FAIRFIELD, Maine — Two days after a deadly motorcycle crash that killed seven and injured three in New Hampshire, a motorcycle safety expert in Maine is speaking out about how to stay safe on the road.
Friday evening’s crash in Randolph, N.H. involved a pick up truck hauling a trailer which collided with a group of 10 bikers on a remote highway in northern New Hampshire.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Erik Payne teaches a 2-day motorcycle safety course every weekend in Fairfield, M.E.
He has been teaching motorcycle safety for 20 years but has been a rider himself for more than 40 years.
The class Payne teaches is a required "basic rider course" all motorcycle riders in Maine must take before obtaining their permit or a license to ride.
"I teach safety but once they leave here you can't guarantee that everybody adheres to it," said Payne. "We've given them the tools. It's up to them to put it to use."
All of the riding in Payne's course happens on what he calls "the range," a makeshift driving course in a large parking lot.
Riders in Payne's class, like Dana Watts, aren't allowed to ride on the road until completing the course.
"Keep your eyes open and don't assume someone is doing something," said Watts of some of the lessons he's learned from Payne. "Make sure you're in the safe path. As long as you're careful and you pay attention, you should be alright."
He's looking forward to family rides with his dad, brother, uncles, and maybe even his step-mom, but he knows he has to master his own skills solo before he can commit to riding with others.
"I want to make sure I'm fully in control before I put someone else's life in danger," said Watts.
"I think that being a motorcyclist makes you a better motorist," said Payne, while instructing Sunday's class.
Payne added that without knowing the exact cause of Friday’s crash, it’s difficult to determine who was at fault.
He added though that riding in a “group ride” is more dangerous than riding solo for a number of reasons. If something goes wrong on the road, there isn’t as much room to maneuver to safety when riding in a group ride. Also, a biker is responsible for their riding skills as well as the skills of the entire group when riding with multiple people.
"You have to hone your own skills first before you go into these group rides," said Payne. "These group rides can be dangerous because you never know what another person's skill level is and you're riding with them or beside them or, hopefully not beside them because you know, you have to ride in staggered formation. Side by side riding is not allowed in the state of Maine although we see it all of the time."
Not riding safely, especially in a group ride, can sometimes mean paying the ultimate price.
"We have memorial rides for the people that are on memorial rides," said Payne.
Despite Friday’s deadly crash, Payne said he isn’t making any changes to the way he instructs his class Sunday.
He advises bikers wishing to take part in group rides talk to the organizers of the ride in advance and learn the signals they use in order to be that safe rider he trains in his class.