Probably has something to do with this:
Click the pic.. You'll get a much larger version.
Posted on 04/13/2008 2:25:46 AM PDT by Bikers USA
The cost of crashes (accidents as some people refer to them) is astronomical. The insurance for a motorcycle in the USA is limited by the industry. They do not allow proper limits of coverage to cover the costs and yet in many states this insufficient coverage is not only mandatory but also insufficient. 1% bikers such as the Hell’s Angels, Outlaws, Bandidos (and the list goes on) mostly operate and celebrate in stealth. However, the emulator of the patch on the back of the vest promoting the bad boy image is Harley Davidson with their owners group called HOG. Many of these HOG members are delusional in American patriotism in purchasing their bikes and even more do not know how to ride them. Attribute this fact to the slipshod training available from the Harley dealerships and the industry funded Motorcycle Safety Foundation. The sole purpose of the MSF is to market motorcycles and the secondary purpose is to give licensing skills test waivers to its attendees. As a note of interest, deaths during training have risen significantly since the MSF has taken over training.
The charities are usually held harmless in the crashes and deaths here. Many of these benefit rides are dangerous and poorly organized for the rider. The headlines have been full of injury and death related to these events. Irresponsible riding is not attributed to the individual rider, rather, it is attributed to all motorcyclists. Similarly the age group that has been the target of Harley marketing is also attributed with increasing deaths as Harley sells more and more bikes. Many of these riders attempt to recapture youth with money spent upon motorcycles, erectile dysfunction drugs, politicians and the desire for complacency.
Inexperience is the cause, albeit older people have slower reflexes it’s the lack of experience that most often gets one into a situation that reflexes are “that much” of an issue. I’m not so sure that kids today are immune to risk taking. I do however feel that they have not learned respect as it was taught back in the day. And are more apt to have an “it’s an all about me attitude”, as does most of today’s population.
I think we, as motorcyclists, have finally convinced the general population we are no longer anything to be afraid of. On the contrary, we are to be used/fleeced and then ignored, on the roads and in the legislatures. Our fault.
Harleys are now a fashion accessory. That desire for complacency is shared by motorcycle riders and vehicle drivers of all sorts. Motorcyclists enjoy some of the convenience of the “Lazy-Boy” attitude and lifestyle while driving in a manner that exacerbates vulnerabilities of motorcycling. Many of motorcycling worst practices have evolved from style and imagery promoted by Harley-Davidson. Riding position and posture, ineffective mirrors, poor cornering angles and poor handling. It is no wonder that these motorcyclists die more often than predictable or acceptable regularity. My gut feeling is that it’s a combination of simple things that are responsible for the death rate. The increase in the number of riders, the increase in the number of drivers (especially SUV drivers), more and more driver distractions like phones, GPS, and the like, much more powerful bikes being ridden by newbies, and also deteriorating roads just to name the obvious. I think the general public just doesn’t take driving seriously. How many times have you been at a 4-way stop and realized that at least one or more of the drivers didn’t know who had the right of way. They didn’t know the rules of the road? How many times have you been behind a driver that enters the freeway at 40 mph causing everyone behind him to hit the brakes and slow down before our hero finally gets around to accelerating up to the speed at which traffic is flowing?
Many methods of riding that are inherently safe for a motorcyclist are outlawed by the government based upon what is the least costly solution to accommodate an automobile or worse, a tractor trailer rig. I don’t think it’s the attitude towards motorcyclists that is the problem as much as it’s the attitude towards driving in general. And that includes riders as well. For example, lane “splitting” is legal in California provided it’s done properly. Meaning traffic is stopped or moving very slowly–25 mph and the motorcyclist is passing at just a slightly higher speed. However, in practice you see the vast majority lane splitting at illegal, and usually unsafe speeds. It is common to be moving along at 45-50 mph and have a motorcyclist doing 60-65 squeeze between your vehicle and the one next to you.
I think we have to look at the government/corporate/industrial relationship to see who is really running the country. The current government is a prime example and predictive as per that video. It is all economics. And the government/industrial complex would be more than happy to have us blame it on anybody but the real enemy….them. The government through the military, police and prison systems has always overtly promoted killing. Covertly, killing has been passively promoted by the insurance, pharmaceutical, medical and legal industries and professions. The generalized acceptance of this has been difficult to manipulate and has taken a number of factors and generations to assimilate into American society. The primary influence to our society has been the devaluation of family unity and family government as being a useful part of society through values like personal responsibility, morality, and God’s law. Once the general consensus demonstrated that these basic tenets of society had been eroded, the opinion of the value of a specific life could be easily swayed positively or negatively. This has had a devastating effect upon the motorcyclist. We abandoned these principles in exchange for the almighty dollar. It has a devastating impact on all aspects of society. Those of lower economic status cannot afford to defend themselves. The upper class can. This will only foster resentment and more violence.
Likening a motorcyclist to a criminal has made this easy. Likening a motorcyclist to the mentally ill because of risk assumption has furthered the perception. Likening the attire of a motorcyclist to an adversarial army has made the motorcyclist an identifiable enemy. These perceptions create a psychological condition of aversion. People will avert their attention, gaze, and concern about motorcyclists as a viable and valuable component of society. This aversion to motorcyclists makes it relatively easy to kill them without much fear of penalty or recourse. I think it’s possible to see it from this perspective as a motorcyclist. I also think other segments of society can see it from the same perspective based on where it they come from or what shoes they have walked in. Again, I would contend it is a class struggle disguised in any number of forms. And the higher echelons of society would be pleased as punch allowing us to fight each other as opposed to fighting them. I believe the accident rate could be cut in half if American drivers had a better attitude about driving. But that would mean that people would have to be educated and willing to assume more personal responsibility and that isn’t very popular these days. Easier to just let the government pass more laws to protect us from ourselves.
Motorcyclists are a class of roadway user. Therefore, as a class of user, motorcyclists are presented unique problems within the current regulations and laws that disregard suitability of roadway for operation of motorcycles upon them while being afforded equal protection under the law. Through passive or active disregard by the various government agencies, legislators and courts, the motorcyclist, as a class of roadway user, is patently discriminated against.
Further complication, discrimination and prejudice confronts the motorcyclist with laws of protectionism. Many states that have mandatory helmet laws reference FMVSS 218 as a standard. Unfortunately, the Government cannot make any objective standards for helmets without taking on liability, and since they [the government] are expressly forbidden from taking on any liability, they can never make an objective standard for helmet. Without an objective standard it all becomes ad hoc and arbitrary; ad hoc and arbitrary is the foundation of vague law; vague law is unconstitutional.
Therefore, the motorcyclist, as a class of roadway user, has, in fact, many struggles disguised in any number of forms.
The latest of these struggles is the current move by government to seize motorcycles based upon a subjective report of “stunt” riding. In my humble opinion, staying alive on a motorcycle on a daily basis is a “stunt” and I will be damned if they are going to seize my property for staying alive.
Interestingly, the NHTSA figures brought up do not tell the story at face value. Principally what they do tell us, is about two types of crashes and factors involved.
Solo crashes and the crashes with Other Vehicles. Solo crashes most commonly happen in a curve. Crashes with Other Vehicles most commonly occur while the other vehicle is turning in front of the motorcycle.
Most often neither set of crashes are ever attributable to infrastructure nor condition of the roadway. This is an interesting point because of the many nuances and anomalies that we all inevitably encounter each and every time that we ride. Roadway condition is never satisfactorily assessed nor reported within these statistics.
Alcohol or drug impaired driving or motorcycle operation does not directly cause the crash. It is overwhelmingly a secondary factor in crash statistics. As we all know, it causes bad judgment and not the crash.
It is very interesting that speeding, reckless driving and lack of experience are brought up. These generalizations can be applied to any crash. If you run your motorcycle into anything, you did not stop in time and therefore you were speeding which has become synonymous with operating too fast for conditions. No matter the roadway condition, if you did not make the turn or did not make the required stopping distance, you are accused of being reckless. Finally, if you have never experienced each and every possibility of things happening in life, you have a lack of experience. These are all terms batted around courtrooms and most often used by those who speak in generalities by those who would be king. It is a bunch of sanctimonious crap.
We, as motorcyclists, get killed by fatal choices of our own or of others. We choose to assume that our cage operating skills will serve us on a motorcycle. We choose NOT to practice riding skills and increasing our riding skill sets. We choose to let Other Vehicle operators kill us and not be punished. We choose to have legislators that will propose seizure of motorcycles. We choose to have communities such as Delray Beach attempt to ban motorcycles.
For a long time, I wrestled with the thought of a life for a life approach to riding. I considered that those that kill or maim a motorcyclist in a crash should meet an equally devastating fate. I have also often wondered why the courts don’t assess burial or hospital costs for killing or maiming a motorcyclist.
Notably, it does not matter what value you have to society. Once you climb on the motorcycle, your value has been discounted.
Never have been a proponent of “loud pipes”, though I have heard more than a few and try to avoid them when riding. I do enjoy the sound of them, at the various race tracks.
During the seventies, there was the first oil crisis/shortage. It was during this period that muscle cars met their demise and that speed limits were first lowered.
Most notably gone were the speeds of “reasonable and prudent” where you could run as fast as the road would permit.
The second most notable speed reduction at the time was during the federal blackmail of highway funds. It was federal mandated/blackmail at this particular time that reduced interstate speeds as well as state and local highway speeds to 55 mph. Many posted speed limits were 60, 65 ,70, 75 mph. It was the bully actions by the federal government that were tolerated back then that have created nefariously strong and dictatorial agencies within our government today.
Helmets were optional to everyone. Then, as now, some riders wore them and some didn’t. Most did not wear the stupid plastic hats. I do not mention them here to start another damned helmet discussion rather, just a reference point in history for motorcyclists.
Grooved pavement became more widespread during this point in time.
I am going to touch on another point made and that is defensive riding. I believe, although I can’t prove this with statistics or firsthand knowledge, that most riders do not practice riding. Most riders just ride and consider that to be their practice. Practice all the aspects of riding. Practice the stuff that you are good at and the stuff that needs improvement. I need to do it and so does everybody that I have ever met. It is not necessary to practice your mistakes, just practice all the things that make you a good rider on all the different surfaces that you can.
These are conclusions based upon many miles of riding.
The teachers I have met who worked with the MSF
might take exception to that statement
The dedication to task
And clear interest toward their students
has been unmistakable, in my experience
My Three Laws of Riding
Never get on your bike until you first put on your brain
You are going to need it
Always assume you are invisible
And never out-drive the bike, the road, or your capabilities
No exceptions
Great. There are a lot of other activities that we could require such waivers for.... using bathtubs, swimming pools, playing football, drinking alcohol..... etc. So don't just pick on the bikers. I'll bet there's a bunch of stuff you do that would qualify.
Personally, I could do without the Harley rider rant in the first paragraphs of your missive. It's based on conjecture, not fact.
-snip-
Supersports have the highest death rates and worst overall insurance losses among all types of motorcycles, new analyses by the Institute and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) reveal. Motorcyclists who ride supersports have driver death rates per 10,000 registered motorcycles nearly 4 times higher than rates for motorcyclists who ride all other types of bikes.
-snip-
I just can’t seem to find a single motorcycle related thread on FreeRepublic without SOMEONE offering their unsolicited disparaging opinion of Harley riders and their choice of rides.
Funny how most of those riders of ‘technically superior’ machines, likewise embued with considerably more talent and riding prowess, all seem to have their own “A Helmet Saved My Life” story.
Wearing a helmet has never been able to reduce accidents. Helmets just don’t have that kind of power. Many people would like to believe so though. What reduces accidents when we are required to wear helmets are the number of bikers who stop riding. Motorcycle registration goes down dramatically in every free state once they require people to wear helmets. Thus,, the reduction in accidents. But notice the deaths per 10,000 stays the same, and even rises in many states once they require helmets. If one is saying that helmets will prevent deaths,, then yes it will by getting more bikers off the roads. fewer bikers, fewere accidents. But for those that choose to stay and ride with helmets, the death per 10,000 is still the same and even higher. So no,, helmets do not protect you as many would like to believe.
That’s why I normally avoid jumping in on these threads... not worth the frustration. Same on the other nazi/nanny stater threads.
Nothing worse than trying to reason with folks that rally round the Flag shouting “FREEDOM! “DEATH TO THE TYRANTS” while at the same time doing whatever they can to prevent the realization of either...
If you really want to look into the rising costs of auto insurance, how about checking into all the hit-and-run accidents by uninsured illegal aliens.
I hear if far more of those than motorcycle accidents.
It can be done without trauma
Be respectful to those with differing opinions, avoid name calling
Use careful reasoning, back up with meaningful data
If rendering an opinion, label it as so
Have fun with the discussion, try not to take adverse views personally
You missed the precipitous drop in M/Cs on the road just to be inane? How sad.
MSF has absolutely no credibility with me nor does it have my respect.
My respect for the organization is
founded on personal observations of
Individuals in the organization I have met
I would have no data or opinions
about the national organization
That was not an inference
drawn from those experiences
Those I have met were quite honorable
You have made up your mind, and will not be bothered to read or learn anything that might prove you mistaken.
Good day, sir.
Welcome to the debate, such as it is. Well, as you suggested, I scanned your article. It appears to me that the basis of the article is that helmets reduce head injuries but increase neck injuries. So, I suppose it would make sense that it is better to ride without a helmet and should one be in a serious accident just go ahead and die from a head injury rather than be a paraplegic from a neck injury for the rest of one's life. Actually, makes sense to me. Thanks!
As for ole wizr, read his response and it appears that he has totally lost focus as he is now ranting about “hit and run” accidents...
Thank you for the correcting info
Miles ridden in California have clearly dropped
during the time span discussed
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