Page 32 - AAA Magazine – Ohio Auto Club – September 2022

Saved By the Helmet By Kimberly Schwind
Tony Williams started riding motorcycles in 1997.
“I enjoy the feel of the wind,” said Williams. “It feels almost like riding a horse. It feels really free.”
After taking a break to raise his family, Williams got back into riding in late 2018. In August 2020, he went out with a friend to ride the Triple Nickel, a 62-mile two-lane road along Ohio State Route 555 starting in Zanesville. Its twists, turns, hills and beautiful scenery make it among the most popular routes for motorcycle enthusiasts, and a challenge to even the most skilled riders.
Williams followed his friend down the road. Along the way, they stopped at a small convenience store. They rode for about 20 more minutes. The next thing Williams remembers was lying on the pavement. Then, he was waking up in the hospital in Marietta.
Williams suffered three cracked vertebrae, a concussion, road rash and some nerve pain. He spent many agonizing weeks in recovery. While he says it was pretty miserable, he knows it could have been much worse.
“I was definitely very lucky,” said Williams. “From
the damage on the helmet, it looks like that if I wasn’t wearing that, I probably wouldn’t have woken up in the hospital. It probably would have been a fatal crash.”
Fatal motorcycle crashes are all too common on Ohio’s roads. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports 4,005 motorcycle crashes in Ohio during 2021 –
223 of them were fatal. Seventy percent of those killed were not wearing a helmet.
While Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton counties see the highest number of motorcycle crashes, many also occur along the Triple Nickel and other popular motorcycle enthusiast routes in southeast Ohio.
To help address the growing number of motorcycle crashes, particularly in southeast Ohio, The Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Transportation,
“From the damage on the helmet, it looks like that if I wasn’t wearing that, I probably wouldn’t have woken up in the hospital.
It probably would have been
a fatal crash.”
Tony Williams with the helmet that helped save his life.
Ride Ohio, local motorcycle businesses, AAA and other groups convened to form a Motorcycle Safety Committee.
It is our hope that through high visibility and public education partnerships we can save lives on Ohio’s roads,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Ohio State Highway Patrol superintendent. “As motorcyclists gear up for fall rides, we encourage them to ride safely and never above their skill or ability.”
While the committee is focused on southeast Ohio, much of its activities apply to the entire state. For example, the group is strategically placing message boards in southeastern Ohio areas with high motorcycle and traffic crash rates. To build on this effort, ODOT will post motorcycle safety messages on more than 130 digital message boards throughout the state.
“The vast majority of motorcycle deaths are completely preventable,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “The messages generated through this collaborative effort are designed to educate Ohioans about motorcycle safety.
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Photo by Kristen Williams