Comments on: Motorcycle Safety Foundation Calls for Crash Study

By: rafe03

rafe03 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:43:03 +0000

What about the HURT Report? It investigated every 5th(?) accident involving a motorcycle in a large US city (LA?) One of the motorcycle mags printed an article on the 5th year (?) report. The only thing that I remember is that ANY helmet is better than no helmet!

The investigation was to go on for a long time, several years more. Does this extensive investigation already contain the data that is needed? Anybody seen a recent report? Is it over now? Is the data still valid? Has there been any benefits derived therefrom or are we imune to safety suggestions?!

rafe03

By: farmbiker

farmbiker — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:45:00 +0000

There doesn’t need to be another crash study. A lot of beginners get into trouble because of lack of skill yet the MSF ciriculum does not explicitly recommend ongoing drills and exercises. They could change that.

By: Sasha

Sasha — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:45:05 +0000

B.Case – Of course, there’s nothing at all wrong at wearing full protective gear, and I don’t look down on anybody who does, especially if they’re on a more powerful machine, on roads they don’t know, or going fast.

What I’m saying is – I don’t want to be punished, in terms of loss of money or loss of freedom, for someone else’s mistake. I accept full responsibility for my life and the results of my actions. I’ve never accepted assistance from any charity or government (other than student loans back in college), and I don’t want to be punished if they don’t feel I’m properly protecting myself.

On a side note, when I ride without a helmet, I feel hyper alert..a certain “six sense” kicks in, you know? I can sometimes sense cars coming around a bend before I can see or hear them, just because..I know that if I wipe out, I’m a goner.

As for speed-well sure, if you trip on a rock and fall at 5MPH it will hurt. And motorcycle racers with proper gear can take a spill at 100 and be fine (I, in fact, have). I’m not talking about reducing speed to make the accident worse – I’m saying that driving slowly is a terrific way to reduce your chance of getting in an accident. It’s not as much fun, but neither is traction.

By: motoxyogi

motoxyogi — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:40:21 +0000

Lot of good points have been stated above and i’d to add my bit or two.
Yes there should be a limit on how large or what kinda power to weight ratio should be allowed to a new rider on the road. 600 supersports are too much for your average noob but on the same note a small 125 is just too small for a unexperienced beginner as well. Find yourself coming out of a corner in the wrong gear with some ass plowing through in his beemer. I’d rather have a few more cubes on my side. Thats my opinion anyway.

By: B.Case

B.Case — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:54:38 +0000

Sasha- yes it helps to be more attentive and experienced to avoid dangers. However, I reject your premise and conclusion. “Don’t intend to get in an accident”?? Who “intends” to get in an accident?? That’s why they’re called “accidents”!

Ignorance is bliss as they say. So, if a rider doesn’t want to wear protective gear, then I don’t feel I have the right to force them to, nor should any legislation. Nor should I be forced to feel like I’m any less experienced because I choose to cover every inch of skin and wear 2 inches of polystyrene on my head.

“Excessive speed”? You can crack your head open by falling in a parking lot. Here’s a running experiment for you: Find a brick wall and stand about 25 feet from it. Throw back a Red Bull, then start running as fast as you can towards the wall. When you get up to about 11mph, extend both your arms out in front of you, lock your elbows and prepare for impact. If your arms don’t rip straight through your shoulderblades and fall off, then you are some sort of super hero.

This is also a good experiment for people who think they can not wear a seatbelt and catch themselves on the dashboard in a crash.