EDITORIAL - Our recreation shouldn’t be the cause of our demise

Another motorcycle rider has been killed in a riding accident. But this time it didn’t happen in the Marilaque Highway in Tanay, Rizal, where riders often flirt with death showing off their driving and banking skills; this time it happened along the Transcentral Highway in Barangay Cansomoroy, Balamban Town, Cebu, last Saturday.

The incident was caught on video. The rider is following two other riders when he suddenly lost control of his motorcycle while maneuvering a curved section of the highway.

Because he was traveling at high speed he was thrown off his motorcycle and hit a concrete barrier at the roadside. Despite his safety gear he still sustained enough injuries to cause his death.

It didn’t appear that he was an amateur; he knew how to drive and was a seasoned rider. It didn’t appear that he was hot-dogging or showing off either. But what happened has happened. As we often like to say about tragic incidents like these, the best thing we can do is to turn them into teachable moments.

This incident should tell us that even the most seasoned and experienced riders can get involved in accident when the circumstances are right or, rather, wrong. Take note that this isn’t to shame the victim, this is to point out that even someone with years of practice at something can still fail at that something.

This isn’t to say we should ban people from riding their motorcycles for fun; we all have the right to enjoy the hobbies we like. If some people enjoy zipping around in crotch rockets they can afford to buy, then so be it.

We aren’t calling to ban recreational riding in the Transcentral Highway either. A highway doesn’t have to be just for bringing goods and people from one place to another. It can also be for the enjoyment of those who like to ride the open road; they pay for the maintenance with their taxes after all.

But those who engage in such hobbies in such areas should practice utmost care that nothing happens to them, or others. Our recreation shouldn’t be the cause of our demise.