AZ India

F E E L A T H O M E www.azindiatimes.com PAGE - 17 May 2019 1-844-AZINDIA Motorized Two-Wheeler Safety By Dr. Kohinoor Kar and Mike Cynecki Kohinoor Kar, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE, a profes- sional engineer vastly experienced in roadway, traffic and safety field, has been with the State of Arizona for over 14 years. He has published a number of research papers and presented at several prestigious conferences. Dr. Kar serves on several safety-related advisory committees/ panels at the State, national and international levels. He is currently a Faculty Associate at Ari- zona State University. Michael J. Cynecki, P.E., PTOE retired from the City of Phoenix after a career of 26 years in the Transportation Department, and is current- ly with the consulting firm of Lee Engineering, LLC. Mr. Cynecki is an Emeritus member of the Transportation Research Board Committee on Pedestrians. The month of May has been designated by the Na- tional Highway Safety Transportation Administra- tion (NHTSA) as “ Motorcycle and Scooter Safe- ty Month ” by reminding other motorists to share the road with motorcycles, mopeds and scooters. These motorized two-wheelers are often “invisible” to automobile and truck drivers because they are smaller than a standard automobile and can be more easily hidden in a blind spot. Because of this, many states, including Arizona, have established a “ LOOK TWICE FOR MOTORCYCLES ” Safety Campaign to assure drivers are aware of motorcycles out on the road. The Arizona Governor’s Office for Highway Safety (GOHS) states: ” …most collisions with motor- cycles occur because motor vehicle drivers are not paying close enough attention. Always be vigilant when riding and expect the unexpected. ” Vigilance is also required by the drivers of 4-wheel vehicles to keep a lookout for motorcycles and scooters. Even though there is no law that requires an adult motor- cyclist to wear a helmet in Arizona, it is unwise to ride without wearing one. A motorcyclist should also wear protective shoes and clothing that will prevent road rash in the event of a fall or crash. Another phenomenon that is expanding rapidly in cities across the nation including our own state is the ride-share electric scooter (e-scooter). These e- scooters are left in the public right-of-way for users to rent for short rides, and then left anywhere randomly for others to use. E-scooters are becoming extremely popular, and in some cities, they have replaced the rideshare bicycles. While they can be fun, and pro- vide a valuable transportation link in local area, they can also be dangerous. If not used properly, they can be dangerous to the rider, bicyclists or pedestrians. E-scooters may be seen travelling in the street or on the sidewalk. While pedestrians have the right- of way on a sidewalk, and e-scooters are required to yield to pedestrians, the e-scooter operator may be a novice and not realize that a pedestrian may unex- pectedly change their direction or enter the sidewalk. E-scooters may travel at speeds of 15 mph or even higher which can cause serious injury to a pedestrian or a bicyclist. If you rent an e-scooter in an urban area, watch out for pedestrians, especially for those who are elder- ly, children, on a wheelchair or who may be vision impaired. You are required to wear a helmet when renting an e-scooter, but will have to bring your own helmet. When finished using a ride-share e-scooter, you are required to make sure it is placed outside the walking area and will not block the sidewalk or bus stop and not create a tripping condition for others. If riding in the street, an e-scooter operator needs to ride with traffic, watch for motor vehicles or pedes- trians stepping into the street, and carefully watch for pot holes or other pavement conditions that may cause the e-scooter to lose control. There should be one rider per e-scooter. Safety is no accident. Ride and drive aware, and share the road safely with motorcycles and e-scooters year round. The authors would appreciate your questions, com- ments or suggestions on future topics via email (traf- ficsafetyexpert@gmail.com ). Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and may not necessarily rep- resent the views of the agencies they are affiliated with. Information is for general awareness and not intended to substitute for professional advice, and thus the authors cannot be held accountable for any- thing contained in this article. One Heart Silenced Twice by Suicide If you believe something called Cellular Memory, then this is probably one of such cases. This unique real life story is about organ transplantation. In this case, heart transplantation. In the year 2008, 69 y.o Sonny Graham shot himself to death. Only 12 years ago he had received a heart from another man named Terry Cottle who had committed suicide in the same way - shooting himself in the head. Sonny on receiving the 33 y.o man’s heart had contacted his widow Cheryl and soon enough the two were together marrying ten years later. To marry Cheryl, Sonny had even divorced his wife of 38 years. The first time they met for dinner he said he couldn't keep his eyes off the 30-year-old widow. "I fell in love with Cheryl the first time we met," he would later confess. They had a child in 1999. By 2001 they moved together. They got married in 2004. Some may say it’s the heart that somehow held a ‘Suicide Gene’, but no one knows for sure why Sonny decided to kill himself on April Fools day four years later. However for Cheryl, she had lost the same heart twice.