Road accident debate

  • Thread starter Thread starter Shorty Mac
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Shorty Mac

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Just heard a debate on the radio re motorbikes & road accidents, apparently bikes make up less than 2% of road traffic but account for 30%+ of fatalities on UK roads.

I would be interested to know what the percentage breakdown is by manufacturer / bike cc / type & age range.

I’d also like to know what the driver / bike error ratio was?
 
Don't know what the numbers are but in Linconshire the majority of bike accidents causing serious injury or deathe were 40+ on high powered sports bike with no other vehicle involved, if that is true it tells story now does it not
 
I did listen to it and thought the Harley riding journo did a good job of arguing for bikes not to be banned from parts of Yorkshire (the discussion was set up by BAN of which Janice Street Porter is a member – Ridgeway May 8th). Unlike the call from :GS:GS:GS:GS wit of Essex whose bike can apparently do over 180mph and him an’ his mate have done just that on public roads - Wanka
 
It's a classic case of statistics being used to "prove" anything, in this case presumably some reason why bikes should be banned / regulated.
Of course the injury / fatalities are disproportionate! We don't have air bags, seat belts, side-impact beams, crumple zones etc. to protect us. All things which, IMHO, make car drivers pay less attention to what they're doing, because the perceived risk is now lower. Just like Volvo drivers have been doing for years. :rolleyes:

Will we ever have an intelligent debate in the media about what would effectively reduce RTA's, or will we just stick to the old favourites; "speed kills", "bikes are dangerous" ?zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
 
Roger Walton said:
Don't know what the numbers are but in Linconshire the majority of bike accidents causing serious injury or deathe were 40+ on high powered sports bike with no other vehicle involved, if that is true it tells story now does it not

Again, a misleading statistic if taken at face value. First we need to know the proportion of riders who are 40+, the types of bike most ridden, and the number of miles covered.
If most riders are >40, ride sports bikes and do a lot of miles, it's exactly what you'd expect.

David
 
I get the impression that BM riders would probably make up less than 2% of those fatalities.

There is a mad drive for less weight & more power, surely that means less digging in and too much stepping out :confused:

I decided to get rid of the car last november and use the bike for work and pleasure, did 400 miles yesterday, customers think its great when I turn up, not quite vectra man in a suit - more mothercares answer to Arnie :D :D :D :D :D
 
I do have the values somewhere and posted on this in the past. Whilst I do not have the death's values immediately to hand in absolute terms I have the following:

Casualties 2002 Absolute

TWMV 19%
Cars 48%
Pedestrians 22%
Pedal Cyclists 6%
Other 5%

(Addenndum: Looking at some other figures I am not sure about this source)

Death Rates by Mode of Transport (per billion passenger kilometre) - 2002

TWMV: 111.3
Pedestrians: 44.8
Pedal Cyclists: 29.5
Car: 2.8
Van: 1.0
Bus or Coach: 0.4
Rail: 0.3

This means that a motorcyclist is almost 4 times likely to die that a pedal cyclist...

I know in looking at the statistics in the past the conversion rate from casualities to deaths is also extremely high with TWMV (you have to die within 90 days of the accident)

Death rates in absolute terms should not really be considered and evaluation should be against the estimated distance travelled. By all accounts use of TWMVs is extremely high risk.

Just be thankful that you can get life assurance cover.....

Though similarly it does not look good for pedestrians...

You could argue a logic that if you ride a motorcycle then do not walk or ride a pedal cycle.. ....the risk is just to great :D
 
Mac (or should I call you shortie?),

What sort of gear do you turn up to clients in? I'd like to do the same but the idea of a long business meeting in my current leather trousers isn't attractive.

More 'On topic'..

I watch bikes everyday, a fair few are driven my idiots with either:
- no desire to live
- no sense to realise what they are doing
- no imagination to how much it might hurt

A lot of the casualities are down to the riders
 
What sort of gear do you turn up to clients in? I'd like to do the same but the idea of a long business meeting in my current leather trousers isn't attractive.

Don't know what Mac uses, but I commute into my London office job wearing an Aerostich suit over my day clothes. You can wear a shirt, tie and trousers quite comfortably and put a suit jacket in a topbox. The only drawback is you have to buy over the phone from the States and import duty really whacks up the price. See www.aerostich.com

On the road safety debate, we need to be as clever as our opponents. The move to ban bikers from some N. Yorks roads made a full page three in last week's Independent on Sunday - not the biggest-selling newspaper but it does have an influential readership. It seems the celebs who live in the area have engaged a London PR firm to aid their campaign.

Sadly in spite of efforts by MAG and the BMF to counter this sort of thing we're handicapped by having a significant minority of riders who are too stupid or too arrogant to realise that their idiotic behaviour threatens us all.
 
What sort of gear do you turn up to clients in?

Frank Thomas AquaPore one piece

Waterproof/breathable/armour etc
Trouserlegs have zips all the way up so you can literally step in and out of it in a suit.
Nowhere near as good as a Roadcraft but available here for around £200

:moped:
 
doubleR said:
Unlike the call from :GS:GS:GS:GS wit of Essex whose bike can apparently do over 180mph and him an’ his mate have done just that on public roads - Wanka

I heard him as well, what a fekkin small penis big fast Bike Tosser................

He set "Us" back years..............the Chap who owned the Harley was very articulate and, I feel, pretty much won the argument stating that there were just as many Tossers in fast cars as on bikes and in the main, they were the minority.............

The guy on the so called 180 mph was in it for his 15 mins of fame, thing is, he got 3 mins and he is now an In-Famous Tw@t!!

CC

:cool:
 
The ‘paramedic’ that called in made a number of gaffs. The previous caller had been older (40+) so the paramedic started on about a group of very young riders, overtaking on the double yellow lines (sic) at insane speeds when they went past. He referred to them for about a minute, but how did he know they were young? They overtook him “going into corners” and were wearing helmets.

Seemed like a bunch of Trisha viewers were debating.
:tosser
 
I heard the last bit of the debate where the lady who owns a farm alongside the A40? claimed the bikers call it the cannonball run and acording to her 64 ? bikers had been killed along it this year or last year. .....then went on to say her husband was talking to sports bikers filling up in the local petrol station who claimed there bikes did 200 mph.....course he believed em.

What chance have we got with uncontested facts like that being put out on the air, by people who sadly believe them to be true


Colin

GS II50 SILVER 205MPH VERSION.
 
colin Lane said:
I heard the last bit of the debate where the lady who owns a farm alongside the A40? claimed the bikers call it the cannonball run and acording to her 64 ? bikers had been killed along it this year or last year.

She also said that bikes were dangerous 'cos she could never see them when she was in her 4WD with the kids in the back.

Definately a good reason to take us off the roads!

:banghead:
 
doubleR said:
I did listen to it and thought the Harley riding journo did a good job of arguing for bikes not to be banned from parts of Yorkshire (the discussion was set up by BAN of which Janice Street Porter is a member – Ridgeway May 8th). Unlike the call from :GS:GS:GS:GS wit of Essex whose bike can apparently do over 180mph and him an’ his mate have done just that on public roads - Wanka

Does anyone fancy setting up a pressure group to get Janice Street Porter banned from the UK?
 
Word of caution ---- another well known forum got in serious bother for going into print about one or two forum inmates would like to deal with people like them/her - sufficient for said namby pamby in that case to call in plod so stay reserved!

On a happier note, this particular namby pamby loves pubs but has a hatred of walking through the door because everyone looks at her - now that is a big shame, isn't it!
 
Does anyone fancy setting up a pressure group to get Janice Street Porter banned from the UK?

Steady on - I've got a bet on her to win the 2.00pm at Haydock


:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
Sid said:
Word of caution ---- another well known forum got in serious bother for going into print about one or two forum inmates would like to deal with people like them/her - sufficient for said namby pamby in that case to call in plod so stay reserved!

On a happier note, this particular namby pamby loves pubs but has a hatred of walking through the door because everyone looks at her - now that is a big shame, isn't it!


:confused: :confused:

CC

:cool:
 


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