Author: Dominic Dacunto

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.– Riding a motorcycle is inherently dangerous but in Florida especially. After the tragic death of two 25 year-old motorcyclists on October 3rd at Beach Boulevard and San Pablo, Duval County has now seen over 20 traffic fatalities involving motorcycles this year. Florida is one of a few states that does not legally require riders to wear any safety gear and likewise does not require riders to have insurance unless their bike is $10,000 or more in value. This leads to a culture of reckless riders that are raised in a riding environment where rider safety is not prioritized, thus the likelihood of developing unsafe riding habits increases. This is evident in Duval County’s crash statistics from 2023, where 5% of motorcycle accidents were fatal for the rider and 13% caused serious injury. However, for some riders their own safety is their utmost priority, while having fund riding their bike is their second highest. Chris Walters and Paul Barnett are two local motorcyclists with a proclivity for wheelies and stunts. But unlike some of their more reckless compatriots, Chris and Paul keep their stunt riding to empty and abandoned parking lots. They say it’s a win-win they get to keep doing their adrenaline fueled antics and stay safe from other traffic while doing it, and those in cars don’t have to contend with motorcyclists riding crazily around them.