How dangerous are bikes?
Discussion
It's hard to quantify. I've had a few incidents (car did a U-turn, lorry knocked me off when i was stationary, pedestrian ran out in front of me) but in all cases I was fine, and in only one case (u turner) I had to get recovery (could ride away from the others once people helped me pick my bike up)
I think motorcycling is safe. Think of it this way; you occupy less space in a given lane. Therefore, you have more room to avoid an incident. I've avoided accidents by moving to the centre line of the road, and I;ve made myself more visible to others moving about to a good position in my lane.
You should of course be careful, wear good gear and keep your bike in good condition. You cant account for the actions of others but try to minimise being in a situation/position where you can get hurt.
Anyway, my suggesting OP is get a bike, get some gear, go out riding. You dont have to be marc marquez, you can just plod along. Consider the risks, act accordingly but dont keep them in mind. Focus on the sheer enjoyment of being on two wheels.
I think motorcycling is safe. Think of it this way; you occupy less space in a given lane. Therefore, you have more room to avoid an incident. I've avoided accidents by moving to the centre line of the road, and I;ve made myself more visible to others moving about to a good position in my lane.
You should of course be careful, wear good gear and keep your bike in good condition. You cant account for the actions of others but try to minimise being in a situation/position where you can get hurt.
Anyway, my suggesting OP is get a bike, get some gear, go out riding. You dont have to be marc marquez, you can just plod along. Consider the risks, act accordingly but dont keep them in mind. Focus on the sheer enjoyment of being on two wheels.
Master Bean said:
carmadgaz said:
moanthebairns said:
I can't believe this has actually been treated with serious responses. I mean f
k me really!
next up, how tall is a china-man
Yeah he's a really nice chap too k me really!next up, how tall is a china-man
I think the joke is how(Hau) high(Hai) is a chinaman?
creampuff said:
Stats show you are 20-30 times more likely to get killed (based on distance travelled) on a bike compared to in a car ...
You can take further training with RoSPA / IAM or the like and further reduce your risk below average levels. However then you must wonder, with advanced training and safer riding, are you also a safer than average car driver. In that case your chance of having a bike or a car crash are both reduced, but who can say how much more individual risk there is for you on a bike compared to your individual risk in a car.
+1You can take further training with RoSPA / IAM or the like and further reduce your risk below average levels. However then you must wonder, with advanced training and safer riding, are you also a safer than average car driver. In that case your chance of having a bike or a car crash are both reduced, but who can say how much more individual risk there is for you on a bike compared to your individual risk in a car.
Certainly stuff I've learn from advanced training has saved my bacon on more than one occasion. BikeSafe helps a bit. IAM and RoSPA can help a lot.
Of course, you're still doomed to die if you ride a bike. I wouldn't bother. Best stick to cars, as I heard four wheels are more fun anyway
Edited by SVS on Saturday 25th October 17:05
Statistically motorcycle deaths are at an all time low, so theres never been a safer time to enjoy riding a motorcycle.....
On the other hand, cycling to work however is getting more dangerous each year ......I guess this proves that wearing armoured leather is much better than lycra as protective wear and there should be an expensive multi part test for anyone wishing to use a 2 wheeled vehicle of any kind
On the other hand, cycling to work however is getting more dangerous each year ......I guess this proves that wearing armoured leather is much better than lycra as protective wear and there should be an expensive multi part test for anyone wishing to use a 2 wheeled vehicle of any kind
2011 Motorcycle Accident Statistics for Great Britain Released
There were 362 motorcycle users killed in 2011, a 10% decrease compared to 2010 and in line with the trend for motorcycle fatalities.
However the number of users reported as seriously injured increased by 10% to 5,247.
Total reported motorcycle user casualties increased by 8% to 20,150 in 2011.
Motorcycle traffic increased by just under 1% (0.9%) over the same period.
Rider deaths were down 33% in 2011 compared to the average number killed per year from 2005-2009.
The motorcycle fatality rate, taking into account miles travelled by bike, was down by 11% between 2010 and 2011.
Serious injuries for motorcyclists rose by 10% while all rider casualties were up 8% in a year.
The figures also show that 48% of crashes between motorcycles and cars were the result of the car driver failing to look properly.
Failing to look properly was the most frequent cause of crashes for all vehicles except motorcycles. Motorcyclists were most likely to crash through ‘loss of control’ and also most likely to be the victim of someone else failing to look.
there is 1.3 million active bike users in the uk. Statically its 1 in 3591 that you will die on the road in the UK on a bike, and 1 in 247 that you will get injured.
That obviously doesn't count crashes without reportable injuries.
One thing is for certain, it doesn't matter how good you are, YOU WILL come off a bike at some point. Maybe not for years, maybe it will only happen at walking speed but it will happen. I'm sorry but riding two wheels and falling off come together. When I used to ride BMX/mountain biking I was coming off weekly (albeit I was jumping off bus shelters) learn to fall correctly.
There were 362 motorcycle users killed in 2011, a 10% decrease compared to 2010 and in line with the trend for motorcycle fatalities.
However the number of users reported as seriously injured increased by 10% to 5,247.
Total reported motorcycle user casualties increased by 8% to 20,150 in 2011.
Motorcycle traffic increased by just under 1% (0.9%) over the same period.
Rider deaths were down 33% in 2011 compared to the average number killed per year from 2005-2009.
The motorcycle fatality rate, taking into account miles travelled by bike, was down by 11% between 2010 and 2011.
Serious injuries for motorcyclists rose by 10% while all rider casualties were up 8% in a year.
The figures also show that 48% of crashes between motorcycles and cars were the result of the car driver failing to look properly.
Failing to look properly was the most frequent cause of crashes for all vehicles except motorcycles. Motorcyclists were most likely to crash through ‘loss of control’ and also most likely to be the victim of someone else failing to look.
there is 1.3 million active bike users in the uk. Statically its 1 in 3591 that you will die on the road in the UK on a bike, and 1 in 247 that you will get injured.
That obviously doesn't count crashes without reportable injuries.
One thing is for certain, it doesn't matter how good you are, YOU WILL come off a bike at some point. Maybe not for years, maybe it will only happen at walking speed but it will happen. I'm sorry but riding two wheels and falling off come together. When I used to ride BMX/mountain biking I was coming off weekly (albeit I was jumping off bus shelters) learn to fall correctly.
I went to a talk from an ex crash investigation officer (it was really interesting). He said that statistically you are less likely to have an accident on a bike than in a car (ie if you get 100 cars and 100 bikes more cars will crash than bikes) he said this is likely to be because motorcyclist are far more aware and due to their size have the ability to escape danger.
Of course though, when you do have an accident you are worse off which is why despite it being less likely to have an accident on a bike than a car more people are seriously injured or killed.
If you are worried about the danger do some extra training. I did the IAM last year and since then I have far fewer near misses because I find I anticipate what people are going to do much sooner.
Of course though, when you do have an accident you are worse off which is why despite it being less likely to have an accident on a bike than a car more people are seriously injured or killed.
If you are worried about the danger do some extra training. I did the IAM last year and since then I have far fewer near misses because I find I anticipate what people are going to do much sooner.
I was talking to a good mate about this last night over many many beers. He drives an Audi S5 and is a bit of a petrolhead but said he wouldn't trust himself on a bike. His brothers both ride and quite a few lads in our circle of mates do so he is around bikes a lot. My argument is that the dangers on a bike are a lot greater so you tend to be more aware of this and accomodate for it. It's ok planting your foot down in a 4WD Audi but you can feel a lot more assured if you get it wrong the car will more than likely sort things out for you. On a bike there generally aren't any second chances so before you go into a corner thinking "I'm going a bit quick but it'l be ok" you back off and go in a bit slower than you could get away with and leave a bit in reserve.
If you're a complete idiot though I guess they are very dangerous!
If you're a complete idiot though I guess they are very dangerous!
catso said:
There is no fking skill in that. It is just a nobber being a nob. Google up Ghostrider if you want to see some proper safety vids.
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