The freedom that a driver’s license encapsulates and the initial feeling when ripping open the envelope labeled “Department of Motor Vehicles” after months of driver’s ed is like no other. Being gifted or purchasing your first car is a moment many people remember as monumental. Not having to worry about finding a ride home after Crier build or the unnecessary fear of bothering your mom because “practice ended early” are only some pros of the modern car.

But, alongside the constant innovation of sedans, pick-ups and SUVs, the four-wheeled automotive has an evil cousin tormenting the streets: the motorcycle. Lane-splitting and loud exhausts are not the worst effects of motorcycles being legal; instead, the worst is the common accidents that come from reckless driving and the quick comeback to the same two-wheeled death machine that almost killed an entire family including the driver that shocks me.

Recently, I saw an Instagram reel of a motorcyclist addressing this controversy. Mind you, he had his arm amputated from a debilitating motorcycle accident. He argued that the “thrill of the ride” outweighed the possibilities of further injury, and he continued to ride: WITH ONE ARM. His situation makes me wonder how his close friends and family feel about his decision after having to take care of him post-amputation

Riders describe the experience of driving through open roads and the rush that comes from speed. When someone chooses to drive a motorcycle, especially recklessly and having already been injured, it stops being a personal choice. It becomes a selfish one.

3% of vehicles on the road are motorcyclists, and yet they make up 20% of the accidents. Yes, we need transportation and cars do also put lives at risk. This being said, motorcycle riders are far more in danger than civilians in cars. No enclosed space, airbags, or seatbelts; the risk is far more detrimental than the reward. It is the issue of low IQ individuals driving just for the thrill, not out of necessity.