Scary statistics for bikers in Wales

I've been exploring the new data.gov.uk, and came across this - a statistical analysis of bike accidents in Wales in 2008. The scariest conclusion is that bikers are 45 times more likely to be KSI than a car driver, and that of any group of 100 riders, one will be killed within 18 months - as opposed to 32 years for a car driver. That really is sobering. Also most accidents occur at T junctions in fine weather on summer Saturdays, on higher powered machines (ie above 500cc - the report doesn't analyse cc as against bhp) and increasingly to older riders, with Powys having the highest statistics.

Gulp. I fit all of those categories...

The report does not comment on responsibility for the accidents nor on the causes. I wish it did. I would expect looked but didn't see/SMIDSY, driver inattention, and failure to anticipate to be high on the list. The report is not something that any biker in Wales can ignore, it exposes the huge vulnerability that we have, and it identifies on a historic basis where accidents are most likely to happen. A lot to read, yes - 16 pages of detail - but a hell of a lot to learn in terms of who is most likely to be involved in an accident and where it is most likely to happen.

It begs the question of how to avoid - we can't avoid T junctions on sunny summer Saturdays...

I can't find the same info for England, I'm still hunting it down, I wonder if it will be markedly different though.

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/...en.pdf?lang=en

[dizzyblonde]

Don't matter what the statistics are, or indeed seeing the mess of injuries caused be those still here after major crashes....I'll still ride my bike.

Nowt like a bit of puffed up scaremongering to keep us off the roads in Wales..or indeed anywhere!

Originally Posted by Ed

I've been exploring the new data.gov.uk, and came across this - a statistical analysis of bike accidents in Wales in 2008. The scariest conclusion is that bikers are 45 times more likely to be KSI than a car driver, and that of any group of 100 riders, one will be killed within 18 months - as opposed to 32 years for a car driver. That really is sobering. Also most accidents occur at T junctions in fine weather on summer Saturdays, on higher powered machines (ie above 500cc - the report doesn't analyse cc as against bhp) and increasingly to older riders, with Powys having the highest statistics.

Gulp. I fit all of those categories...

The report does not comment on responsibility for the accidents nor on the causes. I wish it did. I would expect looked but didn't see/SMIDSY, driver inattention, and failure to anticipate to be high on the list. The report is not something that any biker in Wales can ignore, it exposes the huge vulnerability that we have, and it identifies on a historic basis where accidents are most likely to happen. A lot to read, yes - 16 pages of detail - but a hell of a lot to learn in terms of who is most likely to be involved in an accident and where it is most likely to happen.

It begs the question of how to avoid - we can't avoid T junctions on sunny summer Saturdays...

I can't find the same info for England, I'm still hunting it down, I wonder if it will be markedly different though.

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/statistics/...en.pdf?lang=en

Stats for England as a whole would probably be a bit milder as the proportion of daily commuters to weekend power rangers would be higher, more experience and different kind of accidents as a proportion of the number of bikes on the road.

Stats for the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, or Lake District in isolation, or any of the other popular biking areas, would probably be about the same though.

Of 100 bikers, 1 killed within in 18 months as opposed to 32 years for a car driver doesn't surprise me particularly. We go on rideouts in much smaller numbers and how often do you see at least one nutter who is a fatal accident waiting to happen? Bikes in Wales are out for fun, car drivers are just following the daily grind and trying to get somewhere. You can't compare the two. If you were to compare weekend sportsbike power rangers, with teenagers out for a joyride in their souped up Corsa, you might be closer to an apples for apples comparison between bikes and cars in Wales.

These stats are the reason for the draconian policing in Wales, it's a weekend power rangers playground.

[Dave20046]

Maybe they should up policing?

[jambo]

Originally Posted by Ed

It begs the question of how to avoid - we can't avoid T junctions on sunny summer Saturdays...

It's true, but we can make sure our speed passing side turnings is appropriate. Plenty of people are on their right of way, a clear bit of tarmac and going far faster than they're able to stop from if someone pulls out from a side turning. Of course you have right of way, but it matters not a jot who was at fault if you have a high speed impact into the side of a car, it's still going to mess you up.

The above is perhaps presumptuous about what's happened in these cases, but I'd suspect there's some truth to it.


Jambo

Originally Posted by Ed

Gulp. I fit all of those categories...

It begs the question of how to avoid - we can't avoid T junctions on sunny summer Saturdays...

I wouldn't be too concerned Ed. Whilst you fit all the categories, that's because those are the demographics of the population who can afford to buy and insure a nice powerful sportsbike and spend their Sundays riding it round Wales. If you've got a sensible head on you there's no reason why you should be that 1 guy out the 100.

How do you avoid it? Appropriate speed when your passing a junction, warning triangles usually tell you in advance, anticipation and scan and plan style observation, look over the hedges to see if anything is approaching that junction, etc. Just because your passing a T junction on a sunny Saturday, and some SMIDSY cager doesn't see you, that doesn't mean you can't see him or avoid hitting him when he pulls out.

[yorkie_chris]

Ok great, majority at T junctions means the NW police should leave us alone and start annoying myopic cagers instead.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I wouldn't be too concerned Ed. Whilst you fit all the categories, that's because those are the demographics of the population who can afford to buy and insure a nice powerful sportsbike and spend their Sundays riding it round Wales. If you've got a sensible head on you there's no reason why you should be that 1 guy out the 100.

How do you avoid it? Appropriate speed when your passing a junction, warning triangles usually tell you in advance, anticipation and scan and plan style observation, look over the hedges to see if anything is approaching that junction, etc. Just because your passing a T junction on a sunny Saturday, and some SMIDSY cager doesn't see you, that doesn't mean you can't see him or avoid hitting him when he pulls out.

Well said. It is always tempting to nail it along a nice straight bit of tarmac. I always slow to around the limit now when passing a junction that I cannot see into, even when my road ahead is completely clear. Any n00b can go ballistic down a straight stretch and 99% of the time everything will be fine, but that 1% is when you end up as jam. A few scares in my first few years riding taught me that!

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

Don't matter what the statistics are, or indeed seeing the mess of injuries caused be those still here after major crashes....I'll still ride my bike.

Nowt like a bit of puffed up scaremongering to keep us off the roads in Wales..or indeed anywhere!

Oh for sure, dizz - I'll continue to ride mine too. Particulartly in Powys But it isn't scaremongering. This is for real. I wish the paper had a cause analysis, as stated my guess is that in most cases it's not the biker's fault, but that is scant comfort.

[Bibio]

what a load of bull.... if it were true then 1 in 100 of people on this and other forums would be killed every week. we have at leist 400 trully active members on this forum so 4 of us are going to have to die every week.

put that in yer pipe and smoke it you arzhole statistics people. ggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

when will the squelsh quire boys stop publishing such bull.