Does anyone get sick of you family, friends, strangers telling you you shouldn't own or buy a motorcycle because you'll get killed and people don't see motorcycles, and blah blah blah.

I know statistically that more people get killed in car crashes then motorcycle accidents. Do you guys know of any web sites with statistics that back this up so that when people say this stuff to you you can throw factual numbers in their face, or give them a website to look at?

I'd liek to have some actual numbers to argue back with them instead of just saying "yeah I know." lol

 

yeah i hate how everyone feels the need to tell me about some motorcycle accident they know of, and theres more deaths in car accidents then bikes, but im pretty sure per vehicle our chances of getting killed are greater

although since going to the track ive become much more reserved. Since pushing it on the street is like the sighting lap at the track hahaha, just not worth it

 

more people, because there are more cars. i'm quite sure percentage-wise that the number of fatalities-per-accident is higher for motorcycles.



and yes, relatives seem to enjoy informing me of motorcycle accidents.

 

Some Info:

Motorcycles have a higher fatality rate per unit of distance travelled when compared with automobiles. According to the NHTSA, in 2006 18.06 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 55.82 per 100,000.[1] In 2004, figures from the UK Department for Transport indicated that motorcycles have 16 times the rate of serious injuries per 100 million vehicle kilometers compared to cars, and double the rate of bicycles.[2]

A national study by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATS) found that:
* Motorcycle rider death rates increased among all rider age groups between 1998 and 2000
* Motorcycle rider deaths were nearly 30 times more than drivers of other vehicles
* Motorcycle riders aged below 40 are 36 times more likely to be killed than other vehicle operators of the same age.
* Motorcycle riders aged 40 years and over are around 20 times more likely to be killed than other drivers of that same age.[3]

Additionally, sport bikes account for disproportionate figures within the motorcycle category itself:

Supersport bike riders have death rates that are four times greater than average for all motorcycle types, says the IIHS. These so-called rockets are essentially racing bikes modified for highway use. Engineered for speed, they typically have more horsepower per pound than other bikes. A 2006 model Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, for example, produces 111 horsepower and weighs 404 pounds. In contrast, the 2006 model Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide, a touring motorcycle, produces 65 horsepower and weighs 788 pounds.

"Supersport motorcycles are indeed nimble and quick, but they also can be deadly," says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. "These bikes made up less than 10 percent of registered motorcycles in 2005 but accounted for over 25 percent of rider deaths."

The fatality rates for cruiser and "standard" riders rank the lowest, at 5.7 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles. Touring bikes, such as the Harley example, averaged 6.5 deaths, with sport bikes totaling 10.7 deaths per 10,000.

 

I found some stats on my state's DMV site a while back. They were stats on all of the motorcycle/scooter fatalities for 2007 and 2008, if I remember right. Both years combined were under 80 fatalities, somewhere around half were on cruisers, and somewhere around half were without helmets, with more helmetless cruiser deaths than helmetless sportbike deaths.

You might be able to find similar stats on your own state's DMV site. Then it's just a matter of finding totals for registered motor vehicles and motorcycles to find the deaths per.

 

I found that the statistics just didn't matter to them.

Now I just say "Oh my gawd, never heard that, I better sell it right now."

 

I get it a lot... Or at least, I used to get it a lot. To tell you the truth, I think vegetarians should be considered prey animals and as a result should be considered edible meat, people who make/watch reality shows should be used as slave labor, and political pundits should be dropped in the middle of a war zone to fend for their lives. I ask these people who ask me why I ride with all the apparent dangers about the last time they did something truly exciting... something they can think about on their death bed and feel good about because they didn't let their worry about statistics and whatnot keep them back from taking one giant scoop out of the ice cream bucket of life.

You're never gonna be able to argue to a Christian that God doesn't exist and this is pretty much the same situation when trying to explain to the layman about the joy and benefits of riding a motorcycle. From my experience, they run out of breath eventually so just ignore them until they finally just shut the **** up about it. I've gone the route of explaining statistics and whatnot and it'll just move onto the "All it takes is one incident" route. Concern is just worry for your well-being. Just know there are people who care about you, but at the same time are at an utter loss for understanding you.

"Some people go to therapy. Others ride motorcycles."

 

+1

 

I just tell them its dangerous because you text and drive.

 

Actually the people I call "friend" don't insult me like that. My girlfriend has never once openly worried about my safety. She just went and bought whatever gear I felt would keep me safe ($800 for a Dainese jacket).

The only people who say that crap are people trying to get under my skin. Asshats at the office who already bear a grudge against me. What's funny is if were were to compare driving records, I'm prolly safer on Ororo than they are behind the wheel of any vehicle. They've all had more wrecks than I have in 22 years of driving