It’s fair to say that those who perform in the motorcycle business do so out of their enjoy for bikes and our two-wheeled sport/hobby. It does not really matter if you are a PR agent, a journalist or a factory representative, a individual could earn more funds if their job was instead in the automotive field. Meanwhile, there are thousands of moto-loving people who function tirelessly behind the scenes to promote and assist boost the world of motorcycling, routinely with no any fanfare whatsoever.
That is why we’ve decided to shine a tiny light on some of the men and women who have devoted significant portions of their lives to nurturing and advancing how we use and enjoy motorcycles in a multi-part series about those who aid develop motorcycling and enhance its exposure. —Kevin Duke, Editor-in-Chief
If you’ve been consuming motorcycle literature for far more than a few years, chances are you’ve heard of Dave Thom, but if you care about the safety of your noggin, perhaps not as significantly as you need to. Mr. Thom began his motorcycle security profession in 1977 at the University of Southern California working on the “Motorcycle Accident Lead to Elements and Identification of Countermeasures,” much better known in the moto neighborhood as the “Hurt Report” after the late Professor Harry Hurt.
Almost 30 years later, that study of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area remains the largest and most complete study of motorcycle accidents ever carried out in the United States. Among other items, the report concluded “the use of the safety helmet is the single vital aspect in the prevention or reduction of head injury,” and confirmed the protective advantages of DOT-certified helmets. It also refuted the anti-helmet propaganda that lingers on, that helmets could limit vision and hearing and break necks. (A full list of the report’s findings is here.)
Given that that time, Thom has appeared on television, radio and in national magazines as an expert in helmets utilised for motorsports, snowsports and bicycles, and has testified before the California State Assembly as effectively as the National Transportation Security Board about helmet effectiveness. By 1998, Thom had turn out to be Basic Manager of the Head Protection Analysis Lab at USC, exactly where he tested thousands of helmets, and since 2003 he’s been operating as a Senior Forensic Consultant, “providing helmet style, accident overall performance consultation and head injury evaluation to individuals, companies, attorneys and agencies for Cities, Counties and States.” Basically if you run into problems selling beanies with fake DOT stickers, Mr. Thom is the a single guy you do not want to see on the other side of the courtroom.
A lifelong motorcyclist, Dave Thom spent a week last summer season camping in the Alaskan boonies with MotoQuest, ahead of another week with Mrs. T “hoteling” about the Kenai peninsula.
One of the issues that created the Hurt Report so critical was that it was carried out by individuals who have been all motorcyclists themselves, and so knew what they had been searching at and why it mattered. According to Dr. Hurt’s AMA Hall of Fame profile, he “and colleagues David Thom and James Ouellet, place collectively a group of investigators who would dash out to motorcycle accident scenes, day or night, over two years. Crucially, all of the investigators had been seasoned motorcyclists. The group did an exhausting study of each and every crash, figuring out around 1,000 data elements. They took pictures, examined wreckage, measured skid marks, and interviewed survivors. They even returned to the very same web site at the exact same time on the identical day of the week, with the identical climate circumstances, to measure visitors and interview motorcyclists who managed to get via the identical scenario without having having a problem. The team collected data on far more than 900 motorcycle accidents, interviewed two,310 passing motorcyclists, and studied 3,600 police reports from the identical region.”
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1955, Mr. Thom moved to SoCal in 1965, just in time for the greatest motorcycle boom of all time, and has been riding motorcycles (and bicycles) on- and off-road ever considering that. In reality, the Dr. Hurt relationship began as a outcome of Thom operating in an L.A. motorcycle shop where Dr. Hurt bought parts. Considering that then, in addition to MotoVentures coaching, he’s discovered time for the California Superbike College and the Skip Barber Higher Functionality Driving School, ATV instruction, the MSF’s Experienced Rider Course at least four instances and its Dirt Bike School.
Obviously, then, he’s a believer in rider coaching. What suggestions does he have for today’s motorcyclist to remain secure?
“Training and frequent practice of capabilities are essential, also being conspicuous – and of course cover all of your head that you want to hold with a excellent helmet,” says Thom.
When we asked if helmet technologies is nonetheless evolving, Mr. T had this to say:
“There are undoubtedly new technologies emerging that will increase helmets and head protection. Dr. Terry Smith worked with Professor Hurt and I at USC and lately presented a paper at an international meeting. All of the “anti-rotation” technologies lowered rotational acceleration on the particular test Terry employed. The issue is that there isn’t a standardized test yet and there are no accepted pass/fail criteria, so it’s all somewhat experimental at this point. With that stated, I wore my new 6D ATS-1 to function right now.”
Ace reporter Tom Roderick talked about 6D’s new helmets and other issues right here.
In 1967, a federal law needed states to pass universal helmet laws in order to acquire funds for specific federal security programs and highway building, and by the early 1970s, nearly all the states complied. By 1976, a profitable lobbying work got Congress to stop the Department of Transportation from assessing monetary penalties on states without helmet laws, and numerous state laws were repealed or amended – roughly in the time frame the Hurt Report was getting carried out. These days, only 19 states and DC have universal helmet laws, partial laws apply in 28 states (generally to riders 17 and younger), and Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire have no helmet laws.
What does Mr. Thom, as an AMA Charter Life Member, think about the AMA and present helmet laws?
“I’m surely not satisfied that AMA aligns with the other Motorcyclist Rights Organizations fighting helmet laws. They assistance voluntary helmet use, but at least they do not spout any of the anti-helmet crap other people do: helmets break necks, block vision, hearing, and so on. I’m not a member of any other MRO and in no way will be, and have let AMA know that I consider we’re shooting ourselves in the foot by fighting an obvious safety intervention. With the wholesale repeal of helmet laws nationwide, I am a supporter of leaving the DOT coverage needs alone so riders can buy a partial coverage (shorty, half) helmet that offers a affordable level of protection to what it covers. Personally, I like all my head and will not wear a single, but I definitely respect that as an selection to these who may go bare-headed. I’m on the AMA rag cover this month with that and $ three I can get coffee at Starbucks.”
Thank you, Mr. T, for undertaking your best to keep our gray matter gray, and telling it like it is.
Unsung Motorcycle Heroes IV: Dave Thom
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder