"Be Careful"

[alarmguy]

Accidents are the 4th leading cause of US deaths, with 224,935 in the last reported year, in the US, per the CDC. And it's the only cause of death in the top 10, that predominantly impacts young people. The rest are predominantly ailments that come with long life and start occurring much later in life. Highway safety reported ~5,000 motorcyclist deaths in 2020, representing 14% of all traffic fatalities and 28x higher death rate than car passengers.

When I was active duty during the height of the 2-front GWOT, we were losing LESS men in combat, than motorcycle deaths at home. These young men would come home from deployment, feel invincible, use that deployment money on a bike, and be dead in a month. The Army mandated extensive motorcycle safety classes, and full PPE on bikes. Think about that, less men dying in combat than on motorcycles. And that's how we lost a infantry guy in my unit between deployments.

If you're doing something regularly that is 14% of all traffic fatalities, at 28x more likely than car deaths, contributes to a 4th leading cause of death, and comprises to about 2-3% of all annual accident deaths overall, perhaps "Be Careful" is sage advice.

An interesting fact to put things in perspective is medical errors are one of the top 3 causes of deaths in the USA.
Typically tie with accidents in general, medical errors kill at least 250,000 Americans each year in the USA.

One fact about motorcyclist accidents 36% did not have a license and an equal number were impaired.
Those impaired numbers jump greatly higher st night.
So don’t drink, have a valid license and you slash your risk 50% or more.

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813306

But who cares? We all do what we do for fun in a free country. One could be one a hermit inside their home and greatly reduce risks further. Just because car is safer means nothing.

 

[wpod]

Riding a motorcycle in Utah is a Deathwish.....sorry.

I hear on then news that people are always getting killed on M/C here in Idaho.

 

[Number_35]

My wife says the transplant surgeons here were heartbroken when the motorcycle helmet laws came in.

@John Galt and @walterjay , no doubt the transplant people spoke ruefully or with irony or were in dark-humour mode; I'm sure they realized that every helmetless victim left loved ones behind.

 

[alarmguy]

@John Galt and @walterjay , no doubt the transplant people spoke ruefully or with irony or were in dark-humour mode; I'm sure they realized that every helmetless victim left loved ones behind.

As did every mountain climber and skydiver

 

[BigCahuna]

There is a shortage here - stats for 2020 are 105 MV fatalities in a province of 1.4M, in conjunction with a large (c. 18%) indigenous population. The indigenous people are very prone to developing diabetes and kidney disease, thought to be due to their poor adaptation to a western diet. Kidneys are always in demand.

So, your saying eating is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle?.,,,,

 

[wpod]

I think this is the best motorcycle crash video I've ever seen. It really did happen, several years ago. No CGI involved.

How does one run into the back of a car like that? The rider was going really fast. My middle name is "stupid on a motorcycle" but I was never hit by a vehicle or ran into the back on one. I love M/Cs

 

[Number_35]

So, your saying eating is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle?.,,,,

I'm sure it's more dangerous to ride a motorcycle for half an hour than to eat for half an hour - but given that we eat a lot more than we ride, over a lifetime we're probably more at risk from poor diet.

Our indigenous people come out of a hunter-gatherer culture. Because of the feast-or-famine nature of that way of existence, they are genetically predisposed to store extra weight. Our western diet is killing them.

 

[Number_35]

As did every mountain climber and skydiver

And typically those of us who did risky stuff when we were young did not think about how devastated our parents would have been had we been seriously injured or killed. Bad stuff happened to others.

I didn't tell tell my dad in advance about my plans to go skydiving.

 

[wpod]

And typically those of us who did risky stuff when we were young did not think about how devastated our parents would have been had we been seriously injured or killed. Bad stuff happened to others.

I didn't tell tell my dad in advance about my plans to go skydiving.

When we are young we seem invincible.

 

[wpod]

I'm sure it's more dangerous to ride a motorcycle for half an hour than to eat for half an hour - but given that we eat a lot more than we ride, over a lifetime we're probably more at risk from poor diet.

Our indigenous people come out of a hunter-gatherer culture. Because of the feast-or-famine nature of that way of existence, they are genetically predisposed to store extra weight. Our western diet is killing them.

The western diet is not very good for our health though I have read those reports.

 

[DuckRyder]

Well we got it all... from "get a convertible" to "don't be so sensitive", with a side of "think of the children (and the mothers and the fathers)" and "don't eat cheeseburgers" thrown in ... .

FWIW lately I'm at least as likely to see a Charger or Challenger weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speed as i am a bike, they are equally annoying...

 

[IndyIan]

Accidents are the 4th leading cause of US deaths, with 224,935 in the last reported year, in the US, per the CDC. And it's the only cause of death in the top 10, that predominantly impacts young people. The rest are predominantly ailments that come with long life and start occurring much later in life. Highway safety reported ~5,000 motorcyclist deaths in 2020, representing 14% of all traffic fatalities and 28x higher death rate than car passengers.

When I was active duty during the height of the 2-front GWOT, we were losing LESS men in combat, than motorcycle deaths at home. These young men would come home from deployment, feel invincible, use that deployment money on a bike, and be dead in a month. The Army mandated extensive motorcycle safety classes, and full PPE on bikes. Think about that, less men dying in combat than on motorcycles. And that's how we lost a infantry guy in my unit between deployments.

If you're doing something regularly that is 14% of all traffic fatalities, at 28x more likely than car deaths, contributes to a 4th leading cause of death, and comprises to about 2-3% of all annual accident deaths overall, perhaps "Be Careful" is sage advice.

Yeah I can see that happening.
Interestingly, a couple I know that raced motorcycles doing dirt track and track, only rides on the track now. They also host track days and instruct, and have never lost anyone at the track, but at least once a year they have a person not show up who booked a session and later learn they were killed on the street in the previous weeks...
A poor guy I know had a front tire blow out on his goldwing and bounced off a truck before sliding into a rock face. He's recovering now but nearly died. Just bad luck...
Anyways, most fun things have an element of risk, the kids playing baseball even, but you do your best to minimize it and hope that your number doesn't come up.

 

[michaelluscher]

How does one run into the back of a car like that? The rider was going really fast. My middle name is "stupid on a motorcycle" but I was never hit by a vehicle or ran into the back on one. I love M/Cs

Ooh it happens
The video, I'll admit he stuck the landing pretty good
I'm currently double or nothing in my accidents
I'm assuming the third will either unalive me, or the other party
Hopefully never again

 

[michaelluscher]

To the people that ride regularly, does this seem a perfectly safe scenario for the biker?
I'll give this guy credit, he stayed in his lane, and I yielded him plenty of space
Instead of the usual ducking and weaving through traffic, banging on the limiter as sort of a threat to get out of the way
This is the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, peak AM commuting rush

 

[Number_35]

The western diet is not very good for our health though I have read those reports.

There are are so many theories about why - it's like trying to drink out of a firehose.

Who to believe about the obesity epidemic?

Popular theories:

- Refined food
- Simple carbohydrates
- Grain-fed beef
- Plastic and other pollutants in the environment
- Food is cheap
- Fast food is very high in calories
- More desk jobs
- Cities are less walkable
- HFCS
- Grain oils
- GMO foods
- Round-up residue
- Artificial sweeteners
- Overuse of antibiotics has killed off good gut bacteria

I suspect it's a combination of various of the above.

 

[hank2]

I did little riding until much later in life. A combination of parents, little money and then a disapproving first wife was to blame. Started up in my early 50's. I rode frequently for about 17 years and even commuted for a while. Had one fairly bad get off in 2005 but kept going. In early 2019 I sold my last bike and quit. About 5 months later, I couldn't stand not riding and bought an old UJM and went through it. Spent a whole lot of time on it on 2020. At 71, it is time to quit for real. After I ride a lot this Spring. I wouldn't trade my time on bikes for anything. With all the meth/fen tweakers on the roads and the mental illness issues, it's not even a little safe to drive anything.

 

[repairman54]

Before the mandate of DRL's on cars the only thing on the road in daylight with headlights on was emergency vehicles, funeral processions and motorcycles when the mandated auto headlights on bikes started in the '80's. Bikes where visible then.
Now the cyclist just blends in with all the cars and drivers that are oblivious to headlights in daylight on anything. So much for another ''safety innovation".
Save the flames, just my old guy observations.

 

[DuckRyder]

To the people that ride regularly, does this seem a perfectly safe scenario for the biker?
I'll give this guy credit, he stayed in his lane, and I yielded him plenty of space

Doesn't seem bad, he's off center, appears to have left himself room and an escape route... looks like he could have some reflective or at least bright on, cant tell if it is a camelback or a back pack or what... I also cant tell how much gear he (or she) has on at least it is not shorts a wife beater and flip flops...

I have questions about the tire...

Perfectly safe is an illusion... but it is not awful.

 

[leadcounsel]

To the people that ride regularly, does this seem a perfectly safe scenario for the biker?
I'll give this guy credit, he stayed in his lane, and I yielded him plenty of space

1 car length on a bike is insufficient space. I would opt for several car lengths in front (can't really control what's behind me). So if you do get rear ended you have space in front of you rather than becoming an Oreo cookie. And you have room to maneuver forward, time to stop, etc.

Bikers tend to float back and forth in the lane, it's a wise strategy to move laterally to attract attention and be seen (rather than just being in a static position). Movement side-to-side attracts attention.

 

[spasm3]

His position is good. In his lane but close enough to move to the center line if needed. I agree that he is too close to the car in front of him.

Best not to ride in the center of the lane, that's where the oil and coolant drips from the cages land on the road.

Haven't decided if I want to go back to riding.