Look Twice, Save a Life

Would you trade up the classic premise of a beloved game to possibly save a life? The time-honored rules of “slug bug” dictate that if you’ve first engaged
your ride mates into the game, that you can give them a good-natured tap if you’re the first to spot and announce a Volkswagen Beetle anywhere in your
line of sight. (Extra points for slug-bug buses, too.)

There’s a popular idea trending online right now, suggesting that rather than teaching the traditional rules of “slug bug”, we ought to be substituting
motorcycles, on the premise that teaching your children early on to spot riders may imbue them with the same inclination to notice motorcycles later
on in life.

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, motorcycle fatalities involving multiple cars (or anything more than the single driver of the bike)
account for 58% of all deaths of bike accidents, with a whopping 4,976 riders killed in accidents in 2016.

62% of all motorcycle fatalities in 2014 were with helmeted drivers. Washington is one of 19 states along with the District of Columbia that enforce helmet
law.

Washington stands out for also offering a state subsidized rider course, which encourage an “all the gear all the time” (ATGATT) mind set, with rigorous
hours atop a bike and also in a classroom before a rider can be granted an endorsement. Riders are encouraged to practice safety above all else, but
none of this means that all riders you see are licensed or believe that they need gear while riding.

Summer months mean that we will be seeing more motorcycles sharing the road, as single riders or a group of 200 strong for organized runs. Raising our
awareness on our local roads, where we can sometimes get complacent and comfortable, or taking an extra moment to look twice before pulling through
an intersection or into a passing lane is where much of the positive change takes place.

The most popular roads for motorcycle enthusiasts include the State Route 20, also known as the North Cascades Highway, Highway 530 that runs from Arlington
to Rockport and includes the memorial for the Oso Slide, as well as shorter treks such as Lowell Road in Everett, and Burn Road in Arlington.