Four Reasons Motorcycles Are Dangerous

Motorcycles get a lot of attention. Some is of the fun and free loving, and some is scare and panic type. In this post, four of the main reasons why motorcycles are dangerous will be discussed:

1. Visibility
2. Safety Measures
3. Road Conditions
4. EGO

Motorcycles can be seen on most nice days . Cruising slowly along the speedway. Racing from stoplight to stoplight. Swerving along the parkway. Before anyone jumps on one, they ponder the dangers . Lets dig into why motorcycles are dangerous.

Visibility

Lets be honest. Even the biggest of motorcycles is narrow, low, and light compared to your basic sedan or family hauler. This makes every intersection, on ramp, and parking lot a potential collision risk with large consequences. This may be the highest fatality linked scenario for a rider. Check out this ultimate data resource for motorcycle stats from the Motorcycle Legal Foundation. Lack of visibility in traffic was also a factor for one police department to reconsider their use of motorcycles.

Safety Measures

The only two words that need to be said are. Seat Belt. A motorcycle has no way to restrain you in the event of a crash/collision. In the early days of the motorcycle. Technology , like that of cars, was very basic. Simple , single piston brakes. No sensors or rider assist components. Modern motorcycles may have things like antilock brakes, traction control, anti-wheelie control, skid control, and even lean angle sensors. The other safety measure that has to be discussed is the use (or lack of) a helmet. There can be no denying, a helmet can decrease the risk of fatality dramatically. However there is not much that can compare to feeling the wind on your face. Helmet laws are constantly being reviewed and discussed.

Road Conditions

You know roads can stink. Depending on where you live, they may be riddled with holes, irregular groves, loaded with trash, and maybe even covered in things like oil and grass. While hitting a small board or hidden pothole might be a minor thing in your car or truck. On a motorcycle, it can cause immediate crash. At a minimum, it can cause you to temporarily lose control , requiring quick adjustments and skills. Two wheels places you at much less stable a position than does four.

EGO

Lets face it. Motorcycles are cool. Even a 40 year old one can keep up with modern cars around town. And often do it quicker from light to light. Modern sport bikes have supercar specs for zero to sixty. This taps into the reckless side of any rider. Its just fun to let it rip. The problem is, the more you do it, the more comfortable you get doing it. The more risks you take. Pressing your luck. This makes things like road conditions and poor visibility even more significant. There is a saying, “there are old riders and bold riders, but not both”. When you press your luck, eventually it will run out.

Motorcycles can be an excellent form of transportation and an even better hobby.. They do however bring with them higher risk. With attention to those risks, you’ll be able to keep riding late into your golden years.