Todie's Wild Ride: An Elephant Never Forgets Safety!

To help raise awareness of motorcycles on the roads...help us spread this message by releasing a coin of your own!

Keep a 2-4 second following distance-

Following too closely to the vehicle in front of you is arguably one of the greatest sins committed by most riders on a regular basis. I find myself inching up on the bumper of the vehicle in front of me all the time. Usually it’s only because I want to drive faster than the car in front of me allows, but I have paid the price both in money and nervous close calls because I gave myself little to no reaction space and time by following too closely. When traveling on a highway, the minimum distance to keep between you and the vehicle in front of you is 2 seconds, but that is the bare minimum. A 2-second following distance is like buying the cheapest bullet -proof vest you can find: sure, it’s protection, but if you really want to be safe, you’ll upgrade. That upgrade would be to a 4-second following distance. Keep in mind two seconds is the distance needed on clear sunny days. At night or during inclement weather you need to increase your safety margin to four to eight seconds. You should maintain these cushions as best as possible including the time you find yourself riding in traffic or with a group of motorcycles. To figure your distance correctly pick a point on the road, like a sign or a seam in the pavement, watch the vehicle ahead of you pass it and count the seconds it takes you to reach that point. The number of seconds you count is your following distance.

This coin is in memory of Todie Phillips of Manitou Beach, MI. He passed away August 12 2008 as a result of a motorcycle accident, he was only 49 years old.