If you hurry, you crash!

I took the time to study 585 motorcycle crashes that I down loaded from Google News over a several month period. You can do a search of all the newspapers in the U.S. by just typing in “motorcycle crash/accident”. You will get all of the deadly and seriously injured accidents from across the U.S.

It’s a gruesome task at first. If you can get past that, you will discern a lot of the circumstances under which the crash occurred. After the first 200 reports, the numbers as to the causes don’t change. I stopped at 585 to make sure that was the case.

The biggest and most overwhelming factor as to why motorcyclists crash is they “hurry”. Speeding of course is being in a hurry. 61 mph or more, in a 60 mph zone, is speeding, like it or not.

Failing to come to a full stop at a stop sign, look both ways to make sure all the other cars have stopped before proceeding through the intersection is another. Failing to look left and then right before going through an intersection. Going too fast around a turn and losing control. Trying to pass everybody on the road. Failing to leave room in front of you so you can stop in your lane without hitting anybody. And the list goes on as to how motorcyclists “hurry” their rides.

The safest road to be on is a divided and limited access highway such as an interstate. The most dangerous is a 2 lane highway with cars going both directions.

Group rides accounted for 3.9% of the wrecks. Riding in a group is not as safe as riding alone.

In 73.5% of the cases, the crash was self-inflicted by the motorcyclists. They made a poor decision to do something they should not have. An extreme example is doing a 100 mph wheelie down a country road and losing control.

If you ride too fast, you don’t see stuff. You can’t scan well.

My study showed me, motorcycling can be made as safe as you want it to be. And yes, even safer than driving a car. That is, if you don’t “hurry”.

These are the percentages, based on 585 reports.

Cause of crash (Per Cent)

Lost control (39.3%)
Speeding (17.6%)
Failure to brake (3.9%)
Following too close (2.4%)
Riding in blind spot (1.4%)
Poor scanning (2.9%)
Group ride (3.9%)
Being stupid (2.8%)

Self inflicted total (73.5%)

Car/Truck failed to yield (13.27%)
Intersection (undetermined) (4.3%)
Head-on collision (3.1%)
Hit from behind (1.9%)

Other–mechanical (1.0%)
Other–animal (2.6%)

Total crashes (100.0%)

Inter-state, single vehicle (5.30%)
Inter-state, 2+ vehicles (1.03%)
Inter-state Total (6.32%)

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