Motorcycle ridership grows; rider death rate grows faster

[-Cp]

Most people who go through what Maslow Magnotti experienced are dead.

The Central Washington University student crashed his motorcycle at 70 mph on Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie last month, receiving fractures to both arms and one leg. He's now on the mend, but his body is covered with cuts and stitches from surgery.

He had bought the bike — his first — that same day. "I'm lucky to be alive," Magnotti, 21, said from his bed at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle a few days after the accident.

But he also said he had learned something: "If I were to take a motorcycle safety course, I wouldn't have crashed that day."

Magnotti hadn't obtained a required state motorcycle endorsement on his driver's license, which riders get only after they demonstrate they know how to ride. One-third of the 425 motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes on Washington roads between 1993 and 2003 also didn't have endorsements, according to a state report.

Read the rest at:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003733627_motorcycle04e.html

[chum43]

obviously it's easier to be killed on a motorcycle than a car, but it's people like this who take their first(or close to it) ride on a bike on the interstate that give motorcyclists a bad name... safe experienced riders don't die nearly as often i'm sure... people just don't realize it takes real skill to ride a bike, it's not like a car you can't just pick up and go.

[darin]

Endorsements have very very little to do with safety - in fact, it could be that unaware car-drivers are simply hitting and killing more motorcyclists.

[glockmail]

Gee- haven't heard from Liberal Nation lately. Suppose she bought the farm on her's?

[Hugh Lincoln]

They'll just file lawsuits and get rich off crashing. More American bullshit. If you want to ride motorcylces, fine. Just don't ask me to pay for your broken head.

[Joan]

From what I've seen, people on the roads have absolutely no respect for those riding motorcycles. We just had a 31 year old school teacher in town killed by a hit and run driver as he was making an illegal U-turn. They still haven't caught the bastard, but I hope when they do, they throw the book at him!

[glockmail]

From what I've seen, people on the roads have absolutely no respect for those riding motorcycles. We just had a 31 year old school teacher in town killed by a hit and run driver as he was making an illegal U-turn. They still haven't caught the bastard, but I hope when they do, they throw the book at him!

Back when I was riding I had many instances where people tried to kill me, at least thrice on purpose.

[Pale Rider]

They'll just file lawsuits and get rich off crashing. More American bullshit. If you want to ride motorcylces, fine. Just don't ask me to pay for your broken head.

Is that right?

I've been riding motorcycles for over forty years, and I've had two accidents in that time. The first accident was at three o'clock in the morning. I was so fucked up I fell asleep on the bike and rode it off the road. No one hurt. Not even me. The second accident was an asswad running a red arrow making a left turn directly in front of me when I had a green light. I T-boned the back of his Denalie. Yeah, my broken head. The only way you're going to have to pay for my broken head is, DON'T FUCKING RUN A RED LIGHT AND PULL IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY.

70% of all motorcycle accidents are NOT the fault of the rider. It's the person in the CAR that inevitably says, "I din't see them." 20% of rider accidents are people that have little to NO experience. The other 10% is someone riding drunk or just hotdogging and it's their own fault. I see very few Harleys wrecked. It's usually a sport bike with six zillion horse power riden by some young person who's riding beyond his/her ability.

[glockmail]

....

70% of all motorcycle accidents are NOT the fault of the rider. It's the person in the CAR that inevitably says, "I din't see them." 20% of rider accidents are people that have little to NO experience. The other 10% is someone riding drunk or just hotdogging and it's their own fault. I see very few Harleys wrecked. It's usually a sport bike with six zillion horse power riden by some young guy who's riding beyond his/her ability.

That sounds about right. When I rode I always felt at least as safe as in a car...


...as long as there was no automoble/ truck traffic around. :uhoh: