Motorcycle Sales have double in the last year and so have the motorcycle vs vehicles accidents
I’m in the technology business and own a tech company here in San Jose. My favorite past time is riding my Harley Davidson as it has been for the past 40 + years. I’ve lived in a number of countries and have ridden in many more but I have to say the worst motorcycle riders I have ever seen are here in Costa Rica.
Tico Times Directory Editor’s Note: Raising gas prices have caused a surge of those Scooter sales. Since 2007, the cheaper Chinese and Korean versions sales have doubled. Today 90 different models can be counted against about 20 that were present ten years ago. The Scooters or Vespas are one of the hottest things being imported. In 2007 it was around 37,524. In 2008, it hit close to 55,000. Obviously that 2009 will beat that number, already it has been recorded that the number of bikes purchased in the first 4 months has reached 21,000. Due to the lack of enforcing the motorcycle laws (which are very slim in the first place), accidents involving motorcycles vs vehicles have also doubled.
The people that ride these little 125cc motorcycles and motor scooters are always cutting in and out of traffic passing buses on the sidewalk while people are trying to get off the bus etc.. I’m sure everyone reading this has witnesses all of this first hand. What I find so difficult to comprehend is why do they have such little respect for cars, trucks, buses etc… There’s no way they are going to come out on top in an accident. But the worst thing they have done over the years is made it so people driving cars have no consideration for people driving motorcycles.
Costa Rican drivers makes NASCAR look like a gentleman’s sport!
Honestly I can’t really blame them! But when some one is staying in their lane and driving a motor cycle half the size of a car and paying attention to the traffic laws the people in the cars should at a minimum show them a little respect by doing just a couple of the following things:
Don’t tailgate a motor cycle especially in the rain because if for some reason that motorcycle goes down you will run over them and kill them. In most countries the driver of the car would be charged with Vehicular homicide and could end up spending most of the rest of their life in prison for no reason but being stupid!
Another thing when you come to an intersection that is a T in the road where you have to turn either left or right don’t get in the right turn lane because there is a motor cycle in the left turn lane then turn left forcing the motor cycle into on coming traffic. That’s not very nice.
I agree that people that drive cars get zero respect from most motorcycle and motor scooter riders but you should remember to treat people the way you want people.. I’m sure the biggest majority of people don’t a death on their conscience.
Post/Comment from rmaillet(at) globaldatasolutionssa dot com.
yes !! When i was last in san jose I admired the motorcyclists’ courage and how they would weave in and out between cars!! They seem feerless!!
I believe it. I lived in Panama for a year and holy smokes…talk about terrible drivers in general. I am sure CR is no different. They need to take a training course or something. LOL.