Which is more dangerous? Corners or straights?

**Gremlin** · 13th November 2007, 01:45

To my re-collection, this hasn't actually been covered (and couldn't think of an accurate enough search phrase to attempt a search with a small number of results). Following on from some comments here, where I was ridiculed (and got red

) I wonder what peoples opinion are.

Ignoring road conditions (gravel etc as these occur in/on either) which do you think is more dangerous? I'm of the belief that straights are, as drivers get bored/become inattentative and silly mistakes are made, which lead to accidents. I guess those in the corner group say that people crash more in corners, but I wonder if statistics truly say this?

Stats (I don't have any) are welcome to add weight to either side... I imagine this will become quite lively debated

**Boob Johnson** · 13th November 2007, 01:54

From a stat point of view the answer is simple, anyone can argue whatever they like & play the devils advocate but more crashes come from cornering gone wrong, very few fall off a straight piece of road in comparison.

**Gremlin** · 13th November 2007, 01:56

goddamit... I create my own thread... and screw up my vote... -1 for corners, and +1 for straights... sheesh....

**Romeo** · 13th November 2007, 02:03

I've had a lot more close calls on the straights than I have on the corners, and I'm in a bright yellow car! People trying to overtake in retarded places and the like. I can imagine that bikers would get idiots trying to overtake towards them a lot due to the reduced visability and silhouette.

But then you have to weigh that against the likelihood of binning it on a corner, which happens quite a bit I hear. Infact I've never heard of a biker crashing/being hit on a straight? Maybe I haven't been around that long.

**J_P** · 13th November 2007, 02:55

Unfortunately I made a mess of a corner, and in turn it made a mess of my bike. I would therefore have to vote 'corners'
Locking the rear wheel on a straight does not seem quite as threatening.

**Fat Tony** · 13th November 2007, 03:22

Depends on the hazards around... I can think of some straights with inter-sections/blind crests etc that are far more dangerous than some corners, and some corners that are far more dangerous than some straights

**sunhuntin** · 13th November 2007, 05:42

depends on where your skills lie. personally, i view corners as more dangerous, simply cos cruisers dont like em that much, and i like em even less. id quite happily ride a road all day that only had a couple of gentle corners on it, lol.

**BMW** · 13th November 2007, 05:53

I think both as people doze off on the straights thinking that they are ok and miss the big thing heading towards them!

**Pwalo** · 13th November 2007, 06:16

I'm pretty sure that most single vehicle bike accidents occur at bends or corners.

Which makes sense. I mean, who is going to fall off in a straight line?

**NordieBoy** · 13th November 2007, 06:21

Corners.
Lowside, highside, run wide, gravel, debris, vehicles occupying the same space all more likely to cause problems on corners.

**devnull** · 13th November 2007, 06:25

Originally Posted by Speedie

Of course it corners.. 75.2% of crashes are on corners haven't you seen the signs??

Only because those road workers bury mines there...

**Ghost_Bullet** · 13th November 2007, 07:02

I voted corners, as if the round-a-bout that I entered with a car pulling in front of me on another entrance was straight, then I would not have come to grief trying to avoid contact.
But as round-a-bouts are not straight roads

I was banking, and hard braking turned out to be a bad choice... but the better between that and whackin into a stupid car.

**Big Dave** · 13th November 2007, 07:41

statistically....

it's intersections - and most likely a car turning right - in front of you, on a friday or sunday afternoon.

Then it's loose control on a corner on a Sunday afternoon.

Straights hardly get a mention. Overtaking incidents, random times.

I do everything possible to avoid straights. Roads and people.

**Swoop** · 13th November 2007, 08:09

The statistics show that gixxers are more likely to be found crashed in a corner, rather than on a straight...

Where is The Dover anyway?

**Mr Merde** · 13th November 2007, 08:27

Four years ago, as a passenger in a cage, a mate of mine almost fell asleep on those straights going into Christchurch from Dunedin. Put the fear of god in me when he suddenly sat bolt upright and swerved back inot lane.

I have ridden quite a few straight roads when in the UK and on a number of times have found my concentration wandering.