{"id":15125,"date":"2019-07-12T17:53:28","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T20:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=15125"},"modified":"2019-07-12T17:53:28","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T20:53:28","slug":"lawn-clippings-deadly-danger-motorcyclists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/lawn-clippings-deadly-danger-motorcyclists\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawn Clippings Can Pose Deadly Danger to Motorcyclists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think of the dangers of yard work and we typically think of mower blades, rock shrapnel or ankles lacerated by weed whackers.<\/p>

But another danger lurks: Yard clippings sprayed onto the street by a mower or blasted onto the road by a leaf blower can have deadly consequences for motorcycle riders.<\/p>

In June 2019 in Illinois, a man on a motorcycle lost control when he hit some grass clippings in Bureau County. His wife, riding behind him, struck him. The impact threw her off her bike. She died in the hospital two days later.<\/p>

‘Almost Like Ice’<\/h2>

Grass clippings, especially when they\u2019re moist, slicken the road, according to Josh Witkowski, Illinois legislative coordinator for ABATE, a motorcycle advocacy organization. He points out that grass clippings are about 85 percent water.<\/p>

\u201cThey\u2019re almost like ice,\u201d Witkowski said.<\/p>

He said motorcycles are far more vulnerable to sliding than cars because bikes have just one drive wheel which needs to stay in contact with the road. The same is true for bicycles.<\/p>

\u201cIf it hits the grass, you\u2019re going to lose control,\u201d he said.<\/p>

Illinois is one of several states that have laws against spreading lawn clippings into roadways. But Thomas Zeglen, whose wife Cheryl<\/a> was killed in the Bureau County accident, doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s enough.<\/p>

\u201cI would like something to be done better than a $50 fine on grass clippings,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cWhat\u2019s it going to take for Congress or whatever to understand that?\u201d<\/p>

Zeglen said he will fight for stronger legislation and hopes to rename the state\u2019s grass clipping law as \u201cCheryl\u2019s Law\u201d to honor his wife.<\/p>

The man whose mowing led to the accident got a citation and faced a $1,500 fine.<\/p>

States consider yard clipping laws<\/h2>

Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky are among states considering yard clipping laws. Kentucky\u2019s proposed legislation is the direct result of an April 2019 accident that killed 31-year-old motorcyclist Robert Arron Lee of Graves County<\/a>. Friends began a petition to outlaw leaving grass clippings on the road.<\/p>

Nationwide, many communities have ordinances against leaving clippings in streets. Aside from the safety issue, clippings can clog sewer drains and make roadways unsightly.<\/p>

Typical is Elburn, Ill., which in May reminded its residents of its village ordinance against lawn and shrub clippings in the street.<\/p>

“We ask all residents and business owners to please take care to ensure that as you cut your grass and shrubs that you don\u2019t blow the clippings out onto the roads,” Police Chief Nicolas Sikora said in a news release<\/a>. “Those loose grass clippings can cause a motorcyclist or bicyclist to lose control as they ride over them and potentially lead to a crash.” Police will issue citations to violators, the chief said, which carry a fine of $80.<\/p>

Local Vs. Statewide Enforcement<\/h2>

Tyler Stiles, an attorney for Motorcycle Law Group in North Carolina, thinks statewide laws are more effective than local ordinances, which he says are frequently confusing and inconsistent.<\/p>

\u201cWhat we see is a lot of confusion in law enforcement over whether it\u2019s a code enforcement issue or a police matter. A law would create uniformity,\u201d he said.<\/p>

Stiles admits enforcing such a law would rank low on the priority lists of cops dealing with more serious crimes, but he believes it would at least serve to heighten public awareness of the danger. North Carolina\u2019s lawn clipping proposal<\/a> died in the 2019 Legislature, but Stiles says his group will likely try again for passage.<\/p>

Sliding isn\u2019t the only danger of clippings in the street. Witkowski said dried clippings blowing into a biker\u2019s face can obscure his vision or cause injury.<\/p>

Mowers: Prevent Road Clippings With These Steps<\/h2>

The first step in fixing the issue is for homeowners and lawn mowers to be aware that casting clippings into the street is not just an innocuous activity. These steps should be enough to avoid it:<\/p>