| Author | Message | ||
     Birdy |
I’ve been reading all the newspaper reports on motorcycle wreaks the last year, give or take a month. From what I have read most of the crashes were the fault of the rider?!? Speeding, stunting, DUI (dumb in a car, on a bike just wrong to even have a couple I'd think) or just ran off the road. One guy even rear ended a Florida State Troopers car! Now this is nowhere near a scientific poll and yes there are the ones where the rider was slammed into by a car but not as many as I thought I’d see. Plus a couple of deer strikes that could have happened to a car or motorcycle. Could it be that we are our own worst enemy? Or am I just reading something into this that’s not there? | ||
| Teddagreek |
People are just as stupid and careless with cars as well.. Same kind of idiot different vehicles | ||
| Borrowedbike |
In a lot of cases we are our won worst enemy. Number once cause of motorcycle fatalities in OR (My home state) is "failure to negotiate a curve" | ||
| Paint_shaker |
The actions of a few, will ruin it for the rest of us. If you want to see what can happen, look to the Dragon. The actions of a few people, either by stupidity, inexperience, or flagrant disregard of traffic law brought the Dragon some heavy handed LE presence. Such presence as summer long details of extra LEOs in the area, including a ridiculous 14 LEOs within an 11 mile stretch at one point!!! | ||
| Brinnutz |
Punish the Masses for the Sins of a Few. Or, you can replace Sins with stupid ass actions. | ||
| Danger_dave |
'None of us are as Stupid as All of us'. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Had two recently die from Deer strikes...... That is what I am afraid of.... Motorcycling is an inherently dangerous activity. A momentary lapse of concentration can and will kill you. The most interesting statistic, is that the bulk of accidents has shifted from the sport bike rider to the middle aged cruiser rider.....I cannot find the source on that but I read it somewhere. | ||
| Tm74 |
I don't know about you but I've seen a lot more motorcycles on the road compared to last year, presumably due to the price of gas. I imagine it's a lot of new or returning riders along with those who already had bikes but never rode much. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Posted this on another board, but one of the things that draws me to riding that it can actually kill you. It's like mountain climbing or skydiving. There are so many people who enter the sport failing to recognize the inherent risks or respecting the danger of doing it haphazardly. | ||
| Danger_dave |
'Whole life balance Daniel-San'. | ||
| Tm74 |
There are so many people who enter the sport failing to recognize the inherent risks or respecting the danger of doing it haphazardly. Excellent point. I've got a friend like that. You can tell he's scared to death. That'll get ya into trouble in a hurry. | ||
| Teddagreek |
I work in the Traffic industry... I've seen countless wrecks... I'm crazy precautious at Intersections because of this... Last Year I saw Scion after being hit by a redlight runner... It wasn't pretty.. | ||
| U4euh |
Just curious as to what and where you were reading the statistics. Only reason I say this is, if it were insurance, DMV, etc. then nothing else needs to be said than more MC on the road, with less and less experience joining the ranks everyday. If however it were from some sort of media source, it is inherently biased against MC's and will only focus on the wrecks where the 'rider' were at fault. How many times I have watched a 30 second 'mention' on the e10 o'clock news about a car struck and killed a motorcyclists, but 10 minutes worth of "the rider was speeding" or "doing stunts" and how dangerous the area was and how stupid he/she were to be riding there. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
"There are so many people who enter the sport failing to recognize the inherent risks or respecting the danger of doing it haphazardly."  | ||
| Danger_dave |
 ...........doh sorry - wrong game. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Do a sampling of how many Green Ford Explorers are involved in accidents. Its alarming, you should have to have a special license to drive that vehicle that color! Its such a national travesty that there should be a wait period to buy a Green Ford Explorer. Whatever can we do to stop this pandemic of SUV debauchery. Please for the love of safety, dont drive a Green Ford Explorer, dont let your friends get behind the wheel of a Green Ford Explorer, and if you know somebody that has a Green Ford Explorer, say a special prayer for them..... Statistics are a biatch, next 'random' sampling for your next paranoia headline please. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Statistics are a biatch, next 'random' sampling for your next paranoia headline please. I completely agree with that statement. But the original post's intent was correct, we are to blame. Most motorcycle accidents do not involve another vehicle. | ||
| Swordsman |
"There are so many people who enter the sport failing to recognize the inherent risks or respecting the danger of doing it haphazardly." Which is what kills me about how FEW people I see wearing anything more than a helmet. I can't help but think they don't have enough respect for the asphalt ass grinder. I've yet to come off the bike when it wasn't already at a standstill (thank God!), but I really, REALLY don't like the idea! ~SM | ||
| Spatten1 |
All studies I've seen since the 80's show a huge percentage of MC accidents involving alcohol, way out of proportion. I'm sure stunting a speeding contribute out of proportion to accidents, that only makes sense. Let's face it, motorcycles attract certain types of guys in their teens and 20's, and most of us are or were there at some time in the past. I know I've been more irresponsible on a motorcycle than a car. Now that I'm older I've stopped riding like that, but I expect the younger guys to carry on. Just how the world works. | ||
| Miamiuly |
How many accidents that ARE caused by another vehicle go reported as single vehicle. You know, the guy that pulled out of the driveway causing the wreck, and then kept going oblivious to the whole scene. Or the idiot that came around the bend in your lane over the double yellow causing you to run off road, and again the car keeps going. It happens. And pictures of people sitting in traffic at a bikeweek don't really count as "no gear" to me. Yeah you could still get hit by another bike or car, but cruising the strip at a stop and go of 10mph doesn't require leathers. (Message edited by miamiuly on August 20, 2008) | ||
| 5liter |
These just happened a few days ago: http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/08/1 7/front/doc48a824f251fc4951557159.txt http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/08/17/front/858345.txt (Message edited by 5liter on August 20, 2008) | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
When I got hot and heavy into this bike thing a couple of years ago, a close buddy of mine from Harley, who actally got me into it, pulled me aside, showed me all the scars from road rash and surgery then explained to me exactly what I was getting into. To quote, "Its not a question of IF something bad is going to happen, its a question of WHEN something bad WILL happen. Be prepared the best you can. I will not let you have the keys to this thing (my XB) until you finish the Edge class." Riding bikes is dangerous, that's why chicks dig it. I've never been flashed in my Dakota, but in the two seasons with my XB, its happend twice. Thanks Erik Buell. | ||
| Hughlysses |
On a related note, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is calling for a new study into the current motorcycle accident statistics: http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2008/08/19/motor cycle-safety-foundation-calls-for-crash-study/ I wonder if the current reports on accidents include all the unlicensed scooters ("liquor bikes")- that might account for a lot, if not the majority of two-wheeled accidents. | ||
| Oldog |
Interesting read for sure, I am however reminded of Mark Twain, "Figures don't lie but liars Figure" the total numbers are up and the ridership is likely up too. as far as foolish young riders, well I have the scars to prove it. carry on.. | ||
| Rainman |
I don't have the figures, but the latest scuttlebutt in the MSF circles is that 40-and-up returning riders are the fastest increasing group for fatalities. Theory is that it's because they all rode in the 1970s and don't need training. Of course, they rode CB 350s and are buying Electra Glides and Gold Wings. Last I heard intersections were still the greatest killer, but off-the-corner was increasing. I'll see if I can find any figures to back it up. | ||
| Strato9r |
Really, if "THEY" wanted to have fewer people killed in any type of motor vehicle accident, the best and easiest way would be to make getting a drivers license way more difficult to get, as far as displaying actual driving skills. The only problem with that would be the massive class action suits being launched by the lawyers of the stupid and inept. | ||
| Spatten1 |
I don't have the figures, but the latest scuttlebutt in the MSF circles is that 40-and-up returning riders are the fastest increasing group for fatalities. I think that must be true. Here I see horrible older riders on Harleys, no helmets, always in traffic, everywhere. They ride like they have obviously not been down yet. It's hard to watch, it makes me cringe. | ||
| Tm74 |
I think if they end up doing the study they need to account for only riders that were wearing helmets, or somehow separate the two. I don't think it's accurate to mix them. I'm not trying to stir up a helmet debate. It's just that a trivial off with a helmeted rider could be a fatality for a rider not wearing one. The noggin is too easy to screw up which would alter the results if both were combined. | ||
| Macbuell |
I chuckled yesterday when driving my car home in Atlanta traffic. This guy pulled up next to me, had to be at least 50 years old, and had a brand new Harley wiht the dealer tags still on it complete with all the bells and whistles, chaps, leather Harley jacket, and on and on. Whoever the salesman was on that one had a good day. Anyway, at least he was wearing more than a skull cap. There was post here just yesterday about some guy that got killed because he was stunting on his Sportster without a helmet and had a highside. You read and hear about these things and you can only shake your head. As some have already said, there are far too many people getting into motorcycling that do not have the proper respect for what can happen if things go bad. And things can go bad on a bike VERY quickly. Whenever I talk to anyone that is thinking about buying a bike I always tell them to take the MSF course, ride like everyone is trying to kill you and to wear All The Gear All The Time (ATTGATT). Beyond that, and some riding tips if asked, there's not much more I can do about it. Just Ride Safe and Keep the Rubber Side Down. | ||
| Edgydrifter |
I've found that it takes several months after I've dumped a bike for the "muscle memory" of the sensation preceding the dump to fade. That's several months of extra-paranoid embarrassingly conservative riding. Fine on a moped, but I'm sure I look stupid for a while on my bike--glad it's only happened a couple of times over the years. I think some people are immune to such sensations, or are able to drown out the little voices of caution in their heads with the sounds of their own awesomeness. Those are the guys who end up spot-welded to the side of a garbage truck, and there seems to be an increasing number of them out there. |
