Saw a fatal today

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: 02SE
Oh good, another 'Motorcycles will kill you' thread.

Yep, Motorcycles are dangerous. if you're going to ride, take the basic and advanced MSF courses. Then I would suggest some even more advanced classes taught on a racetrack, so you really learn how to ride. Actually roadracing would further advance ones riding skills. Make sure to always wear good gear.

I've witnessed fatal crashes of people I knew. I know of several more people that were killed while riding, but didn't witness the crashes.

I've known people that gave up Motorcycles due to family concerns, only to die in other untimely ways. And people that rode all their lives, and died of natural causes.

The bottom line: There are no guarantees. So live life as you and your family see fit.

Oh, and if you drive, put down your [censored] cellphone and pay attention to the road.


Well something has to kill you, otherwise people will live forever.

Anyway, stats seem to say it's about 25 times more dangerous than a car per mile driven. Injury rate is up there too.

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812148


Do you really think that is some new revelation?

I think every Motorcyclist knows riding has inherent risk. If the risk is unacceptable to you, the choice is simple: Don't ride.


Riding is a choice for sure. A selfish choice IMHO if the rider has young kids coming from two close friends on losing parent at age 9 and as adult losing husband/parent.

 

[Smokescreen]

They call them donor bikes around these parts....as in those who own them often become organ donor candidates.

 

[grampi]

I rode motorcycles for 47 years. Gave it up last year. I've beaten the odds, but odds are, if I would've kept riding, I would've bitten the bullet too. There are way too many dangerous drivers on the road these days to be riding motorcycles...heck it's dangerous enough in a 4 wheeled vehicle...

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Death is a part of life.
Once you learn and accept this, you can be comfortable with your choice.

True, but there are many things one can do to put it off for as long as possible...not riding motorcycles is one of them...

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
Do you really think that is some new revelation?

I think every Motorcyclist knows riding has inherent risk. If the risk is unacceptable to you, the choice is simple: Don't ride.


No, just thought I'd put it in perspective. While about 25 times more dangerous than driving a car, it's not 100% certain death/injury, but I guess if you ride long enough, the odds keep creeping up.

I did see a motorcycle accident once, behind one for a little while, then a car entered in front of me behind the motorcyclist in a rotary and I guess that car thought the motorcyclist was going to exit the rotary but he continued around it and the car ended up clipping the motorcyclist as he was exiting the rotary. I stopped and gave the police the info on the accident as a witness. The motorcyclist called me up a few months later to thank me, he actually had no memory of the incident after he fell.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: 02SE
Do you really think that is some new revelation?

I think every Motorcyclist knows riding has inherent risk. If the risk is unacceptable to you, the choice is simple: Don't ride.


No, just thought I'd put it in perspective. While about 25 times more dangerous than driving a car, it's not 100% certain death/injury, but I guess if you ride long enough, the odds keep creeping up.

I did see a motorcycle accident once, behind one for a little while, then a car entered in front of me behind the motorcyclist in a rotary and I guess that car thought the motorcyclist was going to exit the rotary but he continued around it and the car ended up clipping the motorcyclist as he was exiting the rotary. I stopped and gave the police the info on the accident as a witness. The motorcyclist called me up a few months later to thank me, he actually had no memory of the incident after he fell.


Just an FYI, the vast majority of Motorcyclists I know are intelligent, and accomplished people, and don't need you to put anything into sanctimonious "perspective".

Is this where I should post a detailed account of the car, motorcycle, and other fatal accidents I've witnessed??

My advice to you and all the other hand-wringers: You live your life, and others will live their lives as they see fit.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: 02SE
Do you really think that is some new revelation?

I think every Motorcyclist knows riding has inherent risk. If the risk is unacceptable to you, the choice is simple: Don't ride.


No, just thought I'd put it in perspective. While about 25 times more dangerous than driving a car, it's not 100% certain death/injury, but I guess if you ride long enough, the odds keep creeping up.

I did see a motorcycle accident once, behind one for a little while, then a car entered in front of me behind the motorcyclist in a rotary and I guess that car thought the motorcyclist was going to exit the rotary but he continued around it and the car ended up clipping the motorcyclist as he was exiting the rotary. I stopped and gave the police the info on the accident as a witness. The motorcyclist called me up a few months later to thank me, he actually had no memory of the incident after he fell.


Just an FYI, the vast majority of Motorcyclists I know are intelligent, and accomplished people, and don't need you to put anything into sanctimonious "perspective".

Is this where I should post a detailed account of the car, motorcycle, and other fatal accidents I've witnessed??

My advice to you and all the other hand-wringers: You live your life, and others will live their lives as they see fit.


You don't have to answer. Just follow the thread, the previous one mentioned that all motorcyclist were going to die. I just said not quite.

Wasn't giving you advice one way or the other.

 

[SeaJay]

You can be the best defensive motorbike rider in the world. But there are a ton of idiots in cars and trucks speeding up, cutting across three lanes to exit at the last second, running red lights, weaving in and out of lanes at a high rate of speed. The list goes on. If those drivers collide with a car, often times everyone walks away. In a bike, these things are often fatal.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: SeaJay
You can be the best defensive motorbike rider in the world. But there are a ton of idiots in cars and trucks speeding up, cutting across three lanes to exit at the last second, running red lights, weaving in and out of lanes at a high rate of speed. The list goes on.


Very true, and that's what makes riding a huge challenge - especially these days in heavily populated areas with tons of morons behind the wheels of cars. I've been riding for over decades and have only crashed once, which was 100% my fault (ZX-11 going too hot into a corner on Mt. St. Helens).

A very good rider can avoid almost everything if he's constantly on the lookout for danger, and rides in a mostly sane manor. That's the only way to ride IMO ... I compare it to being a pilot of a fighter jet in a dogfight, you better be 100% alert at all times and have total situation awareness.

 

[fdcg27]

I was wrong in that what I thought was surely a fatal event left the rider in critical condition and he left the scene still breathing in a helo. I'll provide updates as I can find them. Hope the guy makes it and recovers.
When I ran as a volunteer fireman, I saw two bike accidents involving loss of limbs with one involving the death of the rider's girlfriend passenger.
That was back in the late eighties and was enough to convince me that I should give up street bikes.
I had then as now a wife and two kids. My sons are now grown, but death or serious disability when I and they were younger would have been very hard for the survivors. Truth be told, death would have been better after accounting for life insurance.
Yes, we're all going to die, but I don't intend to hasten that inevitability.
Many people think they're really good when they may have been merely very lucky.

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: weasley

As a bike rider, if I am riding along the road with priority and I see a vehicle waiting to turn out from a side road, I will do everything I can to make sure they see me.


If I'm not sure they have seen me, I'll aim directly at them...ride on a collision course to them. When I see a reaction, then I know they know I'm there.

 

[The motor guy]

It's surprising their aren't more considering how reckless they are. Of course this doesn't go for everyone.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: SeaJay
You can be the best defensive motorbike rider in the world. But there are a ton of idiots in cars and trucks speeding up, cutting across three lanes to exit at the last second, running red lights, weaving in and out of lanes at a high rate of speed. The list goes on.


Very true, and that's what makes riding a huge challenge - especially these days in heavily populated areas with tons of morons behind the wheels of cars. I've been riding for over decades and have only crashed once, which was 100% my fault (ZX-11 going too hot into a corner on Mt. St. Helens).

A very good rider can avoid almost everything if he's constantly on the lookout for danger, and rides in a mostly sane manor. That's the only way to ride IMO ... I compare it to being a pilot of a fighter jet in a dogfight, you better be 100% alert at all times and have total situation awareness.


You can be the most vigilant, defensive rider ever, but sooner or later someone texting while driving will get you...

 

[NGRhodes]

Everyone has different priorities, circumstances, dependencies etc, so I would never say don't do X, Y or Z activity, its not my choice to make (and I don't want to make over generalised sweeping statements either).
But I would hope that you are fully aware of the risk that activity, identify how to minimise/mitigate and evaluate if it the activity is worthwhile, consider the alternative options, think about what would be gained against the probability of what could be lost. Think about the risks and hazards that could occur before you do this activity every time to make sure you don't miss something new.

There are a number of factors to why i stopped riding, I didn't suddenly stop riding as the result of a knee-jerk reaction, I changed how I rode, where I rode, what I rode a number of times before eventually decided to retire from riding after numerous careful reevaluations.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: NGRhodes
Everyone has different priorities, circumstances, dependencies etc, so I would never say don't do X, Y or Z activity, its not my choice to make (and I don't want to make over generalised sweeping statements either).
But I would hope that you are fully aware of the risk that activity, identify how to minimise/mitigate and evaluate if it the activity is worthwhile, consider the alternative options, think about what would be gained against the probability of what could be lost. Think about the risks and hazards that could occur before you do this activity every time to make sure you don't miss something new.

There are a number of factors to why i stopped riding, I didn't suddenly stop riding as the result of a knee-jerk reaction, I changed how I rode, where I rode, what I rode a number of times before eventually decided to retire from riding after numerous careful reevaluations.


There were many factors in my decision to quit riding too. Dangerous drivers were just one of the reasons. I don't like riding in the cold or the rain, my wife wouldn't ride with me, and I just couldn't take as much stuff with me when I ride, were all factors. My problem was what do I get to fill the void of enjoyment and release I got from riding. Answer, a Corvette...