Riding Safe
July 9th, 2006 by R.J.
I saw this video today. It’s part of an ad campaign airing in South Africa instructing motorists to be aware of bikes on the road. It goes to show you just how fast you can be involved in an accident on a motorcycle. The only one that’s looking out for your safety out there is you.
I was also sent a link to this site which, though very graphic, gets the point across on how dangerous our hobby is.
I remember when I took my Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course a few years back the instructor kept mentioning that you are 16 times more likely to be involved in an injury-causing crash on a motorcycle. However, don’t be fooled,
he got this number is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stats from 1994! According to the most recent numbers by the NHTSA, you are 32 times more likely to be injured or killed on a motorcycle per
mile driven.
What does “per mile driven” mean? Well, for one thing there are more bikes on the road in 2006 than in 1994. Per mile driven takes the number of bikes out of the equation. Simply put: For every mile you ride your bike you are 32 times more likely to crash and be injured or killed than if you were driving a car.
This should be especially worrying for those of you riding in the Coachella Valley. We’re having a population boom, which is making the roads a lot more crowded. As riders we have to deal with all of the old people who come here for the winter and don’t see us. Being so close to the border, we have to deal with immigrants who are unlicensed, uninsured, and don’t know how to drive in the US. And we have no shortage of idiots who think driving a car means they have to pick up their cell phone to chat.
I think knowing all of this makes me more cautious as a rider, even though I know nothing can absolutely prevent me from crashing. But it also makes me worried for all my brothers and sisters out there riding every day…
- Posted in Motorcycle Safety
September 30th, 2008 at 2:02 am
I can’t scientifically disagree with your statistics, but as a daily motorcycle commuter I would have to say I have fewer close calls on my Bike than I do when I drive my car. I have more room to maneuver when I am on my Bike. I always wear High Visibility apparel and am contantly aware of my position to other drivers and their blind spots. Rarely have I encountered close calls. I firmly believe the key is a yielding attitude and bright clothing. I certainly do not feel 32 times more likely to be in a crash, but I am aware of the increased potential of injury.
Ride smart and dress appropriately. I fail to understand why everyone insists on wearing black while traveling on a motorcycle. The Fonzi look is a fashion trend that died a long time ago. Is the gang biker look alike style getting you the respect you think you deserve. Join the trend of motorcycle safety and you may never know the pain you avoided by not being creamed by some distracted soccer mom busy talking on a cell phone in her SUV. You may not think you look real stylish wearing safety green, but those open back hospital gowns aren’t exactly trendy.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Very well thought out and written reply, David. I appreciate your viewpoint, but I, too, ride every day and tend to agree with the NHTSA statistics.
It’s not always about you predicting what the other drivers will do. What about someone running into the back of you at a stoplight? What about wild animals? What about a dumptruck dropping gravel in a turn? There’s a lot of scenarios that you can’t predict and in which you would be much safer in a car.
On top of that, I wear highly visible motorcycle gear, but there never seems to be a shortage of drivers who just don’t look for motorcyclists.