the majority caused by inattentive drivers of cars and trucks.
Are there statistics to back this up? Anecdotally, I see 10 motorcycles racing, illegally riding side-by-side in one lane, not signaling, speeding, and swerving around vehicles across multiple lanes for every 1 that I see driving safely.
I should have stated that my comment was definitely anecdotal. I’m only speaking on accidents I’ve witnessed involving motorcyclists. While yes, the majority of motorcyclists I’ve seen drive like complete assholes, the majority of accidents I’ve seen have been caused by inattentive drivers. When I say majority it’s probably 60/40. Every time I’ve had the opportunity to see the car driver involved where I’d say(in my completely unqualified opinion; I’m no cop or insurance adjuster) that the car was at fault, they’ve been on or looking at a phone.
On the other hand, when I’ve seen accidents where I’d say the motorcyclist is at fault they’ve ALWAYS been doing that wild shit that you mentioned.
I used to work at an office complex that was on a very high-traffic main road at a very busy intersection, one block from the freeway on-ramp with a crystal clear view of about 4 blocks of the main roadway and a bit of the freeway from my desk. So almost all of my anecdotal evidence is from one area in one city. I didn’t intend to make it sound like I have statistics to back up what I’m saying and should probably have been more clear about my lack of actual data.
Comparing US statistics to Dutch ones makes no sense. Their roads are several times more deadly than European ones regardless of vehicle.
Furthermore not all of their states have mandatory helmets (!) whereas over here it’s rare to see someone missing something other than pants. Except scooters, scooter riders are under the impression that they don’t ride a motorcycle and that flip-flops are appropriate apparel.
Then there’s a lot you can do as a motorcyclist to mitigate risk. Riding safely is one (not everyone seems capable of that, there’s quite a spread in riding behaviors, but also an obvious bias in which ones you’ll remember seeing on your commute). A strict no-alcohol policy is another, and not riding at night on weekends. You can also wear extra safety gear such as a high-vis airbag.
Also licensing requirements. Oh and American motorcycles don’t have to be equipped with ABS. They be crazy over there.
Are there statistics to back this up? Anecdotally, I see 10 motorcycles racing, illegally riding side-by-side in one lane, not signaling, speeding, and swerving around vehicles across multiple lanes for every 1 that I see driving safely.
I should have stated that my comment was definitely anecdotal. I’m only speaking on accidents I’ve witnessed involving motorcyclists. While yes, the majority of motorcyclists I’ve seen drive like complete assholes, the majority of accidents I’ve seen have been caused by inattentive drivers. When I say majority it’s probably 60/40. Every time I’ve had the opportunity to see the car driver involved where I’d say(in my completely unqualified opinion; I’m no cop or insurance adjuster) that the car was at fault, they’ve been on or looking at a phone.
On the other hand, when I’ve seen accidents where I’d say the motorcyclist is at fault they’ve ALWAYS been doing that wild shit that you mentioned.
I used to work at an office complex that was on a very high-traffic main road at a very busy intersection, one block from the freeway on-ramp with a crystal clear view of about 4 blocks of the main roadway and a bit of the freeway from my desk. So almost all of my anecdotal evidence is from one area in one city. I didn’t intend to make it sound like I have statistics to back up what I’m saying and should probably have been more clear about my lack of actual data.
Good stuff, thanks for the info.
Not a problem.
Comparing US statistics to Dutch ones makes no sense. Their roads are several times more deadly than European ones regardless of vehicle.
Furthermore not all of their states have mandatory helmets (!) whereas over here it’s rare to see someone missing something other than pants. Except scooters, scooter riders are under the impression that they don’t ride a motorcycle and that flip-flops are appropriate apparel.
Then there’s a lot you can do as a motorcyclist to mitigate risk. Riding safely is one (not everyone seems capable of that, there’s quite a spread in riding behaviors, but also an obvious bias in which ones you’ll remember seeing on your commute). A strict no-alcohol policy is another, and not riding at night on weekends. You can also wear extra safety gear such as a high-vis airbag.
Also licensing requirements. Oh and American motorcycles don’t have to be equipped with ABS. They be crazy over there.
No, I’m in the US; that’s what I see here. I just use a Dutch instance.