Motorcycle Fatalities

[EMS]

Although the GHSA (Governor's Highway safety Association) report on Motorcycle traffic fatalities lags behind a little, it is still interesting to look at the statistics.

Here is what happened in 2013:

- 28% of riders involved in a fatal crash had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit (I would be interested to know, how many of these rode a bike made in the U.S.A.??)
- 25% of riders involved in a fatal crash did not have a valid motorcycle license ( I would be interested to know how many of these riders had piercings somewhere on their heads??)
- 60% of fatal motorcycle crashes involved another car not seeing the rider ( I would be interested to know, how many of these car drivers were a) over 75 and b) on a cell phone calling or texting when the crash happened??)

[Mouse]

25% have alchohol in their system, I don't drink so, not a problem.
25% don't have a license, again not a problem as I do.
The 60% number is the one that bothers me.
It's that "I never saw him" thing that worries me the most, because I've had it happen to me.
In my case, he was not over 75, nor was he on a cell phone, nor was he speeding.

[gak1047]

Also noted was that 34 percent of riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with 21 percent for passenger vehicle drivers. and emphasized the importance of all states adopting universal helmet laws and notes, “By far, helmets are the single most effective way to prevent serious injury and death in the event of a motorcycle crash.”

NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,699 motorcyclists in 2012. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 781 lives could have been saved.

I still don't understand why people in Ohio are required to were a seatbelt while driving a car but not a helmet when riding a motorcycle? Of course Ohio thinks the Polaris Slingshot is a motorcycle also. Go figure!

[80 cbx dude #6216]

According to the statistics, I need to be really careful out there and the rest of you need to be too. Ride safe!!-Mike

[Rick Pope]

According to the statistics, I need to be really careful out there and the rest of you need to be too. Ride safe!!-Mike

Well said Mike. We are invisible, and they are out to get us.

[NobleHops]

I got doinked a couple of years ago by a left-turner, and I was looking for it - it was a dangerous spot, one I had determined to be extra cautious near. A mile from my home in California.

I had all precautions deployed, HID headlight on, high vis helmet and jacket, was off the gas going downhill around a bend leading up to the intersection, had the brakes covered, ABS-equipped bike, dry roads, sober as a judge.

The woman never turned her head in my direction, was looking downhill, turned left in front of me, and I mashed the brakes till the ABS fired off, and started looking for an escape route around the rear of her car. She finally turned her head halfway across her lane, saw me and stopped dead, blocking her lane. I just barely tapped her bumper with my engine protection bar, at 5 MPH by then, fell over, personally unscathed.



The first words out of her mouth were priceless. Ironic. She said, "OMG, I never even heard you coming!"

Yeah, they are out there, and shit does indeed happen. Be careful!

[Larry Zimmer]

If they aren't on the phone, too many are just 'going through the motions' of driving; i.e., day-dreaming along thinking about where they are going, what they are going to do when they get there, the party tonight, etc. Thoughtful driving is the last thing on their minds. If it isn't larger than a Freightliner, they don't 'see' it. Even happens with other vehicles/cars. Yes, they are 'out to get us'. Safely, all.

[wyly]

I got doinked a couple of years ago by a left-turner, and I was looking for it - it was a dangerous spot, one I had determined to be extra cautious near. A mile from my home in California.

I had all precautions deployed, HID headlight on, high vis helmet and jacket, was off the gas going downhill around a bend leading up to the intersection, had the brakes covered, ABS-equipped bike, dry roads, sober as a judge.

The woman never turned her head in my direction, was looking downhill, turned left in front of me, and I mashed the brakes till the ABS fired off, and started looking for an escape route around the rear of her car. She finally turned her head halfway across her lane, saw me and stopped dead, blocking her lane. I just barely tapped her bumper with my engine protection bar, at 5 MPH by then, fell over,

The first words out of her mouth were priceless. Ironic. She said, "OMG, I never even heard you coming!"

Yeah, they are out there, and shit does indeed happen. Be careful!

I almost did this to cycle rider and learned something from the situation.

I was waiting to make a left turn and there were a lot of other distractions, multiple lanes, vehicles and pedestrians. Trying to juggle all the visual information looking for an opportunity to complete a left turn I missed a bike rider infront of an on coming car. I only spotted him as I was lifting my foot from the brake to begin my turn, I saw him a the last moment and stomped hard on the brake, that shook me up. How did I not see when him he was the lead vehicle? ....well, his headlight was lined up perfectly with the left headlight of the car immediately behind him, for a brief moment bike and rider blended in with the following car. And that was moment I spotted the gap in trafgic to turn left, it was only when I made a final check for pedestrians and then rechecked the oncoming traffic that I noticed a helmet slightly above the roofline of the car and stopped my turn.

That taught me to never assume that I'm always visibly even when in plain sight.

[Mello]

The first two stats surprise me a bit, I would have thought that in the U.S. people adhere to the road rules a bit better. We have many unlicensed riders / drivers here and it is a scary thought as a bike rider.

I'm still amazed at the states that don't have helmet laws. It was quite strange to see bike riders in Florida without helmets! Even most of our bicycle riders here now wear head protection. I believe that in Florida only learner riders have to wear helmets which must create a bit of a stigma around wearing them if you have a full license?

As for the old "sorry mate I didn't see you", also had it happen to me. Had the hi-vis bib etc. even saw him look in my direction and he still turned in front of me. Said he didn't see me, even though he looked in my direction and I was the only vehicle traveling in that direction. Lucky only minor damage to my old KLR ( his Mercedes got off a bit worse) but nothing more than a sore wrist from trying to stop the bike from falling over. I learnt then about selective attention and now ride as if I'm invisible.