NEENAH (NBC 26) — From fatal crashes to deer collisions, the Fox Valley biker community explains why the right gear and road vigilance can save lives.
- Tailored Hide shop in Neenah urges riders to wear real leather for protection
- Sic Wit It MC member “Crash” shares personal loss, urges drivers to stay alert
- Appleton rider survives hitting a deer thanks to her watch automatically calling 911
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with A.I. assistance in formatting for the web)
The state of Wisconsin recognizes May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
In Neenah, Tailored Hide Custom Leather Shop says even though their main goal is fit and functionality safety is extremely important, too.
Leeann Wasinger is the shop's owner. She says they offer everything from repairs, alterations, custom leather and more.
So they know a thing or two about leather.
“38…39 years of knowing what you’re looking at,” Wasinger brags.
Wassinger says what you wear when you ride makes all the difference.
“Denim jeans. If you go down in a slide, they did a study that showed denim will wear through in .6 seconds,” she explained. “If you’ve got a decent leather on? That’s 6 seconds. 100x more protection with the right gear.”
The more I spoke to Leeann, the more I wanted to learn.
So she connected me with some bikers who know a thing or two about the importance of safety.
Bikers Crash and Primo represent Sic Wit It MC.
Crash it isn’t a nickname, by the way.
"That’s why my name is Crash,” he told me. “I’ve been down several times.”
And safety means even more to him because of who he's lost.
“I lost my brother to a drunk driver,” he said.
“Was he riding?” I asked.
“He was riding,” Crash responded.
“Put the phone down, man,” he added. “Put the drink down.”
As for Appleton rider Theresa Dierbeck?
“The absolute scariest thing to happen to me while riding was I hit a deer,” she said. “At night, 9:30 PM, and I was all alone. It was a country road.”
Which nearly killed her.
But Dierbeck says, the thing that saved her?
“My watch, my phone dialed 911,” she said. “Because it had detected I had been in a crash.”
Whether you are a rider, someone who shares the road with them, or even a passenger riding on the back of a bike, you can find more information on biker safety here.
