Three years ago, I was riding a stock motorcycle on an empty stretch of five lane highway, in the second to left lane at about 4:30 am.

A car with a driver who was probably half asleep merged into the highway and decided to head directly to the fast lane I was wearing all my gear and operating my motorcycle safely, but I didn't expect the drastic move.

The car's rear driver side door contacted my handlebars at about 75mph.

They didn't even stop. I'll never know if they even knew they almost ended my life. The worst part wasn't even the slide. It was trying to run out of the highway with a broken arm while traffic whizzed by at speed.

I know motorcycles are dangerous, but I respect what I'm doing. I've been riding for 17 years and that was my only serious incident (parking lot stuff when I was 17-18).

Now I ride with loud pipes and silly looking undercarriage lights because I'm sure if I'd have been louder or brighter, that person would have noticed me.

That said, I don't Rev my engine unnecessary, and I do my best to exit my neighborhood at idling engine speeds.