No Longer a Young Man’s Game

Salt-and-pepper generation now responsible for higher percentage of motorcycle carnage

By MICHAEL PLATT, Calgary Sun

Irresponsible, and dangerous — and no, we’re not referring to the guy seen wiping out on a motorcycle, his 159 km/h spill caught on a sheriff’s dashboard camera.

Instead, it’s the Alberta government that deserves a slap on the wrist, for leaning on hackneyed stereotype in a misguided attempt to promote Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in this province.

Filmed by some traffic sheriff, somewhere, the clip, entitled Luckiest Motorcyclist Alive shows a crashed sportsbike spinning down a freeway on its side, sparks a-flying.

Posted on the Alberta government’s official YouTube channel, YourAlberta, the video also has an ominous, if poorly written, message.

It reads: “Before he bailed, this guy was clocked at 159 km/h in a 100 km/h zone, which means an automatic court date and can cost you up to $2,500 and/or a suspended licence.”

It ends, “Speed kills, drive safe.”

First of all, bikes are ridden, not driven. Second, if the Alberta government really believes fast crotch rockets are the biggest safety issue facing Alberta motorcyclists, we’re really in trouble.

Times are changing and the province needs to change with them.

Head to any major motorcycle store and you’ll notice something that wasn’t the case a decade ago: A good portion of the shoppers inside are no longer young punks with a penchant for speed.

Bikes — big, powerful bikes — are still headed out the door with rookie riders, but under their shiny, new helmets, you often find a head covered in grey hair.

Because so much of Alberta’s motorcycle safety focus remains on the speeding young rider, it’s missing the fastest growing demographic when it comes to two-wheeled injuries and fatalities.

Consider the two most recent motorcycle deaths in southern Alberta.

Last Tuesday, it was a 67-year-old rider who veered into the path of a tractor-trailer near Claresholm.

On April 23, a 51-year-old motorcyclist tried to pass a van over a double yellow line and was killed.

Without knowing the victims, it’s hard to know what experience or training the men had — crashes can claim careful veterans, too.

Too often though, it’s a case of too much machine and too little experience — and that’s something Alberta’s middle-aged riding rookies are learning the painful way.

It happened last summer and it’s happening again this spring.

Serious injury in a motorcycle wreck is no longer a young man’s game, with the percentage of Alberta crashes involving riders aged 20 to 24 falling from 26% in 1998 to 21.8% in 2008.

The same Alberta Transportation statistics show the number of crashes involving riders aged 45-54 went from 10.9% in 1998 to a whopping 19.2% a decade later. Those aged 55-64 went from 3.1% of wrecks to 6.3%.

Added up, the salt-and-pepper generation is now responsible for a higher percentage of motorcycle carnage than the wild young under-25s of stereotype.

There’s more of them taking up riding and more crashing as a result — inexperience being the main cause.

Go to that same motorcycle store and you’ll see those older riders aren’t buying crotch rockets either — cruisers, tourers and adventure bikes tend to be the rides of choice for seasoned men.

When one of those bikes goes down, the statistics show loss of control and bad decisions usually upset the balance.

Somehow though, the Alberta government believes a YouTube video of a crotch rocket wiping out is the most relevant way to mark Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

It’s misleading to the group which needs safety advice the most.

Too many older rookie riders think maturity is enough to protect them on the road, but wrinkles and wisdom mean nothing when you’re in a panic aboard a 1250cc machine you can barely handle.

The real answer is a good safety-training program 0and perhaps a smaller bike, if your ego will allow.

So long as middle-aged riders hang on to the belief that only fast crotch rockets and brash young men crash, too many Sunday rides will end on a stretcher.

When it comes to motorcycle safety awareness, grey-haired riders and the Alberta government have a lot to learn.

Source: No Longer a Young Man’s Game @ Calgary Sun

The Luckiest Motorcyclist Alive

WOrth it's own post

1. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile.

2. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

3. Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

4. In the single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slide out and fall due to over braking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

5. Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.

6. In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

7. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.

8. Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

9. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.

10. Weather is not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents.

11. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.

12. The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.

13. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets. (Note: the statistics which have just been released here in Australia - August 1996, DO NOT SHOW that "Lights on" legislation has worked!)

14. Fuel system leaks and spills were present in 62% of the motorcycle accidents in the post-crash phase. This represents an undue hazard for fire.

15. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

16. The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than three- fourths of all accident hazards are within 45 degrees of either side of straight ahead.

17. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is most critical for the frontal surfaces of the motorcycle and rider.
18. defects related to accident causation are rare and likely to be due to deficient or defective maintenance.

19. Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly over-represented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly under represented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycle riders are significantly over represented in the accident data.

20. Craftsmen, laborers, and students comprise most of the accident-involved motorcycle riders. Professionals, sales workers, and craftsmen are under represented and laborers, students and unemployed are over- represented in the accidents.

21. Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are over represented in the accident data.

22. T he motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

23. More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly under represented in the accident data.

24. Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident.

25. Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

26. Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would over brake and skid the rear wheel, and under brake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to counter steer and swerve was essentially absent.

27. The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.

28. Passenger-carrying motorcycles are not over represented in the accident area.

29. The driver of the other vehicles involved in collision with the motorcycle are not distinguished from other accident populations except that the ages of 20 to 29, and beyond 65 are over represented. Also, these drivers are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles.

30. The large displacement motorcycles are under represented in accidents but they are associated with higher injury severity when involved in accidents.

31. Any effect of motorcycle color on accident involvement is not determinable from these data, but is expected to be insignificant because the frontal surfaces are most often presented to the other vehicle involved in the collision.

32. Motorcycles equipped with fairings and windshields are under represented in accidents, most likely because of the contribution to conspicuity and the association with more experienced and trained riders.

33. Motorcycle riders in these accidents were significantly without motorcycle license, without any license, or with license revoked.

34. Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely over represented in accidents.

35. The likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents-98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.

36. Half of the injuries to the somatic regions were to the ankle-foot, lower leg, knee, and thigh-upper leg.

37. Crash bars are not an effective injury countermeasure; the reduction of injury to the ankle-foot is balanced by increase of injury to the thigh-upper leg, knee, and lower leg. 38.The use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc., is effective in preventing or reducing abrasions and lacerations, which are frequent but rarely severe injuries.

39. Groin injuries were sustained by the motorcyclist in at least 13% of the accidents, which typified by multiple vehicle collision in frontal impact at higher than average speed.

40. Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.

41. Seventy-three percent of the accident-involved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision which delayed hazard detection.

42. Approximately 50% of the motorcycle riders in traffic were using safety helmets but only 40% of the accident-involved motorcycle riders were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

43. Voluntary safety helmet use by those accident-involved motorcycle riders was lowest for untrained, uneducated, young motorcycle riders on hot days and short trips.

44. The most deadly injuries to the accident victims were injuries to the chest and head.

45. The use of the safety helmet is the single critical factor in the prevention of reduction of head injury; the safety helmet which complies with FMVSS 218 is a significantly effective injury countermeasure.

46. Safety helmet use caused no attenuation of critical traffic sounds, no limitation of pre crash visual field, and no fatigue or loss of attention; no element of accident causation was related to helmet use.

47. FMVSS 218 provides a high level of protection in traffic accidents, and needs modification only to increase coverage at the back of the head and demonstrate impact protection of the front of full facial coverage helmets, and insure all adult sizes for traffic use are covered by the standard.

48. Helmeted riders and passengers showed significantly lower head and neck injury for all types of injury, at all levels of injury severity.

49. The increased coverage of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.

50. There is not liability for neck injury by wearing a safety helmet; helmeted riders had less neck injuries than unhelmeted riders. Only four minor injuries were attributable to helmet use, and in each case the helmet prevented possible critical or fatal head injury.

51. Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.

52. Valid motorcycle exposure data can be obtained only from collection at the traffic site. Motor vehicle or driver license data presents information which is completely unrelated to actual use.

53. Less than 10% of the motorcycle riders involved in these accidents had insurance of any kind to provide medical care or replace property.


from http://www.motorcycle-accidents.com/pages/stats.html