Motorcycle Deaths

[rjdaines]

Originally Posted by rkforrest

You see it on this List everyday waiting to Happen."Hey I am a New Guy I Just Bought my First Bike and I am getting to take the Safety Course" WTF do you expect to Happen.How do people buy a Motorcycle and not even know how to ride and not expect to DIE.It seems the Instant Gratification of buying a Bike is their First Priority and learning to ride proficently is secondary.

Off my Soapbox now

Many of us buy the bike, have it delivered and don't get on it until after the class. There were at least 5 of us like that at our MSF class and none of us had used the bikes. That's not to say that there aren't those that do but a blanket statement doesn't cover it either.

[boblamb58]

Safer roads:

I saw this on page one, nobody had any answers. Here's my thoughts:

Better paved, more lighting. Many curves straightened or made not as sharp. Better traffic control by signage or lights.

Driver rant:

The problem with many people is that they've gotten so complacent. After a few years of no incidents, they feel nothing is going to happen, and subsequently let down their collective guards. They drive distracted. Cell phones, fiddling with the radio, reading a book or newspaper, makeup, coffee, a soda. You name it, it's probably been done by a driver. They're piloting a 2 ton (give or take a ton or so) machine capable of inflicting great pain or death, yet fail to realize the responsibility they carry in piloting such a beast. How can they watch for a motorcycle when they are doing so much else?

A few days ago I was in the car while my permitted son was driving at night. As the oncoming cars were beaming their lights, he asked me about how you don't get blinded by them. I asked him "Didn't they teach you that in driver's ed?" (we had paid the school $200 for him to take a class), "No, Dad, mostly they told us not to drink and drive". Ok, a good point, but not enough. I am trying desperately to drill into both my boys the great responsibility they carry when driving the car. And I really hope they've gotten the message I keep repeating ad nauseum about not using the phone and watching for that motorcycle.

[Old Jeff]

So the wife and I rode in to work today, about 5 houses down from my driveway, a huge white Buick barrels out of it's driveway.

I shut it down and came to a easy stop, she suddenly sees me and locks up the brakes completely blocking both lanes.

And waves me by..... I sat there with no expression while the wife is quietly cussing behind me.

After much flopping of hands and head, she finally drives off and pulls into the school 100 yards down the road.

Just on a hunch, I circled the block just to see her pulling back into her driveway....

You can't fix stupid and lazy..... Pay attention kids.

[KCSO]

Safer roads for who? Here in Nebraska road repair consists of armor coat spray on some tar and give it a goodly dollop of loose gravel and NOW to cut costs they are repairing only the small center strip for each car tire and leaving the edges rough. Each lane has 4 rough spots to cross over and these strips only extend where they think the damage is the worst. Even the car drivers are complaining, last year I had 4 accidents where the strips threw cars off the road in the ice. Now add to that that here motorcycle use is up about 40% the past couple years and then add the number of cagers who shouldn't be on the road and you get what you pay for.

Just last week I was run off the road on a hill top by an 80 year old man on meds who, when I stopped him, didn't know where he was. If I had been on a bike I would be another statistic. Our other big killer here is wildlife, the last three bikers we lost in our couonty smoked deer at between 55 and 60 and as the Game commission works to improve the hunting the car deer accidents also increase. So there are a LOT of factors involved that just reported stats don't show.

[So-Crates]

Doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out why - high gas prices means that more people are turning to motorcycles as a form of transportation. More newbie riders out there translates into more accidents on average. Add to that the lack of helmet laws in all states - only 19 states REQUIRE helmets for ALL riders (others have age restrictions, medical insurance restrictions or no laws at all) - and you have a recipe for fatalities to INCREASE.

And fatalities have stayed the SAME? Doesnt sound like a problem...

[brewman]

Originally Posted by oblivion_twister

... A monkey can be trained to pass a written and practical test.

Judging by the abilities of many of the drivers I see on a daily basis I'd say a truer statement has never been written.

[rmw]

There is a major error in this report and it is so basic to any form of statistical study that when it is missing, it has to be intentional.

A raw number like X number of deaths is virtually meaningless. Such a number to reflect reality has to be related to a common denominator such as per 100,000 riders or per million miles riden. If the death rate remains the same over say 5 years but the number of people riding doubles, then the death/riders halves.

Also, how many times did they mention the improving economy in 2011/2012? Really, improving? Could have fooled me. Then the discussion of helmet laws with the assumption there is a correlation between helmet laws and deaths, problem is most studies haven't shown a clear association.

This IMHO was a political policy paper to promote helmet laws and very little else.

[Shadzilla]

Originally Posted by RJDoles

I see more and more people texting while they drive now. It is surprising that that doesn't translate to more accidents, injuries and fatalities.

Cell phone manufacturer's say that their phone should be used in a safe manner. Maybe that statement lets them off the hook for any liability but almost all phones have gps in them now. It would be easy for the manufacturers to disable texting when the gps in the phone phone says the phone is moving faster than 5 mph.

Of course that would invite lawsuits from passengers in cars saying we are taking away their right to text while riding in a car.

And texting drivers would be forced to finish their text while sitting at a light so it would probably create backups at traffic lights.

Just my 2 cents.

Ride safe!

I was stopped at an intersection yesterday & 6 cars went through once they got the green - from my right - they turned left.
So, I was able to look right into their cars basically since they crossed over in front of me. FOUR of the six drivers were on their phone

I have a sticker on my helmet that says "HANG UP AND DRIVE"
Whenever I can catch someone's eye at a light & they are on the phone I point at it

[Offday]

Guaranteed if they made "ALL" new drivers ride a motorcycle for at least
A year before they were allowed to drive a car. Then "everyone" would have
Learned to watch for us.
Hell why not. Even when you start driving a car (here anyway) you can't have
passengers (unless its an adult. Can't drive at night. Etc.
Not a whole lot different than a new MC license anyway.

Of course that wont weed out the "stupid" riders who kill them selves.
Who most assured are figured in their statistics

[jpr1968]

Originally Posted by rmw

There is a major error in this report and it is so basic to any form of statistical study that when it is missing, it has to be intentional.

A raw number like X number of deaths is virtually meaningless. Such a number to reflect reality has to be related to a common denominator such as per 100,000 riders or per million miles riden. If the death rate remains the same over say 5 years but the number of people riding doubles, then the death/riders halves.

Also, how many times did they mention the improving economy in 2011/2012? Really, improving? Could have fooled me. Then the discussion of helmet laws with the assumption there is a correlation between helmet laws and deaths, problem is most studies haven't shown a clear association.

This IMHO was a political policy paper to promote helmet laws and very little else.

The Study is from the 80's. Little hard to quote something 30 years in the future.