The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

Are Motorcycle Communication Systems Worth Talking About?
October 20, 2009

How many times have you been on your bike and seen a motorist talking on the phone or worst yet, texting. Sometimes it seems that motorists have a reckless disregard for everyone on the road and even themselves. Is it too much to ask motorists to just concentrate on driving until they get to their destination? Once there, they can babble on the phone or text their friends like crazy.

Like driving a car, riding a motorcycle requires concentration. The major difference is that when riding a motorcycle, there is no such thing as a ‘fender bender.’ Even slow speed accidents can cause major injuries or death. Needless to say, bikers do not need unnecessary distractions while on the road.

Being able to communicate while on a motorcycle seems like a great idea. Whether commuting to work, riding in a motorcycle event, or trekking cross country, having the ability to call someone has some merit.

Here are some benefits of motorcycle communication devices.

• Ability to coordinate with fellow bikers: Bikers are able to talk on the fly and make changes to their course, destination, and other key issues.
• Getting directions on the fly: Allows users to get directions from other bikers or from someone at the end destination without stopping
• Sharing information with riders at the rear of a pack: When riding in a large group, pack members at the back can receive updates from the front.
• Communicating technical problems: Bikers in groups can quickly communicate and receive information about breakdowns so that no one is left behind

While being able to talk to fellow bikers or others while riding has merit, the pitfalls are larger than the benefits.

• Full face helmet required: Wind noise has to be minimized for communication devices to work. Riders who wear smaller helmets cannot use these devices in most cases.
• Distracts the rider: Talking through a communication device while riding is a huge distraction and makes riding a motorcycle even more dangerous
• Limits ability to hear: Hearing the sounds of the road is part of safe driving. Limiting the ability to hear is dangerous.
• Expensive: These devices cost several hundred dollars

There is no reason to make motorcycle riding more technical or more dangerous than it has to be. If you have a breakdown or other issue, pull over and call someone from a cell phone. When riding in a pack, use the buddy system and motorcycle hand signals to communicate.

The last thing the open road needs are more distracted drivers.