Death Risks of Motorcycles

[Chuck in Indiana]

Some feel that they need the rush of tempting death, the closer the better.  Many of those die young.  Their choice.

"There are old pilots and bold pilots. There are no old bold pilots.." 

[HDGoose]

Motorcycle are not my sport or hobby. It is my life style. I live in or around motorcycles. So do most of my friends. And I have several hundred acquaintances that ride as well. So I know people who died from motorcycle accidents frequently.

I ride fast when I feel I can. And I ride cautiously when others feel it's time to ride fast.

And I have lots of insurance until age 70...

I never thought I'd live this long.

[keener]

Motorcycles are Dangerous  every rider knows this and yet we continue to ride, we know why we ride and for what reasons personally ..
I have always believed that when its your time to go to the great beyond or for what you believe to be after death, its going to happen its predetermined its in the cards .
All that you do in your life leads up to that point , no matter what you do.. its going to happen...you just don't know when and how, its all about time and attitude .
So enjoy your life one day at a time .

[sib]

I have always believed that when its your time to go to the great beyond or for what you believe to be after death, its going to happen its predetermined its in the cards .

You are confusing the inability to predict the future to be the same as being unable to influence it.  Like you, I can't predict when I'm going to die, but that doesn't mean I can't change the risk factors.

Riding cautiously, being well trained, and using protective gear won't guarantee that I won't die in an accident, but it does improve my odds of avoiding or surviving one.  Analogy:  wearing a parachute when sky diving doesn't guarantee that you'll have a safe landing, but it does improve the odds.

[JBBenson]

Flying hang gliders taught me to consider all of the things that could go wrong and kill me, and to really think about them, all of the time.

I would guess the same is for most pilots: they discuss things going wrong and crashing all of the time, outsiders consider it a bit morbid. The Smithsonian Channel's "Air Disasters" is one of my favorite shows. My wife thinks I am nuts. She cannot watch.

I try to mitigate the dangers of motorcycles by avoiding traffic, especially cross traffic, as much as possible.

My father is a medical examiner in CA, and though he doesn't like motorcycles, he did tell me once in 40 years of practice he very rarely saw someone die from falling off of a motorcycle. It is always a car or truck running over them afterward.

Cars are the real danger. But cars are everywhere, so for all practical purposes, we can conclude that motorcycles are dangerous.

[keener]

You are confusing the inability to predict the future to be the same as being unable to influence it.  Like you, I can't predict when I'm going to die, but that doesn't mean I can't change the risk factors.

Riding cautiously, being well trained, and using protective gear won't guarantee that I won't die in an accident, but it does improve my odds of avoiding or surviving one.  Analogy:  wearing a parachute when sky diving doesn't guarantee that you'll have a safe landing, but it does improve the odds.

 I agree... Like I said ..all that you do in your life leads up to that point  ..the what you do determines the end result .
being proactive is what you do and I am doing the same ....

[elvisboy77]

It's dangerous.  No doubt about it.

[tiger_one]

Sorry for the loss of your friends.

I turned 70 today, sorta bold, but not so much in the last years.  I tend to risk in spurts at times/places in my rides I feel are low risk.  But I am aware, even when I back off and play the defensive part, that I am still sitting on a motorcycle, so still at risk!  My riding friends would call me a fast rider, but conservative.

For example, I brake for vultures gathered near the road, brake before to enable me to go upright at railroad track crossings, don't get involved in chasing a rider that takes off, but I may take off at times.

Bottom line, I like to ride.  My mom (RIP) once caught me offguard when she said: "When are you going to get another motorcycle?  You seem to be the most happy when you have one!"

[keener]

I don't know about you guys but I like the fact that its dangerous .....Risk makes life more valuable ....if it was safe perhaps it wouldn't be as much fun  ...
 

[kirby1923]

"There are old pilots and bold pilots. There are no old bold pilots.." 

Ha!
heard that all my life, guess my days a numbered!

cheers!
:-)

[oldbike54]

Ha!
heard that all my life, guess my days a numbered!

cheers!
:-)

 After crashing onto giant rubber duckies floating around in the ocean for a living , everything else is kinda boring ...

  Dusty

[MGPilot]

Someday I'd like to see the stats for accidents during reasonable, adult behavior of licensed riders.

Won't happen....but would be nice to weed out some of the crazy crap and see what it's like.

Similarly for small aircraft, if you could weed out some of the genuinely stupid, butt-head stuff, it would be nice to get a sense of what the real rate is for adult, reasonable flying in decent weather (not drunk, not flying into weather that you know in advance is serious, not taking off with too little fuel in the tanks, ignoring density altitude issues, etc., etc.)

[canuguzzi]

Doing things like riding motorcycles isn't dangerous, it is the mistakes of others or yourself that are dangerous and end up killing you, aside from old age.

We can do what we can to eliminate or reduce our mistakes but next to nothing about the mistakes of others.

[rocker59]

Well, I'll continue to ride my motorcycles to the barn to ride my horses, occasionally glancing down my nose at the pedestrians and automobilists, basking in all my risk-favorable glory.

Equestrian Guzzisti.

FTW !!!   

[Chuck in Indiana]

Ha!
heard that all my life, guess my days a numbered!

cheers!
:-)

All our days are numbered, but I'm betting that for as long as you've been doing what you do and are still around (!) you're a very careful pilot.  and rider.

[kirby1923]

All our days are numbered, but I'm betting that for as long as you've been doing what you do and are still around (!) you're a very careful pilot.  and rider.

Its all about risk management..I figure we are birds of a feather!
Looking very much forward to meeting you someday.

mike :-)

[Chuck in Indiana]

Its all about risk management..I figure we are birds of a feather!
Looking very much forward to meeting you someday.

mike :-)

Absolutely. Yeah, me, too. 

[oldbike54]

Its all about risk management..I figure we are birds of a feather!
Looking very much forward to meeting you someday.

mike :-)

 

Absolutely. Yeah, me, too. 

 This is simple Chuckie , Mike is a charter member of the Cedar Vale six , says he will be there this year 

 Dusty

[Daleroso]

After seeing all the Final Destination movies I feel a whole lot better/safer riding in this, my 51st year of doing it.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  The fate of a motorcyclist is not always in the riders hands.  He can be ambushed from behind too.
 In this video, a man goes from being a rider to being a liquid smear in little more than one second.
 If you are squeamish do not view this video.  It is the most brutal I have ever seen.
  Upon review, it may be that two persons were on that motorcycle.  Brutal crash!

 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a0e_1335232169

[lucydad]

Screw it.

Saturday is going to be spectacular weather, and in mid seventies.

Triple is dying for a run.  Guzzi will get the church swan about on Sunday.

Thinking NW is the direction into the hills and turns.  Brenham and beyond, a big loop, maybe burger for lunch.

Up fairly early, gear up, and gone by 9 AM.

Bet I burn a full tank, probably more.

109 HP on tap, it is fast, and yeah, I may even record some of it on the GoPro.

Fun!  Reason to live!  I will wave if I see you on 359 and other FTM TEXAS roads, likely TX 36 back home.

Life is short, indulge your dreams.

[lucydad]

Sasquatch,
 

On the video, yeah well, it brings back memories .  We lived in Tunis, Tunisia 3 years.  I worked in Tripoli, Libya and traveled a lot into the Sahara side, and also a fair amount of time in Cairo and the Red Sea coast. 

Two words:  highway carnage.  We saw, up close and personal, many fatalities just like this video.  Most were pedestrians.  Some were donkey carts.  Many small scooters, a few bicycles and even a camel or two: run over and smashed.  Bloody carnage:  due to an indifferent culture to risk, high speeds and people wandering out of the small villages/desert onto high speed highways and major cities.  It is ugly.

By the grace of God did I never hit anyone, or get hit.  There were a lot of close calls including having to turn on the window washer on our Peugeot to clear off fresh blood from a scooter hit just in front.  I prefer not to think about the experiences, but this video brought some memories back.

An oh yes:  no emergency medical services.  If hit, you die most likely. 

[ChuckH]

Well, I just returned from a nice 70 mile loop through the 'Hills of Brown', Brown County Indiana that is, on the little Beemer.  Decent roads, minimum traffic, temps in the 50's.  What's not to like.  I normally don't do 'day rides', but the bike needed warming and I needed to check thinks out after lots of maintenance/repair type work.

To the subject matter, I try and manage the risks.  I enjoy the riding, particularly the longer distance stuff, and am taking steps to allow me to continue a little longer.  First, I moving to a lighter bike -- Stelvio NTX to a Beemer R Bike.  Loved the Stelvio but am no longer as confident in being able to handle it when loaded for the road.  Second, am pulling back on my planned daily miles -- planning more in the 450/500 range and not 600 and above.  Takes a bit longer but I should end up being less fatigued, more alert.  Trying to arrive, alive.

All for now.  Ride safe.

[SmithSwede]

I'm a firm believer that the risk of motorcycling can be reduced to an acceptable and reasonable level.  But you have to be hyper vigilant, skilled, and constantly learning and improving. 

And you have to get out of the car driver's mindset which constantly thinks in terms of who is right or wrong, who has the right of way, what the other guy "should" do if he's not an idiot, etc.  No.  Put that thinking aside.   Accept absolute, full, 100% responsibility for protecting yourself, which includes aggressively preventing other people putting you at risk.

I think a lot of people get hurt on motorcycles because they are so used to driving cars that they unthinkingly apply this car-driver mindset to riding a bike.   But the bike is a totally different creature, requiring a very different mindset. 

Here is some data I find relevant.  Think of some of those truck drivers, the ones who log 3 million miles without a single accident.   Sure, a truck is bigger and more visible than a motorcycle, but it's also far less maneuverable, has much worse braking performance, and can't split into small spaces. 

Something is going on there if truck driver can put 3 million miles on the road, and neither hit anyone, nor permit anyone to hit him.  I see no reason why a motorcyclist cannot do the same.   

If nothing else, at least act in such a way that you stay away from the dangerous end of the risk profile--that 3,000,000 mile safe trucker dang sure isn't tailgating constantly, driving buzzed, routinely running 120 mph, regularly testing the absolute limits of traction in corners, etc.

But maybe this is all an elaborate rationalization on my part.   

[oldbike54]

 The Swede is onto something here . Most long term high mileage motorcyclists are seriously engaged while riding . Folks that enjoy participating in activities that require complete concentration , flying , sailing , riding motorbikes share a common trait . They like to do things that demand total attention . The casual participant in these hobbies , sports , passions , usually looses interest after a bit . The need for complete involvement mentally precludes thinking about the dangers .

 Dusty

[Calijackalbob]

I think it's a good thing to regularly watch stuff like this on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr3o_65AMjU
It makes you see common causes of crashes and perhaps if you ride like some of the dickheads on the videos, you might think of changing your riding style. Flip side of the coin, If you are a "safe" rider, you'll see the common mistakes car drivers make that end in motorcycle crashes.
You can get a lot from crash videos. Slow down in traffic. If you split lanes, don't do it at 100mph. Look both ways when your red light goes green, before entering the intersection. most importantly. BE AWARE. Bikes are harder to see than cars. Take it for granted that other road users cant see you coming. Make yourself easier to see. Look in their side mirrors. If you can see the drivers face, he can see you,..... if he looks. If he doesn't look, you'll see. Pass quickly. Leave a good buffer zone. etc,. etc,etc,. etc,etc,. etc,etc,. etc,etc,. etc

Watch crash videos regularly. It may save your life.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Lot's to consider.... I've noticed that generally speaking, bike and car accidents fall into several broad categories...The first being unavoidable; another vehicles swerves into you or your path with zero warning...An sudden dangerous road situation like a large animal , falling tree, a darting pedestrian etc, or an unexpected mechanical failure making the vehicle/bike uncontrollable....T hen there's avoidable accidents , the driver/rider is pushing beyond their ability. For some the mere act of putting the vehicle in gear is beyond their ability, or just driving distracted or driving/riding too fast for conditions...

[kirkemon]

How about some statistics....

        http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/motorcycles/fatalityfacts/motorcycles

humm....older riders had the lowest death rate and now are at the highest?

[rocker59]

humm....older riders had the lowest death rate and now are at the highest?

Yes.  This isn't new news.  New and Re-entry riders over the past 15 years have largely been middle-aged professionals.

They are what drove the huge increases in sales that Harley saw in the 2000s.  And large bike sales, in general.

Over the past 40 years, the 29 and under age group has seen a huge drop in deaths.  And, hasn't been #1 since about 2008.  The reason for this dramatic drop in youngsters dying is because they aren't riding as much as youngsters were in the 1970s.

[Triple Jim]

That's the trouble I have with all those numbers... they  need to be listed per rider-mile to have much relevance.