What does it say about people that crash videos on youtube get the most views? There are no statistics that show it, but most viewers might be non-riders..?? and I wonder if riders here have a blanket mental policy towards moto crash vids (or not).

I am a fan of speedway racing, and in the process of looking for good race clips I saw one of an incredibly poorly designed track with a concrete staircase just at the edge of the course and a guy slamming into it at full speed. The horror of an instant fatality caught on film. Maybe I am posting this question here because on youtube there are trolls who make a disgusting comment just to get a rise out of people, and that will not happen here.

One way I think 'mistake' vids can help is an example like the following: a guy is filming his friend up ahead on a two lane english road with zero runoff area, and they meet traffic in their lane and the friend tries a pass on a blind corner --a car appears 'out of nowhere' and the friend has to lock his brakes to avoid instant death ..only the swift steering of the car driver prevented an instant head-on, and the friend BARELY escaped with his life. Literally by inches.

It *may* be good to see how violent a near-crash can be. Kind of like a 'scared-straight' viewing. It might erase the mental fantasy world that lets guys take a risk like that. What do you think?

 

I definitely Agree with your "scared-straight" mentality. I also like to watch a lot of different crash vids just to give myself an experience of the situation they are in without actually being there. I then think of all the different things they could have done (or not done) to help avoid or fix the situation. Kind of like in MSF course when they show the situation videos and the students have to choose what to do next. Helps keep my danger-radar tuned

 

It's all about training for me. You watch the scenario again and again, analyze what went wrong and what could have been done to prevent the situation, or how to deal with it once it started happening. You do this until you have a video in your head of how it would appear with you in it, and what you should do if it does.

In case of a similar scenario your mind goes back to your repetition training, sees your preplanned route/resolution in a fraction of a second, then your survival instinct forces you to execute it, without thinking about it.

 

Before I bought a motorcycle I saw many crash vids as well as many gore pictures from the results of riding gone wrong. I don't really know why I did it, but I am guessing it was more or less a good way to show me what types of risks I am taking by getting a motorcycle. I also feel it shows me what can go wrong if I do something stupid and what the risks are involved in that as well.

Oh and it also made me want to buy and wear gear all the time. I remember when I saw a dude's foot twist backwards wearing sneakers that I bought boots the next day.

 

I pretty much agree with everyone else. I think we watch them more for training purposes. Like what could have been done to prevent it, and it shows why you need to wear your gear.

 

Yeah +1 you can see what mistakes people make.

Plus its pretty good entertainment to watch them
Gotta love a video that starts off with a Jesus Christ pose or a girl on the back.. you just KNOW something is gonna go wrong hahaha

YouTube - ‪Girl falls off of bike‬‏

 

I dont seek out tragic videos, but I have seen a few near misses. I am conflicted by watching them; you want to grab some guys by the collar and shake them silly, "what the hell were you thinking!" But my first year of owning a bike I twice had to straight-line a corner across the oncoming lane because of my own inexperience. Only god or whatever it is that looks after us saved me from horrible results.

We all want to value our life, and it hurts us to witness life being made 'cheap' --even by mistake. I am still conflicted. Sometimes I think every thing gained by internet access is answered by an equal amount of loss. Sure, nobody gets hurt in this video, but its insanely grim about how cheaply a life can end:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYvunb22E0M&feature=related[/youtube]

 

Not sure how to tell your gf its over? Just wheelie her off the back of your bike and don't go back for her... problem solved!

 

Actually, yeah there is a viseral attraction to crash video's. Depending on the circumstanses, I can run from "Darwin at Work" to "Sympathy".

There are too many of people in the world, to regard most of them, in more then an analytical dis-connect. TV news reporting has ensured that.

Do I spend all of my evenings doing crash video as ****? Nope. Of course I like pro wrestling, extreme sports and what-not, on occasion, too. If I don't get all teary-eyed, does that make me a bad person? My wife doesn't think so, and she's pretty darn liberal in her thinking (that whole 5th grade teacher attitude).

Don't need the "scared straight" after 21 years ( of mostly 24/7 biking) and my share of thrashing, I think I've gotten that one straightened out.

Some of the race video, is informative in a "class-room" mode of thinking.

So, I pretty much run the gamut to answering why, I might occasionally watch some crash video.

Ern