SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Jim Sharp has been riding motorcycles for nearly three decades.
He tells OzarksFirst that over time, Springfield roads are not as safe as they used to be.
“You see a lot of a lot of accidents like what we saw yesterday where it’s car versus motorbike,” Sharp said. “No matter who’s at fault, first of all, the motorcyclist is at a definite, definite disadvantage. Safety is a two-way street, so to speak. It’s not just the cyclist’s responsibility. It’s not just the car driver’s responsibility. It’s everybody’s responsibility.”
Thursday night in Springfield, 27-year-old Wayne Szenes died in a crash on Battlefield Road.
Thursday afternoon, a motorcycle rider was taken to the hospital after colliding with a truck on Sunshine.
Michael Ngo, another rider and owner of Vintage Biker Gear says riding during the day can be safer than at night.
“It’s kind of hard to see at nighttime,” Ngo said. “Things can happen in a few seconds because the bike can go really fast and [any] car can turn out from any parking lot.” Ngo and Sharp say it’s safer to be overcautious than to assume every driver can see riders on the road.
“[Any] driver of a car probably needs to watch out for motorcycle,” Ngo said. “As a motorcycle [rider], you also have your responsibility of watch out for cars, especially late at night.”
