Is riding a motorbike that dangerous...!? - Page 2 - SV650.org

02-09-06, 08:26 AM

Riding a bike is more dangerous than driving a car, full stop. However carefully you ride you are in a much more vulnerable situation on a bike. Whereas a minor bump in a car is no problem, the same bump on a bike will bloody well hurt. A slide in a car will right itself but a bike will at the very least dump you on the road. Even a pedestrian or a dog will injure a biker. Any rider who has not been injured has been lucky thats all. You need to keep telling yourself this continuously all the time youre on a bike. Somehow its all part of the buzz of riding a bike, the same buzz you get when braving the elements.

My attitude is to assume that everything else on the road is trying to kill me and I never have right of way (somebody once said hospitals are full of riders who had right of way). I don't have that attitude in a car. There are crumple zones on a car but not on a bike!

Somebody else said the best aid to safe driving would be a 12" steel spike sticking out from the steering wheel. I ride a bike like that because I know any accident is going to hurt me.

Sorry about rambling post, I am old.

02-09-06, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyO

riding a motorbike is as dangerous as you make it, no different than driving a car

Yes .... partly, but it's also as dangerous as other people make it by not looking, using their phones while driving etc.

The two friends I have who've had really serious injuries in recent years have both had them as a result of cars pulling in front of them without looking.

Cheers

Keith

02-09-06, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldjack

Riding a bike is more dangerous than driving a car, full stop. However carefully you ride you are in a much more vulnerable situation on a bike. Whereas a minor bump in a car is no problem, the same bump on a bike will bloody well hurt. A slide in a car will right itself but a bike will at the very least dump you on the road. Even a pedestrian or a dog will injure a biker. Any rider who has not been injured has been lucky thats all. You need to keep telling yourself this continuously all the time youre on a bike. Somehow its all part of the buzz of riding a bike, the same buzz you get when braving the elements.

My attitude is to assume that everything else on the road is trying to kill me and I never have right of way (somebody once said hospitals are full of riders who had right of way). I don't have that attitude in a car. There are crumple zones on a car but not on a bike!

Somebody else said the best aid to safe driving would be a 12" steel spike sticking out from the steering wheel. I ride a bike like that because I know any accident is going to hurt me.

Sorry about rambling post, I am old.

Great advice.

timwilky · 02-09-06, 09:25 AM

Is this the knob who is proposing a policy towards zero tolerance of accidents. Putting in place traffic calming to the extent it becomes dangerous etc.

Best way to reduce the numbers of bike accidents, is to ban all cars/trucks from the road, never another cage pulling out on you, no more SMIDSYs, etc. Not feasable because of Joe Public would not tolerate the removal of their freedom to travel. Exactly, the same reason why you would never get bikers to give up their bikes.

02-09-06, 09:33 AM

Somehow we think that banning something will get rid off the problem. Bikes are dangerous so let’s ban them all and we will make our roads a safer place. I am sure that would work equally well as banning drugs, guns & other weapons etc. as we are not having problems with any of those are we?

Lissa · 02-09-06, 09:43 AM

Part of the problem I think is that cars are TOO safe these days. With ABS, power steering and air bags they give drivers a sense of security. Take all those away, make drivers feel more vulnerable again, and maybe driving standards will improve

02-09-06, 10:58 AM

We ride bikes because we love it and choose to do so, being totally aware of the risks. To a certain degree everything is dangerous, its up to ourselves to choose our danger and try to minimize the risks as much as possible.
I don't like being told by people that I must not ride a bike because it can kill me. I already know that, but I could also die just sitting in a chair....

I've witnessed some horrific accidents with both cars and bikes over the years, the latest being six weeks ago involving my daughter, who bearly survived a 170 kph car crash (the driver was killed instantly). Having been through all this hasn't made me want to stop riding or driving.

Banning bikes or cars is a bit extreme, we might as well just ban living ....

Red ones · 02-09-06, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Is it dangerous?Yes it is,but it's our choice.That choice is why my parents,grandparents and great grandparents spent the last century fighting wars.

This is a dangerous argument! I might choose to drive after drinking, but that does not make it wise, desirable or responsible and I doubt that anyones relatives ever faught to preserve teh right for others to cause death by recklessness. But I agree the man is a **** (or rather his vew is that of one, he may be a perfectly nice man per se)

Biking is dangerous, drink driving is reckless. You have control over a bike (assuming you are not drunk or incompetent) you do not have control when you have been drinking, therefore the danger is different. The RISK of death/major injury on a bike is much higher than in a car, the level of personal protection being different. The statistic I would like to see is related to the number of minor/non-injury accidents given that statistically bikers are more law abiding than car drivers (according to that authoritative source of data "Police, Camera, Action" on ITV)

Or can we compare the level of danger associated with parachuting and compare it against drink driving?

02-09-06, 11:10 AM

If you ride like a **** (most kids on scooters, some sports bike riders who filter at 50mph+...you get the idea) then yea, motorcycling is dangerous.

If you ride with attention, respect for the road, the dangers out there (never seen a gravel trap myself on any corner on the road, just a hedge or a brick wall), speed when its safe to do so (when theres not alot of traffic, good visibility etc etc) and wear the correct clothing (not shorts, t-shirt and flip flops) you'll be safer than most car drivers (who dont really look, feeling protected by the cage that is the car).

Also, good training makes you a good rider, as you get the basics of machine control and hopfully some more advanced machine control.

Biking is safe - i tell this to each and every person who doubts it, and offer them a ride on the back of my scooter (embaressed by abmitting this, but an SV will be in my possesion come Xmas!) to show how safe riding is.

Matt

02-09-06, 11:50 AM

Any good statistition can manipulate the figures to read how you want them, and its clear that that is what this

is doing.

For example (stats made up for illustration purposes only);

If 1 in 5 fatal accidents are caused by drink-driving then that means that 4 in 5 are caused by other factors. Surely then it is safer to drink drive than drive sober as you are more likely to die from other reasons?

Truly it is a flawed arguement but if this guy is really determined to ban bikes then he'll use any way he can. Personally, I can't see him managing it really.

Perhaps he's just trying to prove to his boss that he's been doing some work for the past 12 months, and not spending his time sat in a pokey little office somewhere looking at internet porn.

02-09-06, 09:25 AM	#14
timwilky Member Mega Poster Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Not in Yorkshire. (Thank God) Posts: 4,116	Is this the knob who is proposing a policy towards zero tolerance of accidents. Putting in place traffic calming to the extent it becomes dangerous etc. Best way to reduce the numbers of bike accidents, is to ban all cars/trucks from the road, never another cage pulling out on you, no more SMIDSYs, etc. Not feasable because of Joe Public would not tolerate the removal of their freedom to travel. Exactly, the same reason why you would never get bikers to give up their bikes. __________________ Not Grumpy, opinionated.

02-09-06, 09:43 AM	#16
Lissa Just Ballast Mega Poster Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rugby, South Mids Group Posts: 4,381	Part of the problem I think is that cars are TOO safe these days. With ABS, power steering and air bags they give drivers a sense of security. Take all those away, make drivers feel more vulnerable again, and maybe driving standards will improve __________________ If It's Too Loud, You're Too Old! I'd Rather Have Two Big Bangs Than Four Little Strokes

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02-09-06, 08:26 AM	#11
oldjack Guest Posts: n/a	Riding a bike is more dangerous than driving a car, full stop. However carefully you ride you are in a much more vulnerable situation on a bike. Whereas a minor bump in a car is no problem, the same bump on a bike will bloody well hurt. A slide in a car will right itself but a bike will at the very least dump you on the road. Even a pedestrian or a dog will injure a biker. Any rider who has not been injured has been lucky thats all. You need to keep telling yourself this continuously all the time youre on a bike. Somehow its all part of the buzz of riding a bike, the same buzz you get when braving the elements. My attitude is to assume that everything else on the road is trying to kill me and I never have right of way (somebody once said hospitals are full of riders who had right of way). I don't have that attitude in a car. There are crumple zones on a car but not on a bike! Somebody else said the best aid to safe driving would be a 12" steel spike sticking out from the steering wheel. I ride a bike like that because I know any accident is going to hurt me. Sorry about rambling post, I am old.

02-09-06, 09:33 AM	#15
Dave The Rave Guest Posts: n/a	Somehow we think that banning something will get rid off the problem. Bikes are dangerous so let’s ban them all and we will make our roads a safer place. I am sure that would work equally well as banning drugs, guns & other weapons etc. as we are not having problems with any of those are we?

02-09-06, 10:58 AM	#17
Moose Guest Posts: n/a	We ride bikes because we love it and choose to do so, being totally aware of the risks. To a certain degree everything is dangerous, its up to ourselves to choose our danger and try to minimize the risks as much as possible. I don't like being told by people that I must not ride a bike because it can kill me. I already know that, but I could also die just sitting in a chair.... I've witnessed some horrific accidents with both cars and bikes over the years, the latest being six weeks ago involving my daughter, who bearly survived a 170 kph car crash (the driver was killed instantly). Having been through all this hasn't made me want to stop riding or driving. Banning bikes or cars is a bit extreme, we might as well just ban living ....

02-09-06, 11:10 AM	#19
Alpinestarhero Guest Posts: n/a	If you ride like a **** (most kids on scooters, some sports bike riders who filter at 50mph+...you get the idea) then yea, motorcycling is dangerous. If you ride with attention, respect for the road, the dangers out there (never seen a gravel trap myself on any corner on the road, just a hedge or a brick wall), speed when its safe to do so (when theres not alot of traffic, good visibility etc etc) and wear the correct clothing (not shorts, t-shirt and flip flops) you'll be safer than most car drivers (who dont really look, feeling protected by the cage that is the car). Also, good training makes you a good rider, as you get the basics of machine control and hopfully some more advanced machine control. Biking is safe - i tell this to each and every person who doubts it, and offer them a ride on the back of my scooter (embaressed by abmitting this, but an SV will be in my possesion come Xmas!) to show how safe riding is. Matt

02-09-06, 11:50 AM	#20
carlos Guest Posts: n/a	Any good statistition can manipulate the figures to read how you want them, and its clear that that is what this is doing. For example (stats made up for illustration purposes only); If 1 in 5 fatal accidents are caused by drink-driving then that means that 4 in 5 are caused by other factors. Surely then it is safer to drink drive than drive sober as you are more likely to die from other reasons? Truly it is a flawed arguement but if this guy is really determined to ban bikes then he'll use any way he can. Personally, I can't see him managing it really. Perhaps he's just trying to prove to his boss that he's been doing some work for the past 12 months, and not spending his time sat in a pokey little office somewhere looking at internet porn.