Last month I talked about the dangers of riding in a pack or group. Our diagrams of hand signals commonly used, and preferred spacing between riders hopefully demonstrated the best ways in which to ride in a group. This month I want to talk about a newly discovered invention I feel will help save biker lives.
The invention is an LED encrusted piece of leather that wraps around your left hand similar to a gauntlet glove. When you extend your arm to make a turn you utilize your left index finger to activate the turn signal. The very bright LED lights flash in an arrow fashion indicating the direction of your turn. These lights are sufficiently bright to be seen from a quarter mile away.
Using this new device, however, may not be legal. Our antiquated hand signals were put in place when turn signals were not commonly found on many vehicles, i.e., farm trucks, etc. I have been stopped by a police officer while riding with the invention. He explained to me that although the device was not Department of Transportation approved he felt it was a great idea and wanted to know where to get one for himself.
Ultimately I feel the LED turn indicator will be a huge success. It is another device that will help folks driving cages see those of us riding motorsickles. I feel anything that can help improve our visibility will save lives. Hopefully, ABATE and the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs will get behind this product and help lobby for its approval by our legislators.
Janitor's Note: You can see a video of this new invention in action at www.currentland.com. You can also get complete details on purchasing the turn signal indicator at our website.