If you could improve motorcycle safety...

[rybo]

Ralph,

thanks for taking the effort to go to this and hear the outcome. I'm glad that what we said in there had some impact on the final report and I would be willing to go to Ohio (time dependent of course) to make a presentation there as well.

Not sure if I'll see you before then, but if not see you at R2SL

Scott

[rforsythe]

A lot of impact, Scott. In fact we made a lasting impression...

[pilot]

That is some good news today. Thanks again for taking the time to work on this project. Good luck at R2SL

[pilot]

Ralph, et. al.,
Nearly a month has gone by since the last update on the forum. Has a copy of the report been released for review? If not yet so released when do the forum hosts say the expected release might be? This question was brought up by another party and I felt it reasonable to inquire. Thank you, in advance, for your reply.

[rybo]

Pilot,

To my knowledge a copy has not yet been released. It was a government project, so I'm sure once it is released it will be a very snazzy, hardbound edition suitable for collecting. They were conducting several of these forums in several cities that were having motorcycle accidents on the rise, so the final printed edition may be a compilaton of all of the sessions with sub-sections for the different regions?

We were not given an expected release date. I'll get with Ralph this week and see what (if anything) we can do to assure we get our hands on it first thing once it's available.

Scott

[pilot]

Thanks for the quick reply. Perhaps the Gov will move forward with some speed on this. Not only would that mean getting the report out, it might have the side-effect of saving a life or two.

[Nick_Ninja]

In the mean time .................................... check this out:

http://www.implementnams.org/

[pilot]

thanks Nick.

[Nick_Ninja]

Fast Facts

• Motorcycle fatalities have climbed an alarming 104 percent from 1997 to 2005—the 8th year in a row that motorcycle related deaths have increased.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation says that in 2005, 4,315 motorcyclists died in crashes, up 7.7 percent from 2004.
• In Colorado, 87 people were killed in motorcycle crashes in 2005. More than 76 percent of these motorcycle fatalities resulted from crashes with no helmet use.
• Colorado motorcycle fatalities have nearly doubled during the past decade, increasing from 49 motorcycle crash deaths in 1994 to 87 deaths in 2005. The number of crashes and injuries are also on the rise. In 2004, there were 1,899 motorcycle-related injuries compared to 1,582 in 1994.
• In 2005 an estimated 78,000 motorcycle riders were injured in accidents nationwide, up 2.6 percent from 76,000 in 2004 and 37 percent from 57,000 in 1995.
• Motorcyclists are 34 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a crash, per vehicle mile traveled.

Taken from the CSP web site: http://csp.state.co.us/Upload/motorcyclesafety.doc

[rforsythe]

I'll get the final copy when it comes, probably emailed to me. I recently received a draft but have not had time to review it. There was a *lot* of information discussed, so it will take time for sure.

Scott - I don't think we'll get a "national" report per se, as I think they're being custom-made for each area the conference is held in. Whether they compile them into an encyclopedia of all reports I do not know.

[dapper]

Originally Posted by Nick_Ninja

In the mean time .................................... check this out:

http://www.implementnams.org/

Jeff, thanks for this excellent source of information! (Admin too!)

[smcobb99]

One thing I do that helps tremendously; in heavy traffic, keep the RPM's up, just a little, so the engine alerts everyone of your presence. (I have a sportbike and I can cruize on the highway silently, but I find if I keep it in 3rd, everyone knows I'm there. Steve

[-n8-]

I know this thread is a little dead, but here is my $.02:

Natural selection.

Its dangerous out there. Be careful. If you are not, you will pay, with medical bills, injury, permanent disfigurement.

I bought my R6 at the age of 21. Now it has 36,000 miles on it and I like to ride "in a spirited fashion" but have thus far been able to avoid destroying it. That is not by chance.

I think Jerry Seinfeld put it best, talking about how stupid, but necessary helmets are. He said, " The only thing stranger than the helmet is of course the helmet law. Which is designed to protect a brain that is functioning so poorly that it's not even trying to protect the cracking of the skull its in,"

That being said, the only accident I have ever been involved in was me sitting at a red light, a RED one, and I was hit from behind by an elderly couple.
+1 License re-testing beyond certain age
+1 Tiered License. I know I can keep the wheels on the ground, just let me show you!!

[DARK ANGEL]

make a mandatory awareness class or course for cagers so they understand that they arent the only ones on the road, and yes this would apply for everyone even me, i own a cage....

[06sv1000s]

When I first got to Colorado Springs I bought my first bike, old zx6. I always heard that it is best to start out on a smaller bike and even though I've been riding quads and dirtbikes my whole life I agree. I started on that and during the first summer 2006 there were 18 fatalities w/in 3 months or so just from Ft Carson soldiers. I know that I'm going to get crap for this but....it boiled down to too much bike for too little experience. I know that there is NO way to regulate what kind of bike a person buys for a first bike but MOST of those fatalities were on larger than 600cc bikes and first time riders/buyers! Bikes these days, especially liter bikes have far too much power for a novice rider, hell most intermediate and a little better still don't have the ability to push these bikes to their limits!

Just my $.02, hope the meeting and report fairs well for the riders!

[lightspeed]

Reviving an old post.

One of the main ways I'd improve motorcycle safety would be to force ALL drivers (cagers included) to take the MSF course and ride a motorcycle (provided by the state) for at least at 6 months (weather permiting) before being able to get behind the wheel of a car.

May sound a little harsh...but I think one of the main reasons cagers contribute to so many accidents involving motorcycles is b/c many are self absorbed and only look for other cagers like themselves when driving....many also have absolutely no idea what it's like to ride a bike daily in traffic around cars, trucks...etc.

On the other hand, I'm willing to bet that most bikers who also drive cages are much more observant and also just better drivers in general.

[DK74]

Just saw this news....ride safe everyone and RIP. http://www.9news.com/news/local/arti...4781&catid=346

[whitebrad]

okay, so i'm new, but i have an idea of what may help motorcycle riders...

i just took and passed the most program and was fairly shocked at the ease, even though i took the experienced rider program. Now, I have been riding for about 19 years, so I didn't expect a whole lot of difficulty, but it was really easy.

I would suggest that the course contain some slide maneuvers/recovery, with emphasis on how to right the motorcycle. In the army, when they introduced motorcycles, they had to learn to lay the bike down to dismount and shoot! I am guessing that this helped them with being able to control slides and to control losses of traction in both front and rear wheels.

I would also encourage more focus on situational riding on "the range," with more practical applications of lane control, especially when it comes to planning escape routes for dicey situations, and danger recognition and avoiding being trapped in situations.

I am a writer, if needed. I used to do technical writing in the form of specifications for both architectural and mechanical applications. I am also versed in public speaking and speechwriting if needed, and would be happy to help out in any way possible.

[RAGrote]

Definitely tiered licensing and more difficult testing standards to move to the next level.

I know some may say, "you didn't have to do it", but I would've and I'd be willing to take ANY test to KEEP my current license.

And I can tell you from several years of experience, German riders are vastly superior riders at an earlier age than their American counterparts.

Not only that but the we need to force ALL STATES to allow filtering and lane sharing and drastically increase the penalties for those cagers who act aggressively toward bikers who LEGALLY use these techniques.

Drastically increase the punishment for riders who are displaying poor behavior. Automatic suspension of their motorcycle endorsement for the FIRST offense and huge fines/jail time for those who choose to ignore that suspension.

Traffic check points right outside known motorcycle drinking spots.

Um... Frankie's on a Sat? The drinking and riding clowns need to have it made PAINFULLY clear that behavior is unacceptable. Yes, even those who think JUST ONE is ok. It isn't.

[RAGrote]

Originally Posted by 06sv1000s

I started on that and during the first summer 2006 there were 18 fatalities w/in 3 months or so just from Ft Carson soldiers.

I work directly with some of these soldiers returning from war and with all the anger issues they bring back many of them shouldn't even drive let alone ride a MC with 180 HP. Talk about loaded gun and unstable psyche!!
God help them all...

[Davy4575]

Interesting that there seems to be a consensus on regulating people in cars. The majority of motorcycle accidents are single vehicle collisions, meaning that we like to run off the road like lemmings. Check out the licenseing requirements for riding a bike in Japan. Our tests for getting a motorcycle endorsement here are pathetic and woefully inadequate. The standards do not address riding at speed, traffic management and lane use, position, etc. Hell, we are tested in a parking lot.
Doing a street test might be a good place to start. Actually being evaluated riding in traffic by a motorcyle officer instead of avoiding some cones in a parking lot would go alot further....just my 3 cents,.

[bikernoj]

Originally Posted by Bugkiller1

I know dealorships have a hard time not selling a litre class sportbike to a newbie but it would be nice to see more beginners riding smaller, used bikes to get into the sport. Also, at most dealorships, there are deals on bikes that have performance upgrades like aftermarket exhaust, air filter, power comander on brand new bikes... instead dealers should have jacket, helmet glove boot packages to offer at a deal as well to encourage safety instead of making a fast bike faster.

I know this is belated, but a HUGE +1 for this idea! I ride with full gear (jeans take the place of riding pants sometimes), and wonder why I see kids on bikes with a T-shirt, shorts, Vans and a full-face helmet. Why bother? Just to remain conscious while your body gets shredded? **shudder**

Cars all come with seatbelts, ABS and airbags now for safety; it would be good to see motorcycles come with a good minimum kit as well. The silly excuses people have (i.e. "I can't see") are different if you ride with gear from the very beginning, as it becomes part of how riding should "feel" to you. Providing a noob with gear also sends a powerful message to riders and cagers alike that we are serious about riding and living to enjoy it.

[bikernoj]

Also a belated post, but from a rider perspective here is something I noticed in myself a while back.

When someone waiting to turn out of a street, be it in a car, a bike, etc. looks both ways to check for oncoming traffic, they are making a judgment call with what they see. Many times you hear the SMIDSY argument ("Sorry man, I didn't see you!") from motorists, and there have been many speculations of why motorcycles are mysteriously "invisible."

But consider this: when looking down the road, a person's mind is calculating that the approaching vehicle X, going at or close to the speed limit, will reach them in a predictable amount of time. They use that mental calculation to decide whether or not there is time to safely pull into traffic.

We riders know how easy it is to lazily cruise along at 15-20 over the limit without realizing it (but officer, I was only in 2nd gear!), but cagers don't. They look down the road, see you coming, and estimate that at 40mph the distance from them to you is fine; until they pull out in front of you...

I just started wondering one day why cagers pulled out more often when it should have been apparent there wasn't time, and this is what I came up with. Maybe it's just me? Either way, I'm just saying to be AWARE that if you happen to be going faster than expected (who, me? never!), consider that most people may not make the proper adjustment to their mental estimates in time.