Nationwide fatalities increase : GSXR.com Forum : Suzuki GSX-R Forums

skibum91 · 08-25-2004, 11:38 AM

Nationwide fatalities increase
Safety advocates are quick to point out that motorcycling is no game, with fatalities nationwide having risen every year since 1997. The number jumped from 2,116 in 1997 to 3,661 in 2003. It's not clear how many of those deaths were related to extreme motorcycling, said Judy Stone of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a Washington-based lobbying group funded by the insurance industry.

During a three-hour drive home last weekend from Pennsylvania, she said she saw motorcyclists "going so fast, weaving in and out of traffic. It was so outrageous. They had to be going 80, 90, 100 miles per hour."

"It's totally irresponsible and very dangerous," she said. "Clearly, you've seen the results of that."

In June 2003 near Omaha, Nebraska, 34-year-old John Reid Jr. was standing on a road videotaping motorcyclists performing stunts and racing when he was run over and killed by motorcyclist Michael Wilkes. Investigators said Wilkes was driving as fast as 150 mph; he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor motor-vehicle homicide, a charge reduced from a felony.

In Arizona, things got so bad that law enforcers in 2002 created a task force targeting sport bike riders that police and motorcyclists agreed were pushing the limits on that state's roads.

Sometimes, authorities said, packs of 10 or 15 sport motorcyclists have raced on Phoenix-area highways, terrifying other motorists. Often, one officer lamented, "their kick is to find cops, race by them, give them the middle finger salute or wave at the officer. They are out of sight in the blink of an eye."

JakeUSAF · 08-25-2004, 02:41 PM

What they don't talk about in the article is that there are about double the number of rides. Most of them RUBS that can't ride or have never ridden before in there life. So that makes the numbers look even worst. The % of acidents has not changed hardly at all.
That fact comes from MSF.

skibum91 · 08-25-2004, 02:43 PM

yea, they never like to elaborate on the stuff, and thats why they always use numbers and not percentages, because the percentage is probably lower than it has been in the past, even with the number of deaths climbing.

**Lyte-** · 08-25-2004, 03:53 PM

Hahaha as you see they are not bike fans

gixerfast · 08-26-2004, 06:47 PM

people are set out against motorcyclists. its not dangerous unless you make it dangerous. which thats kinda stupid that theres some motocyclists out there that give all of us a bad name. its mostly people trying to outride their capabilities.

Limboavionic · 08-26-2004, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeUSAF

What they don't talk about in the article is that there are about double the number of rides. Most of them RUBS that can't ride or have never ridden before in there life. So that makes the numbers look even worst. The % of acidents has not changed hardly at all.
That fact comes from MSF.

I completely agree. They need to evaluate accidents on an experience based level. It would be interesting to see a chart that listed accidents/deaths compared to number of years riding experience.

cpat · 08-26-2004, 07:58 PM

I totally agree. How many MORE people are on the road now on 2 wheels than back in 97???

It's a percentage basis...it's like saying, "people now are spending more time on cell phones that they were in the early 90's, leading to more auto/cell phone related deaths." Well, DUH!!!! That's cause everybody and their mother has a cell phone now compared to back then!!!

Sorry if that seems way off base, but it's basically this...it's all based on a percentage. The more riders on the road, the more crashes. The more of anything, that will just create more of something else basically.

gixerfast · 08-26-2004, 08:08 PM

fo schizzle....... I agree 100%

GixxerJ · 08-26-2004, 08:15 PM

The sport of motorcycles is not for everyone the problem is new riders that dont know there limits i"ve been riding for 8 years and every time i get on the bike i find out something new and dont think i know it all. if you drive for all the people around you and protect yourself it will be a safe ride always know whats around you road, weather, if your riding in a pack watch out for the hot doggers< the new 16 year old driver infront of you yaking on her new cellphone. watch the driver not the car you can tell alot about there next move buy what they are doing if you cant multi task chances are you will go down sooner or later the day i cant watch everyone and everything is the day i hang it up. if most or half of the riders did this you could cut those numbers in half

gixerfast · 08-26-2004, 08:20 PM

well put

Psych_77 · 08-26-2004, 09:25 PM

It's like this, when your out on ur bike 50% of the people in cars don't see ya and it seams like the other 50% are tryin to hit ya.

skibum91 · 08-26-2004, 09:47 PM

very good analogy there.

Limboavionic · 08-27-2004, 03:39 AM

And in Vegas, between 10pm and 2am 28% of everyone driving and riding are under the influence. "Factual Statistic." There are dumbasses doing wheelies down the strip. The police on bicycles are quick to remedy those dumbf**ks. When I'm cruisin' the strip, I prefer a nice, comfortable, steel engulfed truck.

xX Gsxr pimp Xx · 08-27-2004, 07:02 AM

ahhahaa

skibum91 · 08-27-2004, 09:55 AM

Lmfao!!! :d

r_meintel · 09-07-2004, 06:45 PM

I never really noticed how many more people were out there riding until I came back from Iraq. I would say at least 1 out of 10 people im my company went out and bought new bikes. And out of those 20 or so new bikes only about 10 of them are still ridable.

**Lyte-** · 09-07-2004, 09:53 PM

hahaah did they go out and wreck them?

k.west · 09-07-2004, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GixxerJ

The sport of motorcycles is not for everyone the problem is new riders that dont know there limits i"ve been riding for 8 years and every time i get on the bike i find out something new and dont think i know it all. if you drive for all the people around you and protect yourself it will be a safe ride always know whats around you road, weather, if your riding in a pack watch out for the hot doggers< the new 16 year old driver infront of you yaking on her new cellphone. watch the driver not the car you can tell alot about there next move buy what they are doing if you cant multi task chances are you will go down sooner or later the day i cant watch everyone and everything is the day i hang it up. if most or half of the riders did this you could cut those numbers in half

i wouldnt say its so much people who dont know there limits because the only way u learn is slowly pushing/training urself. i think its mostly stupid people like the mid life crisis guy who buys a 1 liter bike without any riding experience or training or the retard who thinks wheelies through his school zone is fun. stupid shit like that.