Your Safety Attitude
When we say “safety attitude”, what we are really talking about are your automatic or habitual responses to the situations you encounter every time you ride or even step outside. If you have a good attitude toward safety, you really do think “safety first” regardless of the track, weather conditions or a situation. If you have a bad attitude toward safety, you need to change it! Even the best safety attitude can be improved. Since it frequently determines your automatic reaction, let’s think for a few minutes about your safety attitude and how you can improve it as a rider, track promoter, track personnel and parents.
You need to have a safe attitude every day. It’s a positive state of mind that helps prevent accidents and injuries. It helps you protect yourself and keep others around you safe. Motocross is a dangerous sport. The dangers change from day to day, and sometimes minute to minute. When you don’t have the opportunity to think through the entire situation, your immediate response can determine if you or someone else will get hurt. You attitude and knowledge toward safety has a big impact on that immediate response.
Your safety attitude can most easily be seen in you habits. Do you wear the proper safety gear that is properly put on every time you ride? As a track owner or promoter do you evaluate your track before a rider is allowed on? Do you think have I done everything I need to do to make this safe? Do you check weather conditions as a rider and track owner to make sure you prepare yourself for that day’s condition? As a rider is it your first thought when you’re out on the track “how fast can I go” or is it “I will take it slow the first few laps to check out the conditions?” Do you get angry when another rider is slowing you down and your attitude is “I will show them and put yourself and them into a dangerous situation?” A safe attitude will take the time and find the right area to make a pass and risk the likelihood that they will cause an accident. Shortcuts and chance takers have no right on a track. Parents, you need to be a voice of safety for your children. If they can’t make decisions for themselves you must be the voice of safety. If your child was going to school where the conditions were not safe would you just sit back and say “Well, that school knows what it is doing” or would you demand that things be changed? No one wants to be the complainer but change cannot happen if you don’t ask. Let’s say that again, “Change cannot happen if we don’t ask”.
Remember everyone, your attitude affects everyone. It is time we improve the safety record of motocross and prevent injuries and accidents. The choice is up to all of us. It just makes good sense to have a good attitude toward safety but it also takes time and effort to develop and continually improve it. Take the time and make the effort. We look forward to any comments. Please reply to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
