A man riding his Harley Low Rider through South Dakota's Cluster State Park learned what a danger animals can pose to motorcyclists. The rider was in a line of traffic that was trying to pass through a herd of buffalo. When hit, the rider was observed being thrown into the air approximately 15 feet by the buffaloe. That is a huge animal and they can easily weigh a ton or more. He was also gored in his leg and was hospitalized. Fortunately, his injuries were not life-threatening.
When the park official who is the park's buffaloe expert was asked how a bison could throw someone into the air, he responded by asking, "how high would you want to toss him." The accident illustrates just how much of threat and danger wildlife, or even domesticated animals can be to motorcyclists and to never be taken for granted. Its not that hard to keep an eye out for them. The problem is when they come darting out of the woods to cross the road and they are running at 25 to 30 miles per hour. Without notice, they suddenly are there, right in front of you.
Buffaloe are dangerous because of their mass. But all kinds of animals can also be dangerous despite being much smaller. In a different accident a motorcyclist incurred very serious injures after hitting a groundhog. A couple in Maine hit a moose which resulted in the driver being killed and his wife who was riding on the back was critically injured. One of the most common animal/motorcycle encounters is with deer. That is due to the millions of deer in this country who thrive in every state. With populations at all-time highs throughout the country, there are more and more deer on the roads than ever before. The best advise to those riding through areas of deer, is to drive slower and look more than usual. Keeping an eye out for the side of the road and being cognizant that something could suddenly appear from the extreme right or left is imperative. Knowing that an accident is more likely in these area, wearing protective head gear can never hurt. Motorcyclist should also be aware that deer tend to start moving around in the evening just before it starts getting dark.
In addition to deer, dogs and livestock also contribute to these types of accident. Livestock are usually only in certain areas. But the problem with dogs is that they can be anywhere. Having this knowledge and being cognizant of the risks are the first steps in avoiding an accident. The next step is simply staying cognizant. Its easy to take these dangers for granted.
