Motorcycles safer than cars?

[ReconRat]

Not exactly, but the rider on the motorcycle can beat the odds. A motorcycle is over three times less likely to be in an accident, but when it does, the rider is more likely to be injured.

Read this interesting article, which will basically tell you to wear your gear and not be an asshat.

Beating The Odds

Requires that you behave ABNORMALLY

...74,000 motorcycles were involved in an accident in the year 2001 which is only 1.5% of all registered motorcycles while there were 6,705,000 passenger cars involved in an accident in the same year which is an astonishingly large 5%. That means that the odds of your motorcycle being involved in an accident is SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER than your car being in an accident while the odds are overwhelming that if you are involved in an accident on your bike it will be catastrophic in comparison to what would happen if you were in a car.

[Disclaimer]

In other news, water is wet.

[ReconRat]

In further news, JRM got here first.

[flounder]

Im guessing the stats arent being weighed even. Do they take into account all the states where you can only ride a few months out of the year or the fact that that you generally dont see motorcycles out and about in the rain. All of these events need taken into account for an accurate statistical analysis.

[Uncle Punk]

If you factor in miles driven per vehicle do the odds change?

[psyco1]

Cars

1.6 Trillion miles driven/ 6,705,000 wrecks =238,628 miles between wrecks

Bikes

9.5 Billion/ 74,000 = 128,628 miles between wrecks

If there's something wrong with the math, please correct.

[NinjaNick]

WAY more cars on the road AND more often. The study isn't that accurate in my opinion. That's just MY opinion though.

[gl1200]

Yea , But how many of the bike accidents were because of the of the automobiles ?

there figure the stats ??

[zerocrash]

I feel safer on a bike than in a cage... Unless I crash..

[Uncle Punk]

Cars

1.6 Trillion miles driven/ 6,705,000 wrecks =238,628 miles between wrecks

Bikes

9.5 Billion/ 74,000 = 128,628 miles between wrecks

If there's something wrong with the math, please correct.

That sounds more like it you are about twice as likely to be in an accident on a motorcycle.

[ReconRat]

All the posts are correct. And the author of the article is also correct. Statistics is like that. Statistics is an analysis of mostly variables, and will appear different depending on the direction taken.

The author views from a non variable, Time. In a given year (2001 in the data), It was 3 times more likely, on the average, to have an accident in a car/truck than a motorcycle. Yes the road mileage, weather, and number of days driving is a major factor in that.

Twisting data even further, I could say that those motorcycles were on the road only four months, compared to 12 for the car/truck, and that overall the odds of an accident for the average person were exactly the same. Twisted statistics.

The author's other point, beating the odds, is related to not being an average person within the statistics. Wearing a helmet, defensive riding, etc, all push the odds over to the side of survival. Creating a much better rate of survival. Same goes for something like riding a wheelie while filtering through heavy freeway traffic. The odds go over to not surviving. Mileage means something there also. The more a person rides, the greater the risk, as opposed to some one who hardly rides at all.

I will say this, if a person has a record of accidents in cars/trucks, the odds are not in favor of a free and safe ride on a motorcycle. It's all about attitude on the roadway, and how you juggle the odds in every intersection, corner, and pack of traffic.

Edited April 26, 2010 by ReconRat

[ReconRat]

Last year, when looking at Ohio road statistics, I noticed an odd trend that couldn't be verified. I remember posting that if a rider was sober, wore a helmet, and had personal medical insurance, it appeared to be something like twenty times more likely to survive a road crash.

Sometimes statistics twist themselves...

[Ron Burgundy]

i like to poop

[Bluezx6r]

i like to poop

You WILL eat that cat poop!

[ReconRat]

You WILL eat that cat poop!

Never say that to a dog, he'll take you up on it...

[Das Borgen]

In other news, water is wet.

Unpossible!

[CBRunninfast]

When a rider has an accident on himself during a long trip may or may not be included, this is the major methodological flaw IMO....

[tbmustanggsxr]

i feel safer on my bike untill i get in town riden then im not so shr

[AudioStatic82]

Yea , But how many of the bike accidents were because of the of the automobiles ?

there figure the stats ??

Well that wouldn't really matter. Based on the numbers stated previously, it would be more unsafe to be on the motorcycle regardless of who's fault the accident is.