Yes, while younger riders will die in a crash and recover in a few days.There are more of them, they tend to go for longer rides, and their older bodies are not as resilient before able to heal as well after a bad crash.
Yes, while younger riders will die in a crash and recover in a few days.There are more of them, they tend to go for longer rides, and their older bodies are not as resilient before able to heal as well after a bad crash.
Which is exacerbated when said cyclists insist on riding two- or more abreast.
There should be another license class for overweight bikes with poor corner clearance.
I came close to being taken out/injured yesterday afternoon. I was turning right onto HWY 7 off McCowan around 2-3pm, when a burgundy sedan who was next to me/on my left decided it wanted to go right vs straight, so it turned right in front of me, and into my lane/path of travel. I had to slam on my brakes and not drop my bike, and he probably cleared my front wheel by an inch or two.
Which is exacerbated when said cyclists insist on riding two- or more abreast.
A few factors.
1. They represent largest age demographic, as they can afford bike insurance.
2. Some in this ge group ride 15+ years ago, and stopped but have just recently taken up riding again. But the world of riding has changed dramatically since they last rode.
3. They tend to ride larger less agile cruisers
4. Age slows reflexes.
5. Complacency. They have ridden for XX years without incident and think that nothing bad can happen.
6. They also likely ride a fai amount more as they have more free time then a guy in his 20's going to school, working 2 part time jobs and trying to juggle a gf....
The chart above shows the percentage of annual motorcycle deaths represented by the youngest age group ( 29 years) and the oldest group (> 50 years), according to annual data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the years 1975 to 2009. In 1975, 80% of motorcycle fatalities were in the youngest age group and that percentage fell over time; only 3% of the deaths were in the older age group in 1975 and that share increased over time (see chart). It’s interesting to note that by 2009, the share of motorcycle deaths for the older group (31%) exceeded the share of deaths for the younger group (26%) for the first time ever.
I assume these trends in motorcycle deaths reflect the popularity of motorcycles among the baby boom generation, who started driving motorcycles when they were younger and have continued to drive bikes as they age. Meanwhile, if motorcycles have become less popular among young people in their 20s, the two demographic trends would explain why the share of motorcycle deaths represented by the 50+ age group is increasing, and was greater in 2009 than the younger age group’s share of deaths.