Ride Safety: Part Six: The Importance of Ride Rules

By Ben Harper

Those of us who have been riding with others understand the pleasure of riding with a group of like-minded people. As your group of riders grows, however, you soon discover that some of your companions don't necessarily ride the same way you do. In an organized group like a Constellation, you can also add the real dangers of litigation in the event of an accident. Because we can't change the nature of people, we can at least establish a common standard under which we agree to operate. This is where Ride Rules come in.

Ride Rules, in their classic sense, are simply a set of terms under which the group agrees to ride. They can include many things and can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish them to be. However, there are some common points that should be included. These include, but are not limited to:

• Definitions of your ride officers, and explanation of their respective roles.
• Detailed explanations of all hand signals and their meaning, as well as the proper procedures subsequent to the use of each signal.
• Detailed, "idiot-proof" explanations of all procedures, such as departure, planned stops, pre-ride inspections, and so on.
• Plain-English statements regarding the authority of the Ride Captain, the ability of officers to remove riders who are impaired, the cancellation of any ride that has no qualified ride leaders, and so on.

If your Constellation does its work, your ride rules may provide you with a great recruiting tool. Rocky Mountain Dark Star has received approval of its ride rules with the people in Colorado who are responsible for rider education, which gives our Constellation a tool to give to our sponsors as well. Our dealers can now advertise that they sponsor an association approved as a "safe-riding" association, which has great appeal among returning riders and new riders alike, particularly if other groups appear in the local papers as accident statistics.

Also, if your Constellation promotes itself as safety-conscious, your reputation may eventually spread throughout your area, encouraging people to look you up who hadn't considered doing so before. Many riders do not seek out groups with which to ride, simply because they don't trust others to ride safely. With a proper set of ride rules, you can overcome those fears and gain many more members in the process.

In conclusion, every group of riders needs a standard by which to ride, or chaos ensues. With a good set of Ride Rules, everyone can enjoy the ride and know what to expect on the road. That assurance is a precious piece of comfort, and will increase your enjoyment of your riding experience.

For further information on Ride Rules, contact me, Ben Harper, at president@rmdarkstar.org.