So...riding...really that dangerous?

[Robkhb]

I'm planning on living forever and so far that's working out really well for me...

[basshole]

I would assume most motorcycle riders are just as alert and "road savvy" when in their cages as they are on their bikes. If you are alert and aware you can avoid alot of problems just like anything else in life but you can't protect yourself from everything everytime so the best you can do is be prepared and try to have a good time doing it!

[Robkhb]

Yeah I agree for the most part. Defensive driving goes a looong way though. I know people who have been in like 3 accidents and somehow none of them were "their fault." However these were all accidents that could have been avoided, even people hitting you from behind. When I come to a stop I look in my rear view and see what's happening, I know this practice has saved me from at least one wreck where a person wasn't paying attention and I was able to pull off into the shoulder to avoid being rear-ended by them. Sure it would have been their fault but who cares about blame when your on your way to the hospital? It's easy to make sure you don't hit anyone else, but you need to make sure no one else can hit you...

[storysunfolding]

To qoute a famous book

"He had decided to live forever, or die in the process"

It's a good qoute to live by, but there's a catch...

[slider03]

I would assume most motorcycle riders are just as alert and "road savvy" when in their cages as they are on their bikes. If you are alert and aware you can avoid alot of problems just like anything else in life but you can't protect yourself from everything everytime so the best you can do is be prepared and try to have a good time doing it!

As I've learned how to ride a motorcycle I've become a much better cage driver. Today's cars very quiet, handle better, and are much more comfortable than ever, but I think it makes people more complacent. Maybe the MSF course should be required before an automobile license is issued.

[Aquaduct]

I know the statistics are high for motorcycle deaths. But comparatively they're about equal to car deaths (in the number of cars vs motorcycles on the road) so you have almost the same chance to die in a car than on a motorcycle.

Not true. But the statistics are easily accessible on the NHTSA website (www.nhtsa.gov).

But most people will actually be surprised when they start looking at actual numbers and thinking about them for a second. I think something like 4000 passenger car fatalities happen every year in this country. That's pretty impressive, until you consider that there are 50 states, 365 days in a year, and often more than one person involved in each crash.

Suddenly, those numbers aren't quite as scary. And when the government wants us to spend an extra $200 on our next car so we can save 250 lives a year, it gives one pause.

Bike statistics are definitely worse, but not exponentially.

And the people who make a living betting against my demise (insurance companies) seem to agree. My bike is the cheapest vehicle in my house to insure, something like $400/year with full coverage, a little less than my old Toyota Corrolla with PL/PD. Of course, I'm a 44 year old, married engineer with a 1200 cc Sport Tourer.

That said, you should always be respectful of the position you have put yourself in. If you hit something, there's nothing there to take the blow. Always ride smart. Anticipate traffic situations in advance. For example, freeway entrance ramps are always a problem. Be meticulous in your bike's maintenance. I recommend learning to do some of it yourself. It's good to be in touch with the operating bits of the machine. And be seen. My wife was following me one evening (still light) while I took my bike in for service and she said that with my dark jacket and dark bike, it was real easy to forget I was even there from her Expedition. Went out and got a dayglow lime/yellow safety jacket. My boy teases me because it hurts his eyes in the sunlight. But people see me coming.

So no, it's not a death wish, anymore than not wearing safety belts is. But you do need to be awake all the time. The penalty for brain farts is severe.

And don't ever try to argue statistics with non-believers. Trust me, you can't win.

[sv-wolf]

There was a motorcyle safety campaign here a couple of years back with films and posters bearing the slogan (something like): 'But did you see the driver who didn't see you?')

Of course accidents happen that you cannot anticipate and can do nothing about, but I reckon there is a great deal you can do to make yourself safer on the roads riding a bike. So, check out the statistics, but check 'em out carefully and relate them to yourself, your style of riding etc etc.

In the UK, as I understand it, you are 14 times more likely to die on a motorcycle than in a car - and that is taking all the variables into consideration, like the relative number of cars and bikes on the road.

But these are pretty unsubtle statistics. If you look into it further you find that these figure break down interestingly. If you ride a high performance sportsbike, you stand a much greater chance of dying on the road than if you ride a standard roadbike or a cruiser. In fact most of the difference between cager deaths and motorcylist deaths is taken up by sportsbike riders.

And if you are one of of those who buy it on a high performance sportsbike it is most likely because you wrapped yourself round a tree with no other vehicles in sight. The greater your riding experience , the less likely you are to be killed or involved in an accident also.

So, my view is, keep your wits about you, learn everything you can, think about what happens, treat everyone else on the roads like idiots, forget about dying (it's gonna happen anyway) and enjoy yourself. If you ride a bike you are committed to the higher risk, so no use fretting about it. if you can't do that then take up something safe, like skydiving, instead.

[05harley]

Here is a site with some statistics from various sources. Interesting and shocking.

http://home1.gte.net/res0ak9f/bike.htm

[omar]

damn that's scary!

and i'm looking to get my first bike soon

Here is a site with some statistics from various sources. Interesting and shocking.

http://home1.gte.net/res0ak9f/bike.htm

[Skier]

Here is a site with some statistics from various sources. Interesting and shocking.

http://home1.gte.net/res0ak9f/bike.htm

That site is much more of a "scare people out of motorcycling" than an attempt at an unbiased analysis of statistics. It reads like a spam email and makes some pretty large jumps in "logic."

I could easily make a similar site that would make you never want to step foot in a car again. Or play with fireworks. Or work around heavy machinery. Or walk down the street. Or step foot outside your front door. Or stay inside your home all day.