Clarkson Article

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

His argument doesn't hold water; he loves high speed flight, space travel, car racing. None of those things are essential to everyday life, like using bikes recreationally they are all "just because". Would the wife/kid of the man have been any less gutted if he'd died car racing? I doubt it.

As an aside, it's oddly out of character for him to concede that slowing down is sometimes a good thing.

I think he does have a point. It is true to say yes but you can did in a car at speed etc. the room for error is much higher. You make a mistake on a bent spin out yes you will crash yes you might well be hurt but you have to really F it up to die. The car protects you and has so many other safer features to help you survive an accident. Where on a bike the point he is trying to get at is a small mistake that may or may not be your fault can kill, s front wheel goes you come off and hit an oncoming car or post and there is a very good chance of being dead, the same mistake in a car loosing traction is unlikely to result in death. A tiny error on a bike has infinitely higher consequences than the same mistake in a car.

The examples are endless, it purely down to our vulnerability that is the point he was trying to get at, and the fact that 90% of us choose to ride for pleasure. It is a dangerous hobby and a does carry a lot more risks than driving. Lets not forget that the speed and acceleration factor as well. Even the SV can out drag most super cars and we all speed on our bikes take risks we probably would not in a car adding to the danger, it’s the buzz and the reason we do it otherwise we would all ride

and give it a few weeks the memory will be distant and he'll forget the advise he's given himself and re-hurtle along the road, make a dodgy maneouver and everything will be fine, nobody in j'burg will have died, nobody will be made a widow.

we all make choices, we all make mistakes. we all live our own lives.

Originally Posted by neio79

I think he does have a point. It is true to say yes but you can did in a car at speed etc. the room for error is much higher. You make a mistake on a bent spin out yes you will crash yes you might well be hurt but you have to really F it up to die. The car protects you and has so many other safer features to help you survive an accident. Where on a bike the point he is trying to get at is a small mistake that may or may not be your fault can kill, s front wheel goes you come off and hit an oncoming car or post and there is a very good chance of being dead, the same mistake in a car loosing traction is unlikely to result in death. A tiny error on a bike has infinitely higher consequences than the same mistake in a car.

The examples are endless, it purely down to our vulnerability that is the point he was trying to get at, and the fact that 90% of us choose to ride for pleasure. It is a dangerous hobby and a does carry a lot more risks than driving. Lets not forget that the speed and acceleration factor as well. Even the SV can out drag most super cars and we all speed on our bikes take risks we probably would not in a car adding to the danger, it’s the buzz and the reason we do it otherwise we would all ride

I agree with Ceri JC. Clarkson isn't really discussing the risks or the percentage chance that you will die. I mean, he says it's not "pointless" to die in those other ways. I'm sure he'd say dying in action for the military is not pointless, that dying in a coal mine is not pointless or that dying aboard a trawler vessel in the north sea is not pointless - even if those activities (not certain if they are or not, but it doesn't matter) are more dangerous than riding a motorcycle.

What Clarkson IS saying (to my mind), is that to die on a bike is futile, because it's an unnecessary leisure activity. That's where it makes him seem like a hypocrite, because no matter what the percentage risk of death whilst driving a car might be - a death whilst driving a car for fun, or indeed in any other leisure pursuit, is equally futile and just as pointless as one whilst riding a motorcycle.

On sunday night he said the 4% of accidents that were caused by high speed were probably bikers!.Hammon a fellow biker just smiled.hammond who (a biker)again took a bicycle tru London to see which was quicker a car or public transport or bicycle,why did he not take motorbike,would this not have been quickes and helped the plight of motorbikers trying to fight congestion charges in London.