Is riding a motorbike that dangerous...!?

Alright Moose.
I was out in Norway for a while, love the place to bits. Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Telemark, Skien, ahh. Love it. Especially coming from Ireland, when I was younger, I couldnt believe the wealth out there. Winter houses, summer houses, brilliant stuff.

The one thing that really stood out about Norway was the attitude of respect shown towards other people. People seemed to be treated hugely respectfully, even children. I really liked this atttitude. I felt that it made it a very free country. Live and let live. Not like what I see out in the US really at all, despite what everyone seems to say.

So, this idea that Biking should be banned in Norway is a joke to me. Along the same lines at the all bikes in the UK would be fitted with speed limiters. Its so ludacris just its just not going to happen, to the extent that I am not even concerned about it.

And dont move back to England...

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

The professor forgets that the main reason biking is dangerous is *because* of the people in cars.
Many of whom (particularly on a Friday or Saturday night) have indeed had 3 pints.

Couldn't have put it better myself!

I was out in Norway for a while, love the place to bits. Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Telemark, Skien, ahh. Love it. Especially coming from Ireland, when I was younger, I couldnt believe the wealth out there. Winter houses, summer houses, brilliant stuff.

The one thing that really stood out about Norway was the attitude of respect shown towards other people. People seemed to be treated hugely respectfully, even children. I really liked this atttitude. I felt that it made it a very free country. Live and let live. Not like what I see out in the US really at all, despite what everyone seems to say.

Your right about Norway PhilipMac, so you can understand the uproar...

I see you've also visited my home town. I have yet to visit Ireland though, should be happening in there near future as my father has lived there the past 10 years....!!

According to the National Safety Council's 2003 stats published in last month's national geographic, riding a motorcyle is less dangerous than eating cream cakes.
(1 in 5 die of heart disease as opposed to 1 in 1020 checking out in a bike accident)

so ner :P

Originally Posted by CoolGirl

According to the National Safety Council's 2003 stats published in last month's national geographic, riding a motorcyle is less dangerous than eating cream cakes.
(1 in 5 die of heart disease as opposed to 1 in 1020 checking out in a bike accident)

so ner :P

I knew there was a reason our company buy our food, and treat us to creamcakes every day

Originally Posted by Lissa

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

..especially when some of the "safety" features result in more crashes. I've driven dozens of modern cars and almost without exception, the front pillars are far too wide on them. I have some sympathy with drivers who smidsy after I early (I take long looks so luckily it appeared in time) pulled out in front of a car (yes, not a bike or pedestrian, a car! ) that was completely obscured by the front RHS pillar of a Zafira I was in. It would never of happened in my trusty old 106.

Is riding a motorbike that dangerous?

No, but crashing one is

Its not the 500 meter fall that gets you... its the sudden stop at the end.

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

..especially when some of the "safety" features result in more crashes. I've driven dozens of modern cars and almost without exception, the front pillars are far too wide on them. I have some sympathy with drivers who smidsy after I early (I take long looks so luckily it appeared in time) pulled out in front of a car (yes, not a bike or pedestrian, a car! ) that was completely obscured by the front RHS pillar of a Zafira I was in. It would never of happened in my trusty old 106.

I can completely agree with this - company cage is a Toyota Avensis and when I go round some corners, in fact, most corners, to the right, I have to actually move my head to see where I am going. It's bl00dy ridiculous really. It's the curtain airbags in the A pillars that means they are about four inches wide.

I don't agree with the opinion that its cars and lorries that make it dangerous for motorbikes though. Yes, they are an added hazard, just as we are a hazard to cars. As others have said, you simply have to assume that every car will do the unexpected, or always assume that a car hasn't seen you when manouvreing (sp?!) round it.

My one and only (touch wood) off last year was when I had very little experience and a car pulled out on me in the rain. I like to think that even now I would have better anticipated and avoided the resulting crash. (thankfully it was still settled on a no-fault basis, but it would have been better if I had read the situation better to start with!)

We should be constantly learning, and I think that only in a very small percentage of circumstances there would be nothing a motorcyclist could do to prevent or limit an accident.

Just my 2p,

Cheers,
Matt

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

..especially when some of the "safety" features result in more crashes. I've driven dozens of modern cars and almost without exception, the front pillars are far too wide on them. I have some sympathy with drivers who smidsy after I early (I take long looks so luckily it appeared in time) pulled out in front of a car (yes, not a bike or pedestrian, a car! ) that was completely obscured by the front RHS pillar of a Zafira I was in. It would never of happened in my trusty old 106.

Yep couldn't agree more, the pillars on our Citroen C3 are huge. When going round a roundabout I really have to move around to actually get a view of the road.

A great example of secondary saftey measures (strong pillars to protect you in a crash) compromising primary saftey (ie being able to see where you are going in the first place would help prevent accidents).

God I miss my bike