Motorcycle Related Deaths and Motorcycle Popularity

[Pedagogue]

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Hello all, it seems like we are off to a bad start as far as riding related deaths and "critically injured accidents". I have been reading David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. This book has great data. However, much of the data is American. My questions is three fold:

1) In your opinion why all of the motorcycle related deaths so early in the season? What's going on, it seems like every week 1 or 2 people are either critically injuired or killed?

2) Is motorcycling becoming more popular?

3) Where can we find Canadian data?

If someone cared the government could start with something as simple as television ad campaigns to make people aware of motorcyclists, etc. All we get is a notice on highway signs a few times a year.

As David Hough says in his book, no one wants to talk about this. Mods, please keep this thread clean as I don't want to hear the macho stuff.

 

[Deimos]

Hello all, it seems like we are off to a bad start as far as riding related deaths and "critically injured accidents". I have been reading David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. This book has great data. However, much of the data is American. My questions is three fold:

1) In your opinion why all of the motorcycle related deaths so early in the season? What's going on, it seems like every week 1 or 2 people are either critically injuired or killed?

2) Is motorcycling becoming more popular?

3) Where can we find Canadian data?

If someone cared the government could start with something as simple as television ad campaigns to make people aware of motorcyclists, etc. All we get is a notice on highway signs a few times a year.

As David Hough says in his book, no one wants to talk about this. Mods, please keep this thread clean as I don't want to hear the macho stuff.

1. Most deaths occur early in the season, and for a variety of reasons. Here's a copy paste from Transport Canada detailing some major contributors from 2004- 2008 (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp15145-1201.htm)

Motorcyclists: Some of the characteristics of motorcycle traffic fatalities are as follows:

• 64% of fatally injured motorcyclists had committed a traffic infraction prior to the crash;
• 38% of fatally injured motorcyclists had been speeding prior to the crash;
• 33% of fatally injured motorcyclists had been drinking prior to the crash and 25% had BACs over the 0.08 legal limit.

2. According to Industry Canada, yes. Look in table 4.2 at Ontario, consistent increase in registrations from 2001 -2010. http://www.mmic.ca/images/content/PDF/Annual Industry Report MMIC & COHV - 2011 - summary.pdf

I would have thought insurance rates would deter most people from riding, but that's probably more true for new riders, not folks over 30 that can better afford to ride.

3. See above, and google search for key words.

 

[MacDoc]

Early season often means a combo of iffy roads ( gravel etc ) and out of practice riders. I noticed this year I'm far more comfortable riding as I've been continuous with 3 months in Australia.

It also means eager to ride hard cowboys pushing their envelopes and perhaps cagers not used to having bikes out again.

I'd be really interested in seeing how many deaths are solo accidents and bike hitting cage or some such as opposed to cages hitting bikers.

Canada will have a different set of issues with the generally shorter riding season.

Saddle time and riding sober help a lot. The first two years are the big risk but you can get careless and let your attention drift and get into problems just about anywhere.

That guy on the cruising page today, dropped his bike pulling over then almost got hit by a cager.

coming into Grimsby, we came across a rider in distress (Kawi Vulcan Drifter) trying to move his bike, turned out he went to pull over, lost his footing anfd dumped his bike. Car coming down the access too hot locked up and nearly hit him,

 

[Low rider]

Cars are not used to seing bikes early in the year. We are more invisible the first few weeks of the year.

 

[Kuro]

• 64% of fatally injured motorcyclists had committed a traffic infraction prior to the crash;

I'm surprised by this. So far as I've noticed in the news, its been more left turners and people pulling out of parking lots than the rider committing a traffic infraction. Unless they meant ... "committed a traffic infraction sometime in their entire life prior to the crash".... which I don't think they mean.

 

[DOHC1]

• 64% of fatally injured motorcyclists had committed a traffic infraction prior to the crash;

I'm surprised by this. So far as I've noticed in the news, its been more left turners and people pulling out of parking lots than the rider committing a traffic infraction. Unless they meant ... "committed a traffic infraction sometime in their entire life prior to the crash".... which I don't think they mean.

I have a feeling a rider going 65 km/hr in a 60 zone would count as a "traffic infraction"

 

[EC2010]

You know all that stuff on head movements and being observant of your surroundings constantly during the full M test? I can't say it's for everyone, but i find myself doing that even after the M test. If I can't see clearly through an intersection when approaching it, I would ride through it with anticipation that a car may pull in front of me. I think most of us understand that it's not a race. I am also surprised on a daily basis how many inattentive drivers and riders are out there.

 

[Brian P]

The "... 64% had committed an infraction" may be a meaningless number. What is meant by "infraction"?

Take one look at any road anywhere. Given that speed limits in this province are almost all below the normal traffic speed and often by a substantial amount, it follows that unless it is rush hour, 99% of all driving/riding involves committing an infraction. For most drivers or riders, the only time they are ever below the speed limit is when they are either accelerating up through it or are slowing down to a stop (or are caught in a traffic jam).

If "infraction" means exceeding the speed limit by 1 km/h then the number is meaningless.

If 99% of all driving involves being in a state of infraction, but only 64% involved in a collision were in a state of infraction, one could infer that it's better to be committing an infraction than not!

Having said that ... Overtaking another vehicle in a situation without sufficient visibility, or running stop signs or red lights, are recipes for disaster.

The context of what is meant by "committing an infraction" needs to be understood in order for this number to be meaningful, and the underlying information needed for that context is not available.

 

[bboySushi]

• 33% of fatally injured motorcyclists had been drinking prior to the crash and 25% had BACs over the 0.08 legal limit.

THAT is surprising. Didn't know people were still dumb enough to drink and ride.

 

[Kuro]

The context of what is meant by "committing an infraction" needs to be understood in order for this number to be meaningful, and the underlying information needed for that context is not available.

The stat or wording seems to 'infer' that it was the rider that was doing something wrong that caused the accident which resulted in their death. Without giving any other context, thats what I gather most readers would get from that.

 

[AF4iK]

2. According to Industry Canada, yes. Look in table 4.2 at Ontario, consistent increase in registrations from 2001 -2010. http://www.mmic.ca/images/content/PDF/Annual%20Industry%20Report%20MMIC%20&%20COHV%20-%202011%20-%20summary.pdf

Thanks for that link. It more or less confirms observations that there are more bikes on the road these days. Would be nice to see it further broken down by first time registrants and repeat-registrants.

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