Uneasy Rider: Sobering Stats on Boomers & Bikes

[adventurelounger]

Not sure if you all saw this article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. I had to hide it from my wife:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/uneasy-rider-boomer-deaths-in-motorcycle-crashes-jump-1419210199

If you can't read it at the WSJ, it was mostly excerpted here:
http://www.aimag.com/2014/12/uneasy-rider-boomer-deaths-in-motorcycle-crashes-rise/

Here's the gist: "Though the overall U.S. motorcycle toll appears to have leveled off in recent years, deaths have risen among older riders as more of them hit the road. Those 55- to 64-years-old accounted for 16.3% of motorcycle crash deaths in 2013, the latest year for which that breakdown is available. That was down from 17.2% in 2012 but up from 9.3% a decade earlier and less than 3% in the early 1990s..."

I'm technically the last year of Gen-X myself...But still sobering!


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[adventurelounger]

Re: Uneasy Rider: Sobering Stats on Boomers & Bikes

And here's the Gawker take on it. Comments are predictably harsh (not about the article...about the bikes!):
http://gawker.com/if-you-buy-a-motorcycle-you-will-die-1674022287


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[Madhatter]

::009:: hang on here goes, the articles are partially right, you are going to die. every one reading this forum will die. it is a matter of when more than how. any body here have a friend who suddenly wants to ride, has no experience wants that 1500 what ever , if you love them tell them no don't do it. this is not a car it is different in every way you can think of than a car. I rode from the age of 16 till I was 25. started on a Honda 70, Kawasaki 175, maico 401 , Kawasaki 750, got the 750 when I was 21. at 25 I sold my 750 to buy a 1000, but I met a woman. so I did not own or ride a bike till after the divorce and child support end. I am 51 , and I buy a motorcycle. I am 56 now haven't killed my self yet, but the day is young. my reentry bike was not the 1500 something nor even our favorite bike the xt1200z, but a dr650se. a thumper, light weight 30or so horse power a good motorcycle to relearn the skills to ride on . I took I riding class, it was fun , bought the best gear I could afford and wear all the gear all the time. then it is practice and more practice. put 15000 mile on that bike over three years, before I felt I was ready for my big bike. I have 13000 mile on my tenere, still breathing. it could happen, I could die riding my bike today, im 56 could have a heart attack today that would suck. I will more than likely eat a hamburger today. not going to eat lettuce the rest of my life. I am going to ride my bike all I can. professionally I am a truck driver, 38 years accident free. figure over 2.5 million miles not even a fender bender. it could happen and I do all I can to make sure it does not. in short live life, if you take chances your risk of meeting God increase .I tell my friends that suddenly want to ride to take the class, buy the gear, and do not buy the 1500 something , they look at me as I am an idiot, its their life and it is. but I keep preaching atgatt. you may still die, sometimes people even die in cars. us your skills ,practice, ride with in your skill level, practice. it is the amazing how even a few days away from riding how your basic skills can seem to rust. practice and more practice. your still going to die, but maybe not today. I met a young man on a r-6 yesterday, he was traveling from Austin to el paso texas kind of late in the day, complemented his wearing of gear , cautioned him on the hazards he might face. he never thought about the hazards of deer. I bet he made it safe. what we choose to do does not mean it will be the end of us , it could . but you might slip in the bath tub too. and I bet your going to take a shower today. ride safe .

 

[longride]

Who cares? I have been hearing I am going to get killed because I ride motorcycles for 47 years now. If I dug a 6 foot grave for every time I was supposed to die, I'd be in f&ckiing China right now. Boomers do most of the riding, so boomers do most of the dying. Woop de do. I guess I should retire to the recliner, watch the boob tube and eat myself to death like the 'smart' people do. If I die tomorrow, at least I had a hell of a lot of fun along the way. More fun than 99% of the 'safe' and 'sane' public. Live your life. Don't watch it go by.

 

[stomp347]

^
What he just said......

 

[Big Blu]

Darwinism has been in play for a long long time, and it seems to be working just fine. ;D
Do the right thing on the road, keep your riding skills sharp, and ya gotta a better chance of surviving the next ride.

Here, retired folks come to live their dream, play golf and buy their 1st motorcycle..... that H-D they've always wanted!
They take the beginner rider training course and think they're Peter Fonda, or Paul Tuttle, or Bronson. Within the 1st few miles they drop the bike or have an accident, bike then sits in the garage until the wife makes them sell it. The cycle is as predicable as sun rise.

My neighbor is one of them. He bought a V-Rod, took the training, rode it around town for a few months and put about 200 miles on it. One day he asked to if I wanted to go for a lunch ride... sure I do that several time a week. When we get to a road through the citrus groves with a few curves I pull over and warn him of curves ahead, suggested he take it real slow, and to ride where he's comfortable. He rides straight through the very 1st turn, off the road, drops the bike and get a bad rash on his forearm and hand. After spending $3K on repairs the V-rod sat in the garage for about 6 months before he sold it. Happens all the time down here.

Paul

 

[offcamber]

Who cares? I have been hearing I am going to get killed because I ride motorcycles for 47 years now. If I dug a 6 foot grave for every time I was supposed to die, I'd be in f&ckiing China right now. Boomers do most of the riding, so boomers do most of the dying. Woop de do. I guess I should retire to the recliner, watch the boob tube and eat myself to death like the 'smart' people do. If I die tomorrow, at least I had a hell of a lot of fun along the way. More fun than 99% of the 'safe' and 'sane' public. Live your life. Don't watch it go by.

+1

I wonder if the idiot who wrote the Gawker article smokes, drinks alcohol or eats fatty foods....lot so things will kill you sooner than nature intended....yes there are horror stories about motorcycle deaths.....but there are millions of us who ride and don't die or even crash.

If I couldn't ride my life would be significantly diminished.

 

[klunsford]

I'm 55 almost 56 (next month). I figured someday I might die doing something that I love, but that day hasn't come yet. If the Lord calls me up while riding, then it is my time. Until that time, I will continue doing it until God says no more. That is what gives a person life. Not worrying about if he or she is going to die or not. You can die from heart disease sitting in your chair at home perfectly safe. Me, I am going to do what I love until that day.... I prefer life as I am allowed to live it. ::021::

 

[V35A]

Whether we like it or not, the fact is that motorcycles riders have a fatality rate per mile that is about 26 times higher than that for cars. These are the facts. Every rider should be honest about these risks and then decide if they wish to ride. Most of us have decided that the risks are outweighed by the enjoyment, satisfaction, challenge, and sense of freedom that we obtain from riding. That's why we love our bikes and are on this site.

There are ways to reduce the risks, such as training, helmets, ABS, high-vis gear, lighting, etc. But don't kid yourself -- the risk will always be significantly higher than driving in a car.

 

[Scoobynut]

The fatality report cited above would have more validity if it compared boomers who were long-time, experienced riders -- like most of the riders on this website -- versus the older, new or re-entry riders with little experience. I suspect the former would have one of the lowest, if not the lowest, death rates among all riders. How high would the death rate be if not for the more experienced riders out there? 40 to 1? 50 to 1? How many of the deaths involved alcohol?

As a cautionary tale about the risks faced by older, inexperienced riders I suppose it has some value, but for the rest of us it's pretty meaningless IMO. The moral of the story is that knowing how to ride and being able to identify threats and respond to them when doing so is your best, albeit not foolproof, defense against dying.

 

[TXTenere]

Re: Uneasy Rider: Sobering Stats on Boomers & Bikes

I have read a NHSTA report that said 50% of motorcycle accidents with fatalities involved riders who had been drinking. If that's so, right away, if you simply don't drink & ride, one has a 50% lower chance of being involved in a fatal accident while riding a motorcycle. Pretty convincing odds IMO.

 

[Maxified]

It's risky to wake up and leave the house but most of us do not need the stats & numbers to make the decision to do so. Some of us have jobs that are more risky than others but still go to work despite less favorable risk versus gain ratios. We all try to balance the joy, passion, comfort, safety & love in our lives and those levels are different for each of us. Motorcycles are a part of my life at least for the present. I'll most likely continue to be a carnivore, consume alcohol in moderation, safely & legally pull the trigger on a firearm now & then, ride solo in rural & remote areas, occasionally argue with my Mrs., & leave the house, all of which carry some risk...

 

[2112]

At the end of the day it's all bollocks ::021::

 

[arjayes]

It's good for all of us to see stats like this. Every rider should know the leading causes of accidents, both fatal and non-fatal. Knowing doesn't have to make you afraid to ride, but hopefully it can change your behavior and maybe make you practice skills you wouldn't otherwise practice, buy better gear, be hyper-aware in certain situations, etc. (i.e., make you a smarter and safer rider). Ignoring the information or calling it bollocks, b.s., etc., smells a bit like "that could never happen to me ...", which is definitely bollocks!!

 

[longride]

At the end of the day it's all bollocks ::021::

Gotta love when a Limey puts is all in a nut! Best ever!

 

[barkingllizard]

If I couldn't ride my life would be significantly diminished.

+1

 

[V35A]

It's good for all of us to see stats like this. Every rider should know the leading causes of accidents, both fatal and non-fatal. Knowing doesn't have to make you afraid to ride, but hopefully it can change your behavior and maybe make you practice skills you wouldn't otherwise practice, buy better gear, be hyper-aware in certain situations, etc. (i.e., make you a smarter and safer rider). Ignoring the information or calling it bollocks, b.s., etc., smells a bit like "that could never happen to me ...", which is definitely bollocks!!

Well said. I agree 100%. No one is suggesting that we should stop riding. But it is best to be honest about the very real risks involved, and attempt to minimize those risks as much as possible.

In the past I have driven thousands of miles on track in single seat open cockpit race cars. I have also logged thousands of hours of flight time, and I currently own a single-engine light aircraft. Motorcycle riding on public roads is significantly more dangerous than either of these other activities, but I have no plans to stop riding. I acknowledge the risks and do what I can to minimize them.

 

[oldbear]

Some good feedback and very good points. Yes, we are all "at risk", however it's pretty obvious that (1) riding after placing yourself half "in the bag" significantly increases the odds of a bad outcome and (2) People who Don't know how to ride (or haven't ridden in 30 years) climbing on a large and power motorcycle are at a higher risk of crashing. Pretty obvious really. I too have seen the guys who "always wanted to ride" and after the kids are grown and/or the divorce they buy that new bike (often and HD) decide to take off and ride. Usually without any training and without any protective clothing. Almost certainly they WILL crash. If it's minor, it scares them, the bike gets parked and a few years later a "low mileage" bike is up for sale. If it's a hard crash..... Many years ago I read a study that said the most dangerous times on a motorcycle are (1) the first 10,000 miles you ride and (2) the first 1500 miles on a new machine. I'd bet those numbers still hold pretty true. I somebody want to "learn", encourage them to take the classes, wear the gear, and buy a small beater bike and actually LEARN before that climb on the mucho macho machine. Methinks you would see a decrease in the number of bad outcomes for new "old" riders ::021::

 

[Scoobynut]

Some good points, oldbear. These older newbies and re-entry riders would have a much higher survival rate if they didn't treat the sport like a casual activity, but treated it more like the dead- serious pursuit it is.

 

[scott123007]

Re: Uneasy Rider: Sobering Stats on Boomers & Bikes

I have read a NHSTA report that said 50% of motorcycle accidents with fatalities involved riders who had been drinking. If that's so, right away, if you simply don't drink & ride, one has a 50% lower chance of being involved in a fatal accident while riding a motorcycle. Pretty convincing odds IMO.

Well, if I get too fu*&ked up to ride on two wheels...



























I just ride on one! ::015::