Is Riding Becoming Increasingly More Dangerous?

[VinnyR11]

All of your reasons for thinking that riding is more dangerous today have to do with cars and their drivers: congestion, cell phones/distractions, tinted windows. If these pose an increased risk to riders, I would expect them to also pose an increased risk to other car drivers. In other words, accident rates overall should be rising.

 

It looks like that's not the case in the US. This table shows accident (as opposed to fatality) rates per 100 million vehicle-miles travelled between 1990 and 2004. The upshot is that both the total number of accidents as well as accidents per mile travelled are down significantly. If somebody can find more recent data, I'd like to see it.

 

You beat me to the punch. I read the report and made the same deductions. It seems impossible, or at the least highly unlikely, that car drivers are getting into far fewer accidents overall but they're the cause of increased motorcycle accidents.

 

IMO the picture grows clearer that we(motorcyclists) have to get our own act together. It's not cell phones and GPS watching car drivers that are the main cause of increased moto deaths. In my opinion, it's unskilled riders, a huge number of DUI's, increased HP/performance in untrained hands, and wearing improper equipment that should be the main focus of the motorcycle community.

[Dave McReynolds]

IMO the picture grows clearer that we(motorcyclists) have to get our own act together. It's not cell phones and GPS watching car drivers that are the main cause of increased moto deaths. In my opinion, it's unskilled riders, a huge number of DUI's, increased HP/performance in untrained hands, and wearing improper equipment that should be the main focus of the motorcycle community.

 

I think you may be correct about the increase in motorcycle accidents in general.

 

However, I think it's important to note that I, and probably most of the other members of this board, are not going to get into an accident because of unskilled riders, a huge number of DUI's, increased HP/performance in untrained hands, and wearing improper equipment. We are not unskilled, and we don't do those things.

 

If I, and most of the members of this board, get into an accident, it will probably be for one of two reasons: either we are pushing it too hard and lose it on a curve, or we are smacked by another vehicle. Pushing it too hard and losing it on a curve is something that is totally within our own control, and a risk we are willing to accept. Getting smacked by an inattentive driver is a risk we would all like to reduce, I'm sure.

[Flash9677]

I'm sorry if the link didn't work. Anyway, the most glaring point to the 72 page report was that the fastest growing accident demographic is the middleage - heavy/high horse power, motorcycle riders. A whole lot more of us baby boomers have the income and desire to ride and a whole lot more of us are getting in over our heads with dire results.

[eakins]

take up dual sport riding. much less cars on the dirt roads.

[bross]

take up dual sport riding. much less cars on the dirt roads.

Bingo! Jodie and I rode for 5 hours through Washington on the Forestry roads instead of the highway. We saw 3, count em, 3 trucks that whole time. Being Jodie's first time on gravel roads, she said "What if someone's coming around that corner?", I laughed at that and said "OK it could, happen but it sure isn't very likely."

[gottabmw]

"OK it could, happen but it sure isn't very likely."

Famous last words.

[bross]

"OK it could, happen but it sure isn't very likely."

Famous last words.

Yeah, I know but through the switchbacks we were crawling and the 3 trucks we met were going slower than us.

[Quinn]

I am really, really shocked that motorcycle fatalities are increasing. I stopped for lunch today near a Harley dealer that was having some kind of promotion. I saw at least 30 motorcycles passing by before I got off my bike and into the restaurant. They were all, I repeat all, saving lives with their loud pipes. What with all the lives that they were saving and what others have saved with their lack of mufflers, I would think we'd have more of an overpopulation problem.

 

Seriously, I wanted to go up to this one guy in front of me at a light after lunch and ask him how many people he was saving with his loud pipes. How many db per person was required? Is it like in It's a Wonderful Life where everytime a bell rings, an angel gets his wings? Every time he fires up his bike, is life is saved? Exactly how does this loud pipe thing work? Could I just go down the road blowing my horn instead? Would that save lives? Do you think it might annoy other people?

 

I feel better now. Thank you.

[K2R1150RS]

Does anyone have statistics for Europe? They have to be seeing the same types of volume increases in traffic etc. but they have a very different culture with respect to bikes. Just curious if they're also seeing more accidents / fatalities.

In 2004 there were about 4000 motorcycle fatalities out of 51000 total fatalities in the USA. In Europe (the EU), there were about 6000 out of 40000 total fatalities.

[Eschelon1]

I did'nt mean to get off topic discussing t-shirts & shorts, but judgement or not I don't think it's a risk acceptance as much as it is ignorance.

 

And we all know that ATGATT would not have prevented the fatalities mentioned here on this forum this past year. It's just that there are so many ignorant cagers out there, why take the chance when it's so simple as putting on the right gear.

 

Riding with half your skin exposed is kinda like sitting down to clean your favorite gun without checking to see if it's loaded or not.

 

MHO

 

[harleyjohn45]

I did'nt mean to get off topic discussing t-shirts & shorts, but judgement or not I don't think it's a risk acceptance as much as it is ignorance.

 

And we all know that ATGATT would not have prevented the fatalities mentioned here on this forum this past year. It's just that there are so many ignorant cagers out there, why take the chance when it's so simple as putting on the right gear.

 

Riding with half your skin exposed is kinda like sitting down to clean your favorite gun without checking to see if it's loaded or not.

 

MHO

 

 

 

are you recommending gear laws.

[John Bentall]

Not gear laws - but how about a law that says every prospective rider has to sign up to ATGATT or be mandated into an educational visit to a motorcycle road-rash or shooting accident victim in hospital.

On second thoughts that would be completely pointless, because, of course, the "It will never happen to me!" syndrome.

[Amac]

So, which do you think are more dangerous? Interstates = more traffic, more trucks, but it's all heading in the same direction. Backroads = less traffic, fewer trucks, but theres always the risk of getting hit head on by passing traffic on a two lane...

[bross]

So, which do you think are more dangerous? Interstates = more traffic, more trucks, but it's all heading in the same direction. Backroads = less traffic, fewer trucks, but theres always the risk of getting hit head on by passing traffic on a two lane...

Between those two roads, back roads. But city riding is the worst of all.

[riding4work]

Professional drivers with hundreds of thousands miles of experience undergo constant driver and safety training. Still, there is a sign is posted at the exit of many major trucking terminals, that reads "BEWARE, you're now entering the most dangerous place in America, The Interstate Highway System".

 

And that's with ATGATT of an 18-wheeler.

 

I have little faith in accident stats, other than the location, until one is devised for the number of "nuts behind the wheel".

[11101110]

That's why I looked for accident rates instead of fatality or injury rates. All the things you list are the car equivalent of riding gear: they help mitigate injury in an accident, but don't prevent accidents from happening in the first place.

 

yes, but things like stability control, radar assisted cruise and brake assist can reduce the number of collisions. I had/have a MB E320 wagon that saved me in a collision (but was killed by the body shop and insurance company, now no one wants to fix it) because it had brake assist. Had I hit the stupid bitch-who was trying to make a left turn or U turn from the far right lane-at full speed, she would have at lease spun me if not fliped me, from impacting me on the side of my car. As it was I nailed her right in front of her door, the storngest part of her car, the firewall.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

yes, but things like stability control, radar assisted cruise and brake assist can reduce the number of collisions.

 

The important word there is "can," i.e. yes, they have that potential. But in a great many cases the reality is that they don't reduce the accident rate because drivers, knowing they have these things on their side, drive like asses. Blizzard? No problem, we've got 4WD and traction control. Raining? No problem, I can still tailgate because I've got ABS and the poor schmuck in front of me has a high-center brake light. These and other safety improvements have not delivered the expected reduction in accident/fatality rates because people take them into account, consciously or not, in their driving style.

 

Check out "Target Risk;" it's long, but it's a pretty amazing piece.

[Steve_Witmer]

It would also be good if they broke down the data according to whether riders were licensed or not, and whether they had formal rider training. It is very clear that there are a high percentage of riders, approaching 50% in some states, who don't even get a motorcycle endorsement, much less training. But they don't gather the data to see if these riders are overrepresented in the statistics.

 

There probably also are a higher percentage of unlicensed automobile drivers on the roads. States have gotten more aggressive about suspending drivers licenses for a variety of offenses, including non-driving related offenses, and experience shows that many of these folks refuse to accept the suspension and keep driving. In addition, most states will no longer issue licenses to illegal immigrants and so those unlicensed drivers are out there as well.

 

The penalties for unlicensed driving need to increase, including vehicle forfeiture for repeat offenders. That's the only thing that will get their attention.