hayabusa. Rode in Ca., NY and Fl. Lots of miles, lots of close calls. Took the safety courses and became intetested in safety. I invested in full protective gear and the best full fsce helmets. Majority of misses for me with cars not seeinge and turning left in my path. Riding a motorcycle safely is very difficult in the US and impossible in the DR. Its like the wild west on the roads here. Add in alcohol, no 911 system, very poor hospital care and its near suicidal. In the US I always changed out my headlight for one of those ilegal super bright bulbs. If I left it on hi beam for very long it would melt the plastic lens. Ditto for tail light and they blinked. I feel lucky to have survived riding in the US. From time to time I get the itch but common sense kicks in and saves me. These days its a big vehicle, ice cold ac, and dark tinted windows with an icy Presidente jumbo. Besides its hard to drink beer on a bike, especially, if you are being dafe and wearing a helmet. Just my two cents. Dont let me stop you from having fun on Dominican highways and good luck.
Certainly opinions vary.Dominican Motorcycle safety = Oxymoron...
Certainly opinions vary.
There is a difference between opinions developed through many years of experience and those of casual observers.
It's clear you aren't a motorcyclist.Excessive speeds, drunk driving, no helmets, no headlights at night, and doing all that while going the wrong way on a one way street. You can be the best motorcycle driver on the planet, with an arsenal of the previous noted drivers making up the bulk of whats on the roads, your stats are good for getting hit in the good 'ole R.D.
My advice for anyone looking for motorcycle safety on these roads? Avoid riding them.
What is your riding background, training and experience?I have not had any accidents on my ATV or Moto here but would I ever want anyone I cared about riding one here???!! NO WAY!!
I've been in an accident (combination of slippery leaves on a curvy wet road while riding on new tires), and everything he said about helmets is true. All The Gear, All The Time. Period.
It's all about the risk one is willing to assume. And along with that risk is the desire to mitigate as much risk as possible.Lets say first of all, I acknowlege ( I guess ) the OP's experience and all.....
And I can understand the need to put all odds on our side, saftey-wise.
But at the end of the day, if u get hit by a 2ton SUV travelling at 100+km/h, the odds of survival, even with all the safety-nices, are slim at best.
Granted, without the safety equipement, the odds are non-exsistant....
So its all up to ones choice. Pleasure vs safety, true world wide.
Where it gets tricky in the dr, and where I disagree with the OP, is that the lack of respect for motos is flagrant.
In the dr the motos are quick to move over quick to the side of the road, more often than not to the other side of the white line.
Its not courtesy, they just dont want to be run over !!!
So it works out OK, folow the rule " the bigger one has right of way" and its all quite smooth.
What I hate, and laugh about at the same time, is those organised dirtbike tour thingys, where the tourist riders actually think they have same rights as cars and lorrys on the road. They learn quickly though....lol
I would also add that more than half the fun, is riding a moto, in flip-flops, bermudas and a T-shirt. A beer in one hand, hair blowing in the wind and 2 chicas on the seat behind me
Only kidding, shoes and jeans are a must. I dont drink, and I dont dig chicas.
But as long as I use a bike to do 5km to by cigarettes, I wont use flashy leather protective clothes, nor boots, nor jacket, nor gloves, nor a helmet, I am sad to say ( I keep thinking about it ......).
If I had to gear up like that everytime, it would be quicker to just take the SUV.
Oh, I do have a " Dios protege ese vehiculo " sticker, so I am good to go
One of my companies has brought hundreds of riders to the DR over 9 years, ridden over 200,000 miles all over the island, and in all those years we've had 4 incidents with only one that could be judged as an "environmental" threat and not pilot-induced: a rider t-boned a goat that jumped in front of him. We've not had drunk drivers crash into us or any of the other "threats" many lament about.Have not had a chance to read this Thread.. but I will say this.. as someone who was riding moto x since age 12, always had a Dirt bike as a kid, always rode on the road when I was younger.
and still DO have and occasionally Ride my Yamaha 500 cc..
also have a 750 Kawasaki. But hardly ever ride that anymore..
But I would never ever ever even THINK about riding a Motorcycle in the DR.. for a mode of transportation..
For FUN on weekends . short rides, 100% focused, yes.
Quads , yes.. of course.
But a STREET BIKE, Daily ? ... IMO you guys are taking your life in your hands, exponentially more than like in
a Major City back in the states.. These Doms don?t have a CLUE how little it takes to Injure or kill a Biker nor do they even remotely Care..
You get hit , you WILL bleed out on the street. There will be no Helicopter, not even an ambulance there in 3 mins with trained people to save u.
And if you make it to the Hospital, they will want Cash before they even touch you, so you better travel with like $3-5 K in cash at all times.
and some of you who i consider fairly sane people otherwise, when I see you without even a HELMET .. you guys need to really re evaluate..
hope you all stay safe.
Just my .02, nothing more.
Well, more than three...There are a couple of unwritten "rules" to the flow that one must abide by if one wants to mitigate that risk. Three are:
Technology makes everything better. There is a lot of gear out there that offers great protection and is well ventilated so heat is no longer a factor. AND it's very comfortable.I also believe in all of the gear, all of the time. Even in the middle of summer. Though, honestly, I wear a good pair of jeans, as opposed to riding pants.