'Expect the unexpected'

COEUR d'ALENE - Be safe out there.

It was a caring reminder among the motorcycle riders who gathered in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday for the 11th annual Motorcycle Awareness Parade and Rally.

It was also a call to action for all motorists.

"It's the beginning of the riding season, so we're raising the awareness of motorcycles because motorcycling is a risky recreational endeavor," said Dave Cazel, secretary/treasurer of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) of North Idaho and the local representative for the national Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

May is national Motorcycle Awareness Month, and similar rallies were held Saturday throughout Idaho. Gov. Butch Otter recently issued a proclamation urging all citizens to work together to make motorcycling a safe activity in Idaho.

Before the more than 100 riders took off to cruise down Sherman Avenue, they gathered at Veterans Memorial Plaza outside the Kootenai County Courthouse. There, they rallied with live music by local band Spirit Wind and several speakers including Sen. Jim Hammond, chair of the Idaho Senate Transportation Committee, and Rep. Bob Nonini, chair of the Idaho House Education Committee and a member of the House Transportation Committee.

Hammond spearheaded the recent drive to put a law banning texting while driving on the books in Idaho. It was approved by lawmakers during the last legislative session.

"That's another thing you don't need, distracted drivers," Hammond told the riders.

The riders received a sobering reminder of why safety is so important, and it came from a civilian who asked to speak at the rally.

Garrett Kienke told the group about a "horrible accident" he was involved in.

That crash took place in 2010 when Kienke was 20, and Kienke shared it with the bikers - at times, choking back tears.

"I'd got it into my head that getting a crotch rocket would be the coolest thing ever," Kienke said.

So, barely out of his teens, he got a bike, and got his permit.

"I thought I was invincible, but I was wrong," he said.

One day, he and his friend, Justin Allen, wanted to go to the grocery store, a few blocks across town from Kienke's home.

Kienke had been riding for two months. He had a permit at the time and wasn't supposed to be carrying a passenger.

"I thought, 'It's just down the street. Nothing bad can happen,'" Kienke said.

Shortly after taking off, Kienke recalls turning his head around to talk to Justin, his passenger.

He lost control of the motorcycle, crashed and was knocked unconscious.

"All I remember is waking up and my parents telling me I was involved in an accident and my best friend was killed," he said.

Kienke said he is still wracked with emotional pain every day. His physical injuries were minor.

"I beg you to be safe and aware at all times ... expect the unexpected," Kienke said.

Cazel told the bikers that Kienke had no motorcycle training.

"I think there's a lot we can learn from this story," Cazel said.

Sunshine Gillett, training manager for Idaho STAR program, told the riders they should expect motor vehicle drivers to be distracted.

"When they pull out in front of us, we should be prepared for that," Gillett said.

Gillett cautioned that they are seeing more instances of drivers not using turn signals, and they think that may be due to increased use of cell phones while driving.

With one hand on the wheel and the other on the phone, there isn't another hand free to turn the signal on, she said.

STAR provides training for all levels of riders, from novices to seasoned veterans, Gillett said, and works to promote public awareness of motorcyclists.

Idaho State Transportation Department's data from 2008-10 shows there were 89 fatal crashes and 508 serious injury crashes in three years involving a motorcycle, resulting in 91 people killed and 562 people seriously injured.

A review of all 7,738 motorcycle crashes statewide from 1996-2010 revealed that STAR training is associated with a 79 percent reduced crash risk and an 89 percent reduction in the risk of a fatal crash.

Idaho's STAR program has one of the most highly regarded motorcycle safety curriculums in the nation, Cazel said.

"We are trying to instill in everyone that they should have motorcycle training and education," Cazel said.