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Just how dangerous do motorcycles have to be before the fun isn't worth the risk? Twice as dangerous as cars? 5 times? Maybe 10x? Surely not 20 times more dange
by ggreer 12y ago
Just how dangerous do motorcycles have to be before the fun isn't worth the risk? Twice as dangerous as cars? 5 times? Maybe 10x? Surely not 20 times more dangerous?
From Wikipedia's article on Motorcycle Safety: Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists' risk of a fatal crash is 35 times greater than a passenger car.
Motorcycles are insanely dangerous. There are 23 fatalities per 100 million miles ridden in the US. If you ride 4,000 miles a year for 40 years, that gives you just over a 4% chance of dying. Compare to a 0.1% chance for doing the same in a car. And that's just the risk of death. It doesn't include risk of paralysis, brain damage, or losing a limb. Even if you are a perfect rider, half of all fatal motorcycle accidents are collisions with cars. Many of those simply cannot be avoided.
People would rightly call you insane for driving a car that had 35x more fatalities than average. I fail to see how removing two wheels makes it OK.
(Note: I've been riding for seven years and had no accidents. There are some good reasons for riding a motorcycle, but they don't involve recreation.)
- chadgeidel 12y agoYou are correct of course. I've ridden for 20+ years with only one fall in an empty intersection (gravel) and rode away with literally only a scratch. I'm pretty sure those days are over though as my wife is not a fan, and I recently sold my motorcycle.
- barrkel 12y agoHorse riding is about 10x more dangerous than motorcycles, according to stats I've seen. Motorcycle touring is my primary leisure activity. It's what I do during summer holidays. A 300cc scooter is my primary means of travel in London. Riding on motorized two wheels is so integrated into my life that it would be hard for me to imagine a life without it. It's almost a physical need. After a few days of snow, or a spending some time somewhere without a motorcycle, I start getting cravings. I'll frequently go out for a wander on weekends for no other reason than to ride. Riding has a meditative quality. You can't think about anything else; you're forced to be in the moment, in flow, in a constant planning and reactive mode. Worries and concerns and any other busy thoughts disappear.