According to my latest National Geographic, in the U.S. you are Three times more likely to be killed by a Firearm than Die in a Motorcycle accident
Motorcycles - How dangerous are they?
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Tosh, re: "A good friend of mine lost his leg below the knee after a goober turned in front of him on a nice, sunny middle of the afternoon. 'I didn't see you.' Almost 8 weeks in the hospital before they decided to amputate. $250k settlement from goober's insurance."
I am only an occasional rider, but not 2 months ago, I was in the process of overtaking a van doing 25 mph in the slow lane when he turns left across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic just to get into a gas station on the other side of the road. No turn signals.
Had to follow him into the gas station to avoid a collision.
Was shaking and quakin' so bad, I could not cuss him out. The 20 year-old and his girl did not even know they nearly took me out.
Bikes, see where you are at. They are dangerous everywhere, but in wild traffic like say, SoCal, bikes are lethal.
Bikes are not lethal by themselves, but the environment makes them so.
I am only an occasional rider, but not 2 months ago, I was in the process of overtaking a van doing 25 mph in the slow lane when he turns left across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic just to get into a gas station on the other side of the road. No turn signals.
Had to follow him into the gas station to avoid a collision.
Was shaking and quakin' so bad, I could not cuss him out. The 20 year-old and his girl did not even know they nearly took me out.
Bikes, see where you are at. They are dangerous everywhere, but in wild traffic like say, SoCal, bikes are lethal.
Bikes are not lethal by themselves, but the environment makes them so.
When I looked quickly at what you wrote I thought it said three times more likely to be killed by a firemanquote:
Originally posted by Spitty:
According to my latest National Geographic, in the U.S. you are Three times more likely to be killed by a Firearm than Die in a Motorcycle accident
Wow I enjoy firearms and motorcycles...I'm doubly hosed I guess
Goose
Count on or plan on laying it down...sooner or later.
And wear a helmet!
And wear a helmet!
Helmet always even though not required in NH...I value my melon
I see guys going by me on the highway in tank tops and shorts with either flip flops or sneakers on...I can't understand it at all....1 little slip and bye bye skin
Surf some of the bike forums...seems like the majority of the members there are pretty safety concious...at least they are at the Kawasaki one.
Goose
I see guys going by me on the highway in tank tops and shorts with either flip flops or sneakers on...I can't understand it at all....1 little slip and bye bye skin
Surf some of the bike forums...seems like the majority of the members there are pretty safety concious...at least they are at the Kawasaki one.
Goose
It's not that motorcycles are any more dangerous than most other activities, it's the fact that the chance of recovery from a minor misshap or lax of judgement is very high.
Meaning that you could ride hundreds of thousands of miles on motorcycles and one little thing can do you in. Matter of fact I know of a BMW owner that was test riding a customers motorcycle in the parking lot and he fell over and hit his head and died. This guy had 100,000's of thousands of miles of experience.
Now lets compare that to getting in and out of your tub. You shower once a day. over a lifetime that's 26,280 times you look at the ratio of people that fall getting in and out of the shower and hit their head and die, compare that to the miles travelled on motorcycles and die to see if it's really a dangerous activitiy.
I don't really know. I look at it this way. The fact is you are going to die, the fact is you don't know when or where, the fact is more people die everyday doing other activities than motorcycle riding, so I deduce it's no more dangerous than anything else out there.
BTW, I was riding my bicycle last night with a groupl and some dumb idiot in an SUV passed aggressivily within inches of my shoulder with their mirror. I really believe that bicycling is more dangerous than motorycles.
Meaning that you could ride hundreds of thousands of miles on motorcycles and one little thing can do you in. Matter of fact I know of a BMW owner that was test riding a customers motorcycle in the parking lot and he fell over and hit his head and died. This guy had 100,000's of thousands of miles of experience.
Now lets compare that to getting in and out of your tub. You shower once a day. over a lifetime that's 26,280 times you look at the ratio of people that fall getting in and out of the shower and hit their head and die, compare that to the miles travelled on motorcycles and die to see if it's really a dangerous activitiy.
I don't really know. I look at it this way. The fact is you are going to die, the fact is you don't know when or where, the fact is more people die everyday doing other activities than motorcycle riding, so I deduce it's no more dangerous than anything else out there.
BTW, I was riding my bicycle last night with a groupl and some dumb idiot in an SUV passed aggressivily within inches of my shoulder with their mirror. I really believe that bicycling is more dangerous than motorycles.
"It's not that motorcycles are any more dangerous than most other activities, it's the fact that the chance of recovery from a minor misshap or lax of judgement is very high."
Yes, and bathrooms can be modified for safety. Barring health, the situation is inflexible. The roadways are not.
Others want to own and ride, I don't much care. But leaving children behind as a result of selfishness is (fill-in-the-blank).
I've helped peel the remains of one punk off the back of a VW Bug where the impact speed was so high that the car engine looked as though it had heavy-gauge dark green foil impressed over it. And I've known several para- and quadriplegics (motorcycles). Figured I'd had my "message" about that particular activity . . and it made me think on others.
Yes, and bathrooms can be modified for safety. Barring health, the situation is inflexible. The roadways are not.
Others want to own and ride, I don't much care. But leaving children behind as a result of selfishness is (fill-in-the-blank).
I've helped peel the remains of one punk off the back of a VW Bug where the impact speed was so high that the car engine looked as though it had heavy-gauge dark green foil impressed over it. And I've known several para- and quadriplegics (motorcycles). Figured I'd had my "message" about that particular activity . . and it made me think on others.
Thanks for providing a statistic that is actually useful! I'm surprised though; I thought it would be higher than 26 times. I'd like to see stats on serious injury rates too, since, as others have mentioned, a minor incident can have serious long-term consequences even if the rider doesn't die.
I'd really like to ride a motorbike. But, to me, riding a motorcycle on a public street amongst traffic is dangerous enough that I simply won't do it. When idiot drivers run into me I'd rather be surrounded by a metal cage.
For that reason, I never share the road with traffic when cycling. I take side roads or other routes where traffic is rare and travelling at low speeds. Even with that, some clown in a Jeep driving on the wrong side of the road on a side street cut a corner (a couple inches from the inside curb) at high speed and clipped my foot a few days ago! I managed to catch up with him and I've got his plate and a vehicle description though, so I'm keeping an eye out for him and he better hope I never see him!
[ August 03, 2006, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: rpn453 ]
My grandfather was a copy. He used to have a nickname for motorcyclists...
"Organ donors."
"Organ donors."
It's not a question of "if" but "when" you'll take a fall. Just hope it's when you're doing less than 20mph.
I've sky dived, cliff jumped, bridge jumped, Scuba dived, moutain climbed too ScottB. But after having my son, skiing is about as extreme as I'll go.
I've sky dived, cliff jumped, bridge jumped, Scuba dived, moutain climbed too ScottB. But after having my son, skiing is about as extreme as I'll go.
I gave up my bike after 20 years of riding. I commute 120 miles a day in a car and have a good scare at least once every 2 weeks beecause of other driver's. That was enough to convince me to give up the bike.
When I get back into biking, it will be offroad away from traffic.
When I get back into biking, it will be offroad away from traffic.
I have lived in many cities, and still have to when on business trips. Some densely-populated Urban Areas have really wild and dangerous traffic. One example that readily comes to mind is Los Angeles.
You say you do a 120 mile commute daily? I would never do such a commute, because the probabilities go against you. In fact, in the riskier cities, such as L.A., I would not even think of doing a 12-mile commute. I'd just park it at home and take the Metro Rapid Transit train or the local bus.
For me, if I have a favorite car, I will never risk damaging it in a daily commute. The car is something to drive to visit the folks on a weekend. Call me crazy if you like, but the people who buy my ride 2nd hand after I am done with it love me.
Saw another clown last night weaving in and out of lanes on a sport bike. Some idiot young kid. If I didn't have my side view mirrors set right, I could have hit him. I'd like to think that these dopes are a majority of the total number of people killed riding bikes. If I were to get one, it would only be driven locally. I wouldn't ever take it to work.
I started riding in 1965 and have owned numerous bikes. When I moved to Orlando in the mis 80's, with the traffic and a family, I stopped riding. I never had the kids or wife on the back, as I didn't feel it was safe. Now she's an ex, I probably should have given her a ride and dumped her off.
Last year, old age crisis, and living in NC, I went out and bought a 78 BMW R100s. being out of it 20 years, I found myself tensing up. Also, a bike is not practical transportation.
Wanting the freedom a bike gives you, but not enjoying it anymore, I did the best thing. I bought a Ural.
Last year, old age crisis, and living in NC, I went out and bought a 78 BMW R100s. being out of it 20 years, I found myself tensing up. Also, a bike is not practical transportation.
Wanting the freedom a bike gives you, but not enjoying it anymore, I did the best thing. I bought a Ural.
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