Another reason fatalities have increased

warbrown

Bald and Busafied
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When I read ThrasherFox's recent post on fatalities increasing among older riders, I was reminded of an excellent eye-opening article I had read in Motorcycle Consumer News several months ago. As with any statistical analysis, there are many ways to interpret the data that is collected. While I believe this study correctly determines that fatalities have increased among older riders, it fails to put this conclusion into a broader perspective. The broader reality is:

[*] Motorcycle registrations have continually risen since 1990
[*] Since 1990, the number of crashes has decreased
[*] Despite fewer overall crashes, the fatality rate for all riders has doubled in the last 5 years

So what is the cause for the dramatic increase? More cycles on the road? More powerful cycles on the road? Higher speeds? Less helmet usage? Alchohol consumption?

Read the article for the conclusion this study has drawn. I scanned it as an Adobe PDF, so you'll need Acrobat Reader to view it.

Motorcycle Consumer News Article, July 2004

Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Here
 
OK, so it reads like a college thesis. but it is something to think about. Damn SUV's! Does anyone else get MCN magazine? Its my favorite of all the cycle rags.
 
Thanks, that's a very informative article.

I think it's high time the insurance and safety companies started putting pressure on the manufacturers of SUVs to make them safer - not just for other drivers/riders, but also for their owners.

Almost every morning in Denver there's a report of a vehicle flipped over on the highway - it's always an SUV, they're just not stable when making rapid changes of direction. And take the "Sports" out of the name, a-holes think they can drive them like a BMW because they have big engines. Call it a minivan on big wheels, that's what it is for the majority of owners.
 
Yet another example of why this board is superior. GREAT and Informative post!
 
I subscribe to MCN and I read this article when it came out and TOTALLY agree with it. I mean come on guys...how many times have you been riding down the highway and look over to see some lady doing 50 mph in the fast lane driving a Dodge Durango while talking on a cell phone like she is not even on planet earth? I say to hell with SUV's and Cell phones while driving I am just about sick of them both!
 
I say to hell with SUV's and Cell phones while driving I am just about sick of them both!
I agree! I wish there was a way to track how many of these cage vs. cycle collisions were caused by the cage driver yakking on a cell phone, completely oblivious to the world around them. Then again, if the statistics played out like I suspect they would, maybe I don't want to know.
 
funny thing.....a couple months ago I got a survey from AAA since I am a member wanting to ask for opinions on how we think the road systems could be better. You know asking questions like do you think you should be evaluated periodically for your drivers license and stuff like that. At the bottom it asks out of like several topics on a scale rate how you feel about cell phone usage being the cause of wrecks. I gave it a 5 being a HIGH PROBLEM. Then it says if you answered highly explain some ways you might know of to fix it. I put down VERY STRICT ENFORCEMENT! I know here in Ohio we have a hands free only law for the cells and NO ONE goes by it. People drive by cops even talking with the handset in their hand and the cops do nothing. But you bet your ass if they see me driving without a seat belt or doing 68 mph in a 65 I am gonna get pulled over. People know the law is a joke so they don't pay attention to it. I think we need to enforce a fine instantly when you are caught and make it high. I am talking like a 500$ fine if you are caught talking on a phone while driving. If you hit people in their wallets you will finally get their attention. And after that a second offense should be license suspension. I mean to me not paying attention to the road while u drive is as dangerous as driving drunk and look how strictly they enforce that. I mean I may just be rambling but I know for a FACT that cell phones just piss me off like no other and I know from experience of being cut off time and time again first hand by some BI%$H chatterboxing on one that something needs to be done about them.
 
Hey sparky, define old geezer.
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SUV's, cell phones......traffic today is much different than the days some of us geezers started street riding. The height of SUV's creates quite a hazard as a person can not see traffic beyond them. I'm not sure if the article discussed it as my computer's Adobe keeps locking up.

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Hey sparky, define old geezer.
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SUV's, cell  phones......traffic today is much   different  than  the days some  of us  geezers  started street riding.  The height of SUV's creates quite  a hazard as  a person can not see  traffic beyond them. I'm not  sure  if  the  article discussed it as  my computer's Adobe  keeps  locking up.
Yeah, when we started riding, we just had to worry about land yachts. 2 and a half ton cars!
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Great article. After a while, you start to lose count of the number of near misses with traffic - sort of scary to read those statistics. Of course, I wonder how many people have wheelied into the back end of a car, or stoppied out into an intersection?

Thanks again for the good read.
 
Yeah I remember statistics 101(actually it was 311 or something but...) and what I remember is statistics are not facts.  They don't tell the whole truth and are frequently used by someone to prove a point.  But yes, we don't have anything else to replace statistics with and gathering all the info to find a fact is impossible.

Isn't it ironic, you go to college to learn.  And what I learned is that statistics are a waste of time  
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Oh well, time to go take a ride    
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well, in the last 5 years from 60 to 65, my timed response has diminished significantly. So that being said, I can see where older persons are getting into more accidents, some fatal. It just takes longer from the time I see something needs to be done and then physically move whatever it is, brakes, turning the wheel, or whatever.
 
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