Motorcyclists. Of course, Mary E. Peters didn't quite put it that way. “We have seen the total motorcycle participation in vehicle miles traveled go up,” Mary E. Peters, the secretary of transportation and a "longtime Harley-Davidson rider" told The New York Times. “We might see more people moving to that mode of transportation. We might see that data skew.” (I don't know about you, but I wouldn't use that kind of language around my fellow Hell's Angels.) By the numbers, "Deaths of motorcyclists surged 6.6 percent, to 5,154; 2007 was the 10th straight year of increase… Total deaths in motor vehicle crashes in 2007 declined to 41,059, a drop of 3.9 percent compared with 2006. Deaths in cars fell 7.8 percent, and in light trucks 2.7 percent. Even alcohol-related deaths fell." Obviously, there are enough unconfirmed variables to please/challenge any advocacy group: gas prices, passive safety, driver education, drink drive enforcement, changing demographics, helmet laws, etc. But common sense suggests that gas price hikes are a double-edged sword. At the moment, it looks like a net safety gain. Or loss. Or something.
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How can numbers not go up?
I see more & more people riding every day who drive like they are in a 3rd world country (scooters/bicycles blowing stop signs, weaving in & out of car traffic, splitting lanes…)
The fact is, people who drive 2 wheels, period, have made the decision that the amount of risk is worth what is gained.
For myself, I accepted the risk, but try to limit myself by NOT splitting lanes, running lights, and always, ALWAYS assuming the car next to/infront of/behind me is not paying attention and or can kill me at any moment. Me minimizing my risk also requires me to at LEAST wear a full face helmet, boots, gloves, and textile or full leather jacket, both with body armor.
Riding anything with two wheels (esp when mixed with 4 wheels) requires 2-3x the amount of attention or more!
As long as people think “I’m going to replace my car with a scooter/motorcycle/bicycle & drive like I’m driving my car, with the bonus that I can squeeze around/through traffic much bigger than me”, fatalities will continue to go up.
A good example of someone who has replaced his car with his scooter is my brother. He got his “L” class here in IL so he can drive 125cc or lower. He bought a yamaha vino and rides it around with absolutely no training. I’m afraid to ask him if he’s actually bought a helmet/jacket because I don’t necessarily know if I want to hear the answer.
People don’t realize that to simply stay alive riding two wheels in a 4 wheel world they need to invest:
– in safety gear
– in training classes
– in paying attention to what is going on around them !
The t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flop motorcyclist never ceases to amaze me.
Several days ago on the way to work I saw a young guy in just jeans and a t-shirt driving like he owned the interstate. I admit it has it’s appeal as it is a high level of risk to take. But I don’t know that I’d ever do it no matter what gas costs.
Well the environmental movement does think there are too many people. So now along with less SUV’s… less people too.
I hate driving around motorcycles, they make me nervous. I try to keep my distance. It seems the vast majority of motorcycle riders will fall into one of two categories. Those that uber cautious and drive safely 100% of the time in traffic and those who think a motorcycle is a ticket hight speed fun on the highway and a means avoiding traffic tie ups that cars have to deal with.
It seems that the latter group will eventually get into an accident of some sort if they continue to drive that way, hopefully not fatal. Those that survive and continue to ride will likely graduate into the safe crowd.
There’s no way I’d ever ride a motorcycle. Even though it might be cheaper to operate than a car, I’d rather continue to live. My car has lots of safety features that can protect me if I make a dumb decision, or someone else makes a dumb decision that affects me. Not the case with motorcyles.
Here in Maine, helmets are not mandatory, and most motorcycle riders take advantage of that. On the other hand, people on scooters seem to be a little more into safety since they typically at least wear a helmet around here.
Very well said Robstar, I agree with everything you said.
I tell everyone I kow who is thinking about riding and numerous times on this website to take the MSF course reguardless of how much it might cost you. The training I learned and continue to practice has saved my life a number of times, sometimes multiple times in a week. Unfortunately I rarely get listened too, I couldn’t even convince my brother to take the class because he didn’t want to pay the $150 for the course, he has sold his bike so now I only have to worry about him in his 914.
If all licencing and driver training was approached like the MSF course and people took driving seriously the roads would be a much safer place.
Train yourself and practice waht you learned, get the proper riding gear and WEAR it, maintain your bike, and always have a safe way out of a situation and look out for the other a$$hole and riding can be a lot safer and very rewarding.
Its only going to get worse, in my opinion. Tuesday night on speed used to mean an hour of good info. Now they have some moron named Jason Britten showing the world how to be a gangsta stunta. Great. “Superbikes” isnt doing our sport any favors as legislators can tune in too. Having crashed 4 times (3 on the racetrack, once as a newbie many moons ago on the street) I dont understand the “my skin is tough cause i’m tough” mentality. Asphalt wins over flesh every time. I just gave away my track leathers with three lowside crashes on them. Bought a Harley so I dont drag my kneee, and dont need them. I still always wear a jacket, boots, gloves, ballistic jeans, and a fullface helmet. Yeah, the last one gets the looks from the biker crowd. I dont understand the logic of a skull cap. Your face is the 2nd or 3rd body part to slam into the road when you go down. I like to eat, think i’ll keep my jaw. Look up “live to ride ride to die” sometime. I think its still on the web.
I’m not sure that a 6.6% (or .0066) increase denotes a “surge”, except when 100% hyperbole is applied.
I prefer to think of a “surge” as nearer 50 or 60%. I wonder what that would be referred to? A deluge? a megamega-mega-surge? A drenching rain?
Around here, most of the really stupid motorcycle driving seems to be done by testosterone crazed young men. In my opinion, if its either causing an accident in an escelade (another perennial bad driving behavior favorite), or a motorcycle, i’d prefer them on a motorcycle. Less colladeral damage. Better organ retention (for transplantation, of course). Hopefully not wearing a helmet.
Well, I’m using a Honda CBF150 in Istanbul, Turkey. Our traffic is comparable to NY, and gas is about three times more expensive (10.6 $/gallon), so driving a car would cost at least 3 times more money for gas and 2 times more time wasted in traffic. I’ve been using a bike instead of my old Renault 9 for 4 months, I’d never rode more than 1/4 mile without my full face helmet/protective jacket/protective gloves/knee pads. I also had a crash due to a “from the left of the line turn sharply to the right” lady.
Bikes are realy dangerous, especially to those who thinks a car license is enough to use a small bike. Even a 125cc scooter can go up to 60mph, and when you just fell of the bike you’ll probably see your bones without the need of an X-Ray, as even the best jeans can stand 2 seconds against friction of asphalt. Even if you ride safe enough, you’ll still have a three times higher fatality risk than cars
I’m not a “racer guy driving 200mph” or a “chopper guy with just a bandana on head”, I’m a “touring guy with the look of Robocop”. Some people make fun of me, but if you know how to modify your outfit when entering a café, you can still be safe and cool :)
Also, “I believe in sky, not sunroof!” You can never feel the freedom of a bike with any car.
I’ve put off buy a motorbike for just this reason.
A Hayabusa is just too tempting for “ultimate hoonage”. Do we really need 194hp in a two-wheeled vehicle that weighs less than really fat guy?
More miles traveled = more chance of accident, yeah, I guess, this is probably true of cars as well.
As a motorcyclist, I personally believe this has more to do with states relaxing helmet laws, riders with poor/no training, and increasing numbers of riders using their bikes for bar hopping. I am about the most pro-helmet-law and anti-ABATE motorcyclist you will ever meet, though.
Oh, one other thing: motorcycles might be cheaper to operate than cars, but they still ain’t cheap IMO, factoring in maintenance (but I tend toward Ducati/Guzzi). MPG on anything other than a Harley, which get around 50 mpg, or a scooter, can be surprisingly poor: 30 mpg on some 600-cc supersports, for example. For me the value proposition isn’t there over a Yaris. I like bikes because they are fun, not because they are economical. Because they aren’t very.
seabrjim: excellent points. A friend of mine recently had an accident on his bicycle. Broke every bone in his face (fortunately his jaw was spared) and spent over 10 hours in surgery on Monday getting his face reconstructed.
That is exactly why I always wear a full-face helmet when riding. It might not help at stupid speeds, but at low-moderate speeds it can mean the difference between walking away and months of recovery. (Can you say Roethlisberger?)
Two days ago I was driving in the left lane with a motorcycle in the right lane just in front of me. A woman in a Malibu in my lane decided she needed to take the exit ramp right NOW, and proceeded to cut right in front of the motorcyclist, no turn signals or anything.
2-3 years ago I watched a guy on a sportbike pull out of a gas station, throttle wide open, and in the left lane. He got about 1/10th mile before a van pulled out from the left and nailed him. It looked like a giant baseball bat hit him, and shot him and the bike to the right at a 90 degree angle. That’s why I’d never consider riding on the street again.
@Khutuck:
Um, traffic in Istanbul is not like traffic in NY. In Istanbul a flash of the lights and honk of the horn suffice to let everyone know you are not going to stop for that red light and anywhere the sidewalk is not blockaded with poles is clear for driving, in my experience. You sir are very brave.
I think the increase in accidents is likely due to the increase in popularity of stunt riding. I saw a guy riding a sportbike right next to my car at 75mph do a superman, ie. lay belly down on the seat with arms and legs straight out. I almost crashed into him out of shock. I’ve seen more than a few pull wheelies down the highway. Then there are those youtube videos of guys doing 200mph wheelies on turbo hayabusa’s.
I have been dissuaded from purchasing a motorcycle by the high risk and my love of hoonery thus far, but I do have a powerful lust for a Honda CBR600RR, to save the environment of course.
It would be interesting to see if the 6.6% raise in accident occurrence corresponds with a comparable raise in motorcycle registrations.
I also agree with many of the other posts mentioned. There’s the safe rider and what I like to refer to as the “Jet-Ski” rider. (If you own a decent size boat you’ll know what I mean. Those things are like mosquitoes!)
Unfortunately it’s the biker who weaves, speeds, and is generally a jerk on the road that sticks out in other motorists’ minds. They then make the leap of logic that all riders are like this. It’s the safe ones that go unnoticed… both mentally and occasionally physically.
I ride and I can’t stand those types of bikers. Just a few days ago on my commute home I had one of the aforementioned flip flop guys trying to goad me into racing. Seriously, you’re riding a rocket sled – treat it with some respect!
Helmets are not required in NM and AZ. That doesn’t mean that good common sense shouldn’t prevail and that people shouldn’t wear them. Most of the rice rocket riders wear helmets around here. But here in NM and AZ, the amount of 50 something and older hippies on their Harleys w/out helmets never ceases to amaze me. Easy Rider – ehhhh!
jpc0067 :
MPG on anything other than a Harley, which get around 50 mpg, or a scooter, can be surprisingly poor: 30 mpg on some 600-cc supersports, for example.
Most sportbikes can easily get into the 40-50mpg range. They are not particularly aerodynamic, but they just don’t have to move much air out of the way. In city driving, they only have to accelerate a few hundred pounds.
The same driver that gets 30mpg out of a sport bike would likely get 20 out of a Prius.
I get mid to high 30’s city, and mid to high 40’s (done a couple full tanks at 48mpg) on my 2005 gsx-r 600.
Pretty much with the advent of constant cellphone flappers, two-wheels are not the “fun” they used to be.