Are Crashes Inevitable?

Tufbusa

Track Coach / TufPoodle Coach
Registered
From another Forum.
Although a little long, it's well worth the read!
Possibly worth being pinned?




While it may not quite be INEVITABLE, it is HIGHLY PROBABLE that any rider will experience some sort of accident the longer they ride. Ironically, a rider is at greatest risk of having an accident when they first begin riding due to inexperience. Conversely, as you gain experience you continually add to your time exposed to risk, meaning that while you have more experience to use to avoid accidents you are increasing number of opportunities for an accident to occur.

The only certain way to guard against having a motorcycle accident is to not ride. Period. If you choose to ride, you must realize that there is always the risk of an accident, be it big or small, serious or minor, your fault or not.

There. Now, that said, you do a lot to avoid accidents. Here are the main things that come to mind:

1) Training: Take ALL that you can find and then take some more. Start with the MSF courses, take them all and then find more courses to take, anything from track classes to dirt classes to advanced street riding classes to wheelie classes. Any serious, guided, organized, safety minded instruction only adds to your experience and skill set and does so in a controlled environment that allows you to be relatively safe while learning, unlike the street where, if you find that you need to do something that you've never done before, you won't get but one chance to get it right without real consequences.

2) Training: See # 1.

3) Follow at a great distance: Leave as much following distance as you can stand when riding behind other vehicles. The more space you leave, the more time you have to react to any issues coming from the vehicles ahead. If you're on their bumper and they drive into an accident, you'll be in the same accident, whereas if you're 12 seconds back, when they drive into an accident you'll calmly pull over to a safe area, call 911 and lend a hand to those in the accident. Riding with greater following distances also allows you to get a good look at the road surface and provides you with plenty of time to avoid those giant potholes or spilled fluids that would otherwise end your ride.

3a) Ride in space: When riding in traffic, create the largest cushion of space possible between you and all other vehicles. Doing so will make it easier for them to see you and give you more time to react to anything unexpected that they might do.

4) Do NOT ride IMPAIRED: If you drink, do drugs, are taking medication, sleep deprived or doing ANYTHING that may affect your mind or body, just don't ride. Riding safely requires that your mind and body both be sharp and healthy. Anything that negatively affects your perception, judgment, reaction time, ability to think, etc. should tell you to stay off the bike until you’re clean and clear. Riding impaired is a GREAT way to find an accident.

5) Avoid riding in the rain: Motorcycles enjoy many advantages over other vehicles including acceleration, maneuverability and vision. In the rain, many of those same advantages become liabilities due to lose of traction and our lack of windshield wipers and protection from the elements. Acceleration and maneuverability are instantly reduced greatly due to lack of traction and our vision is immediately compromised by the rain and fogging on our helmets/windscreens/glasses. In addition, we become much less visible to the other vehicles on the road.

6) Avoid riding at night: Why? One word: Deer. Or whatever critters you have that are local to the area and much more active at night. Animals are the one thing that we really have no good strategy to defend against. They can appear anywhere at anytime and once spotted you cannot reliably predict their movements/behavior. While animals can certainly be encountered even during the height of the daylight hours, between from dusk until dawn there is far more danger posed by the activities of our wilderness friends.

6a) If you get caught riding at night, choose the largest/most heavily travelled roads you can. Those lesser travelled great two lane roads with the twisties that cut through scenic undeveloped lands are MUCH more likely to animals that are out and about after dark. The larger roads with their noisy traffic, lights and fencing have a much lower probability for an animal encounter.

7) Ride slower. Riding motorcycles fast is easy...and dangerous. The faster you go, the less time you have to react to anything in front of you, including cross traffic, unexpected lane changers, red light runners, stop sign runners, arrogant pedestrians, driveway demons, left turners, double parkers, sudden brakers, crossing deer, decreasing radius corners, sand on your line, etc. It sucks, but the faster you go, the less time you have to be safe. As a new rider, it's PARTICULARLY important to keep the speeds down as new riders generally do not have the experience needed to make informed judgments "speed flexibility".

8) Maintain your ride: If doesn't work right/isn't reliable, then it's an accident waiting to happen. It's tough enough to ride safe with a bike in perfect condition, last thing ya need is to give yourself a handicap by riding a questionable machine. Do it yourself or pay to have it done right, but don't ride a sub-standard machine.

9) ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time): Gear up. IF something happens, there is no question that you want to be over-dressed rather than under-dressed. Less than 5% of motorcycle accidents are fatal but over 85% involve injury. If you're not dressed for it, you'll be in that painful 85%. The closer you are to ATGATT, the better your chances are of being in the 15% that walk away with nothing more than a story to share at the next rally or bike night or on your favorite internet forum.

10) Ride for yourself: Ride b/c you love it. Period. Any other reason is missing the point and distracting while riding. Do not ride to impress anyone. EVER. That includes girls. Yes, even the hot girls! It also includes parents, friends, siblings, co-workers, etc. The second you ride to impress, you run the risk of worrying more about how what you're doing looks to others and less about if what you're doing is smart or safe. Do not ride for gas mileage or the low up front cost of bikes. For most folks, in the long run, cars are cheaper and provide greater utility and are safer. The ONLY reason to ride is because you simply love it. Period.

For some interesting info regarding motorcycle accident stats, check this out: Motorcycle Accident Statistics - webBikeWorld

Here are conclusions from the report:
• Helmet use among fatally injured motorcyclists below 50 percent
• More motorcyclist fatalities are occurring on rural roads
• High blood alcohol levels are a major problem among motorcycle operators
• Half of the fatalities are related to negotiating a curve prior to the crash
• Over 80 percent of the fatalities occur off roadway
• Undivided roadways account for a majority of the fatalities
• Almost two thirds of the fatalities were associated with speeding as an operator contributing factor in the crash
• Almost 60 percent of motorcyclist fatalities occur at night
• Collision with a fixed object is a significant factor in over half of the fatalities
• Braking and steering maneuvers possibly contribute for almost 25 percent of the fatalities
• More riders age 40 and over are getting killed
• Almost one third of the fatally injured operators did not have a proper license
Based on the above conclusions, look at what you can EASILY do to lower your odds of being in a fatal accident:

1) Wear a helmet.
2) Don't drink and ride.
3) Treat corners with respect. Better to go in too slow than too fast.
4) Keep speed down.
5) Don't ride at night.
6) Get a license.

Again, the only way to ensure against a motorcycle accident is to simply not ride but if you do ride, there is a LOT you can do to stack the odds in your favor, both in terms of avoiding accidents and surviving them well if they do occur.

Best of luck!
 
I have been riding over 22 years and have locked up both brakes, avoided many accidents, went off the road at 90MPH and never been hurt till I lost my best friend in 2007 that I grew up with from riding mini bikes to dirt bikes into mopeds when we were teens to riding motorcycles. He was an excellent rider.
He lost his life on August 27th of 2007 while riding his Ducati. From the story I was given he was riding on evening on a 4 lane road when an illegal immagrant was traveling towards him and decided to make a left turn right in front of him. Guess what he did which I dont know I wasnt present the time of the wreck was he knew he couldnt avoid hitting the car so he laid it down hoping to slide past the car. It didnt work out that way he slid under the car and on impact it broke his neck. :-(...
I now have a different view since I am almost 40 yrs old and lost a best friend that was an excellent rider that any time you throw a leg over a motorcycle it may be your last ride. I am thankful each time I come home from rididng my motorcycle without injury.
Yes you can avoid a lot of accidents and some of the advice given here is very valuable! But remember it can happen to you within a blink of an eye.
 
That's a good read, I remember it on a different forum.

I just recently lost a friend this year, he was also an excellent rider. Was an instructor at the riding school, gave me some awesome advice whenever needed. He left his apartment and stated up the road when something happend. Nobody really knows what since witnesses said he was stunting and speeding excessively. The only thing Police could say before they stopped the investigation was that he started around the corner from his apartment and up a hill in the far right lane, four lane road, then just about at the top of the hill he ended up sliding across the entire road and hitting a retaining wall killing him. Speed may have been a factro and there may have been other factors taht we don't know about being as there was nobody around with him. We all met up on site for remembrance, just under 200 bikes we shut down half of the road that day.

It's horrible what can happen and we all just need to make sure we, look out for the person behind the person in front of us
 
Yeah, good topic to think about. A person can go a long way towards preventing themselves from being in a crash, but it seems a bit of good old fashion luck can help a lot too.
There has been so many times where the powers that be have put me on a certain spot of road a split second before or after the fact. Those times where your heart rate goes up a few when you realize you were a second or 2 from being annihilated. If you'd let the bike warm just a second less, you would have left out that much sooner, and be that much farther along, and the car that just slid back across the center line into it's own lane would have been in your lane at the exact same time and place that you were.
I don't think crashes are inevitable. But the chance is always there, that no matter how great your skill and how careful you are, your luck may some day just run out.
I also don't worry about it really. If it gets to the point where I ride around fearing crashes, why bother. I wear my gear, don't ride impaired, keep a constant eye on what everyone around me is doing (plus I don't ride in town any more than just necessary to get through and on the the back country), and go on. I've had 3 crashes in my life, 2 on the street (both my fault), and 1 on the track (also my fault), all of which were learning experiences (pain IS a good teacher), and have missed countless others due to skill and the afore mentioned luck.
Crashing isn't inevitable, but there's always the chance. Take the chance and ride, or sell the bike and take up stamp collecting.
 
Thank you for posting this Steven. I don't go around talking about how great I am(because I'm not) so please don't flame me about bragging. I just want to use myself as an example to support this strand. I'm 64 years old and have owned over seventy motorcycles since 1957. I have had only three crashes in 55 years. Each of those crashes were attributible to one of the above bullet safety points. As hard as I ride, I always ask myself, "why don't I crash more....or even have more near misses than I do?" So far, I think the answer is largely based on my intense level of vigilance when riding(vigilance also applies to self control). I used to pick up my speed when someone passed me on the street (many years ago as a young invincible stud), now I wave good bye and continue to enjoy my ride. Recently after a "spirited ride" in the mountains we all sat in a cafe ordering lunch and one of the group said to me,"wow, I can't believe you let xxxxx pass you!" I smiled and said, "He's a fast one for sure" and let it go, knowing I did not compromise my safety. I believe the sooner we all get that, the more of us will survive, motorcycle public relations will improve, less restrictive rules will be written, and motorcycling will receive more community acceptance.
Remember, if you really want to demonstrate your skills on the edge, there are wilderness riding areas, motocross tracks, and road racing circuits all over the world waiting for you.
 
good stuff. id say in my experience SPEED where you should be slowing ur roll is the strongest contributing factor to death:umpf: on a MC. as stated the only way to completely avoid death is to not ride but thats not much of a solution. reducing the law of averages is all you can.
 
Good read. I think we all need a reminder ever once in awhile about the danger we face riding. I love it period.
 
I have been riding 36 years, I have not gone down or crashed... knock on wood. I have had one injury do to deer running out in front of me, locking up the brakes and almost lowsiding it. I put my foot down to help push off the road and got my leg in front of the brake lever and rammed it through the calf of my right leg. I kept the bike up and did not know I was hurt until I stopped on the side of the road to calm down. That took 6 months to heal up... I guess some of us are real lucky, I think of it as a big game of keep away out there. I do ride fast but attempt to put as many things as I can in my favor to limit the risk.
 
Some drunk kid ran me over the first time breaking my right femur in 5 places,still have the bar and 13 screws in there.
IMG_0186.jpg


The second time really stung,some sightseer pulled out in front of me and i nailed him doing 60 mph/flew 90' through the air and landed on my face(first bounce).Even with a full Shoei still broke my nose,teeth,30 stitches across my forehead,broken pelvis,broken left hand(perm. nerve damage),big hole through my left shin,and other various contusions and abrasions.Spent 8 weeks in the hospital on that one,really not looking forward to a round three.:laugh:
IMG_0191.jpg
 
What about the old saying "Ride like everyone is trying to kill you". :laugh:

But really, good points noted. I have high sided once and had a 3rd degree seperation of my shoulder. I was very lucky that was that happened. I was in full gear.
 
Piratediver...man I really feel for you, I sure hope you heal up well over time! Raydog
 
Inevitable? No

Statistically Probable? Yes

Personally, I always drive/ride based on the assumptions above. I have never been in an accident myself, but I always ride ATGATT and drive defensively. Statistically I am wayyyyyyy overdue for an accident - knock on wood.
 
I tend to fall on the "inevitable" side. I think it's just the way it is. "Other people" is a factor that no matter how safe you are, you will never be able to control. I think we should also differentiate between "crash" and "accident." An accident can be major or it can be minor... where as a crash is almost ALWAYS major. Because the way motorcycles are, it's almost always inevitable that if you are involved in an "accident" you also "crashed." The anatomy of the motorcycle is just something that works against us.

I think overconfidence and just plain stupidity should fall some where in there also. I got my license in July and I had my first crash in October. Being a "new rider" I was really intimidated jumping on a Hayabusa. Once I did jump on the saddle, it felt so "easy." Sort of like, "Man, what was I so scared of?!!" I developed an attitude of invincibility towards everything. Before I started riding, I told myself that when it comes to the weather, I would NEVER ride in rain, sleet, or snow... and yet there I was riding after one of the biggest snowstorms in the Northeast. Then out of nowhere, bam, crash. Brought me back down to Earth hardcore. I was lucky enough to escape with only a sprained ankle and bruised knee. It made me realize how much worse it could have been and how stupid and overconfident I had become since getting a Hayabusa.
 
I hit a der last year really knocked the fun out of riding- I had a good 10 year run on the Busa - Had on all my gear still got busted up GOOD. Ace told me something about rolling the dice -It was my time
I beleave there are 2 kinds of motorcycle riders Those that have fallen and those that will!!
 
or those that have fallen and those that have survived

And not to be grim... but I'd like to follow that up with... "Survived... but at what cost?"

There's a guy by the name of Atreus Clayton who wrote a short book called Two Arms and a Head. There's a huge thread he had started on advrider forums that pretty much chronicled EVERYTHING. To make a long story short, he was a new rider. He planned on taking a huge motorcycle adventure before going to law school. The plan was to go from Seattle to Argentina. He never made it to Argentina. He crashed in Mexico and became a quadriplegic. The book is after his injury and is sort of an autobiography. I don't want to depress anyone with it, but it's one of the main reasons I didn't push my luck and ride in to Mexico.
 
You can never tell when or how your number is gonna come up. I've been riding since 1970, and have crashed three times. The first two were way back in the 70's when I was a lot younger, much more foolish, and, luckily resulted in no injuries to me.

The third and most recent came Halloween day. Perfect weather, light traffic, riding on an 8-lane interstate at about 75-80 mph. All of a sudden, I got an uncontrollable front-end wobble. Lost control, and next thing I remember, a lady is holding my head, teling me not to move. Thanks to ATGATT, and perhaps a bit of divine intervention, I suffered only a broken collar bone, 5 ribs, and some bones in my foot. But the thing is, my number came up, and I still have no idea why. Thankfully, I was geared up, and I didn't hit anyone else, and nobody else hit me.

We all need to realize that we cannot know when our time will come. Hence we must do all we can to avoid, minimize, and protect. The list above contains excellent information toward that end.

ATGATT!
CW
 
Crash season is now upon us. My neighbor crashed on Thursday after inviting me to tag along on an after work ride. Maybe good to read this original post again. If nothing else, it may engage the brain into the thought process! :beerchug:
 
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