Motorcycle fatalities

[Black Owl]

If anyone is interested in reading the report prepared on the increase in motorcycle fatalities, here is the link.

 

http://www.iihs.org/sr/pdfs/sr4209.pdf

 

The findings are very interesting............

[Guest Swifty]

quoting from the article, the statement, "The socioeconomic costs of motorcycle crash injuries in the United States totalled $17.4 billion in 2005, and nearly half of this amount went to medical bills and lost wages..." is always something I find interesting in the debate which frequents this website on the topic of individual rights vs. societal rights.

Good one, Russ.

[Tour Deluxe]

Good article. I've always found it quite confussing how they can make laws to make you wear seat belts in a car but you don't have to wear a helmet on a bike. I personally believe you should where a helmet.But I also believe in freedom of choice.Once the state starts to protect us from ourselves it can be a dangerous thing.

[Bummer]

Time out folks. This article reeks of propaganda. Just because an Insurance industry front group says it doesn't make it true.

 

Numbers have been pulled out of thin air with no more than 'studys say'. What studies? Who paid for them. As with this article, what axe do they have to grind?

 

Who came up with the 17 billion number and why should anyone believe them? How much nonsense does 'total social cost' include this time? Nobody really knows how long anyone will live or how much they'll make in their lifetime, but they make a guess and add it in anyway. "Social Cost" arguments are always full of nonexistant money that someone or some thing might get some day. How many lifetime incomes of grand kids not born are included in this?

 

Is it really possible to know how many people would not have died if they'd been wearing a helmet in a crash. If you were cut in half and your skull cracked open would wearing a helmet have saved you? Hardly, yet that's what they are implying. While they say that rider training isn't the solution they act as if helmets alone are. Having seen a bumper up close and personal I can guarantee there's a lot more to it than that.

 

If more than half of all fatal motorcycle crashes are caused by the other guy don't you think that training the other guy might be a good idea? The entire concept received a two word off handed mention. Seems to me like this ignores a big chunk of the problem.

 

At one point they speak of getting a free helmet when you buy a motorcycle. These people believe that it would be free? And they want me to take their statistical commentaries at face value? No thanks.

 

These folks are selling helmet laws. That's their axe and they are definately grinding it. Notice that they don't much like horsepower and displacement either. Want to bet they get around to asking the feds to regulate them too?

 

This is not a source of unbiased scientific information. It likely contains some legitimate information, but that is lost in the propaganda. Those who are already believers will quote this in spite of its glaring flaws. Those who don't or who are looking for unbiased truth will go elsewhere. This source would not be a suitable citation to make during a debate.

[GeorgeS]

We could talk about how many folks are killed on Bicycles, every year,

also !!!!

 

Falling down steps:

 

J-Walking:

 

Falling on Ice:

 

We can go on and on --------

[Tartan Terror]

Some people die on the toilet too!

 

Lets have a study, Ill bring the burritos.

[Stoutman]

There are some interesting stats in here. Registrations are up 51% overall and fatalities are up 59%. Seems like a pretty close correlation to me. More new riders means less experience leading to increased fatalities.

 

The other thing that caught my attention is they push helmets, but virtually ignore other safety gear (except lights). Then they assume that people will wear a helmet because it is free (or included with the price of the bike). It is a slick presentation, if a bit one sided.

[Guest maddabber]

Fact is helmets do save lives depending on how you fall or the circumstances. Of all of the people that I know to have had MC accidents there was only one of them that they were at fault for the accident. The rest were hit by drivers of other types of transportation that just were not paying attention, not stopping at a stop sign, turning left into the path of a motorcycle and on and on. However some of these accidents could have been avoided if the mortorcyclists were not going so fast. They could not react to the situation in time.

Just my 1.5 cents.

[juggler]

Good article. I've always found it quite confussing how they can make laws to make you wear seat belts in a car but you don't have to wear a helmet on a bike. I personally believe you should where a helmet.But I also believe in freedom of choice.Once the state starts to protect us from ourselves it can be a dangerous thing.

 

Why should we encourage continued Governmental abuse and overreach? We should repeal the seat belt laws also. I do not want nor need my Government to be my Nanny.

[GeorgeS]

About 10 years ago, a Federal DOT blurb, had " Drinking " listed

as being involved in almost 50 percent of MC Fatalities.

 

I don't count those, cause, thats Suicide !!!

[juggler]

I find it interesting that Sport and Super Sport bikes account for only 14% of the registered bikes, but they account for 34% for the deaths in 2000. And in 2005 Sport and SuperSport bikes make up 16% of the bikes and 38% of the deaths. This group of bikers suffer the highest death rate of any of the other groups.

 

I was reading several NHSTA reports the other day and found that about 55% of motorcycle fatalities were people WEARING their helmets. They did not break the deaths down by helmet type. So more bikers died wearing helmets than not wearing helmets.

[GeorgeS]

Well, Helmets won't prevent the Accident,

 

Concentrate on the cause of the accident.

 

As a percentage, Alcohol, is involved in about 50 percent, of All Accidents.

 

The next highest factor, was Lack of rideing experience. Those rideing less then 6 months. And I suppose some in this catagory also fall into the first catagory.

 

I would then add, failure to drive Defensively.

 

Also, the " Sport Bike " in and of itself, is not the problem, Its the Idiot, with lack of driveing experience that causes the Crash.

 

I have a Sport Bike, Frankly its a much safer bike then my Venture.

Why??

 

It weighs 250 lb less. ( it can stop faster )

 

It has twice the brakeing power

 

It has the ability to accellerate Away from a Threat, in

much less time.

 

The steering is much ( MUCH ) more responsive

 

The tires have a much larger " patch " in contact with the road.

 

The tires have much more Traction ( but they wear out faster )

 

The Suspension, is far superior to a touring bike ( any touring bike)

 

However, It does require much more self control.

[Guest KitCarson]

On the way back to the house this evening I watched a bright red sports bike come out of the quick stop and pull right out in front of me. He never looked, not a bit. Pulled in front of me.....zipped around the next car up ahead and as he approached the stop light that was already yellow, he just powered it on through the intersection. I see similar idiot bikers just about every day here. We have a lot of bikes in South Carolina.......That particular sports bike rider will soon be one of these so called statistics. Kit

[Keitho]

Some people die on the toilet too!

 

Lets have a study, Ill bring the burritos.

 

A friend of mine died on the toilet...........poor bas***d. The investigating officer said it happens quite a lot, I said IT.

 

K.

[Guest Swifty]

This source would not be a suitable citation to make during a debate.

I didn't even know you HAD to make citations during a debate...let alone suitable ones.

[eagleeye]

I can't believe that people read, much less post this kind of garbage.

Statistics-----What a joke!

Make em what ever you want. I deal with this every day.

 

Steve

[Rattlesnake]

Does this meen I need to wear a helmet when I go sit on the throne.

[Ladyrider]

Some people die on the toilet too!

 

Lets have a study, Ill bring the burritos.

WHO DIED ON A TOILET AND WHY WOULD YOU BRING BURRITOS TO A DEAD PERSON? On the serious side, I vote for full face helmets.

And I think there are too many careless idiots driving cages and trucks with trailers to educate.

[Bummer]

I didn't even know you HAD to make citations during a debate...let alone suitable ones.

You do if you get in a real one.

[MrRadi8]

I can't believe that people read, much less post this kind of garbage.

Statistics-----What a joke!

Make em what ever you want. I deal with this every day.

 

Steve

 

78.9% of all statistic's are made up...

[eagleeye]

I've been trying to think of this saying for a couple days now:

 

There are three kinds of lies-------Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

 

 

For at least 39.7% of the time------------------

 

Steve

[midnightventure]

This is a lot like the gun control debate. They claim they only want to bam Supersports to divide the community up. After they ban one they will go after another. We should not let insurance companies decide what we do for recreation.