Sensationalization

[motor_mayhem]

***NB: was supposed to read "Sensationalization" ***
(I thought I would go and check the spelling and forgot to change it when I came back to the page)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/7041116/Nine-motocross-riders-flown-to-hospital

Good to see they've opened the comments so the uninformed masses are allowed to add their 2 cents. Anything to sell the news.

[takitimu]

It's an interesting article really, kind of exposes the danger of just saying something like 9 injuries without putting in context how major they are & in a way that a journo can't get lazy on.

I do think though that the number of chopper call outs to trail rides for instance is unsustainable, I'd be pretty sure that say the 2 man that Tony ran & events like that would stand up to scrutiny, but when money is tight & ACC are getting hammered from all angles, not a good idea to put your hand up as a potential area of investigation.

It'd be pretty cool to see sort of stats that Gareth Morgan is putting together in Kiwirider ( unbelievably good series ) put together for the various Dirt Bike disciplines ( say MX/CC/Trail Rides/Bike Parks ), without some real numbers it's way to easy for conjecture, I mean in theory MNZ should have a press release out today countering the stuff article with real numbers & if the numbers are not good at least comparing them with other sports like Horse Riding which has more significant political clout & is less easily targeted.

[Shorty_925]

Got to say 9 is alot of helicopter rides! Most I have seen at a mx is 3 and again that wasnt a national event either, nor was this one. Yes it is a big event, but 9?

[Paul in NZ]

I'd say they need a bigger chopper!

[HenryDorsetCase]

If there's a thing that I can't explain
Its why the world has to have so much pain
With all the ways of communicating
We can't get in touch with who we're hating

So turn on the news

[scott411]

9 chopper' transport is over the top, have not seen that for a long time, not to sure where the track is, is it that far from Christchurch,

but to see the road riders go on about their ACC fees still shows they do not understand the different ACC accounts, MX is covered by the earners account which is the same as rugby/soccer/netball etc, its the fee that the employee pays, (and the unemployed people the goverment pays)

[CRF119]

To Be honest i think people get transported via Heli far to often these days for injuries that don't even come close to life threatning. I have a close friend who works on the waikato rescue choppa crew and the amount of what id call pointless call outs is crazy. All i can say is harden up and get in the ambo.

[Pornstar]

To Be honest i think people get transported via Heli far to often these days for injuries that don't even come close to life threatning. I have a close friend who works on the waikato rescue choppa crew and the amount of what id call pointless call outs is crazy. All i can say is harden up and get in the ambo.

Thanks, saves me typin that.

[scott411]

To Be honest i think people get transported via Heli far to often these days for injuries that don't even come close to life threatning. I have a close friend who works on the waikato rescue choppa crew and the amount of what id call pointless call outs is crazy. All i can say is harden up and get in the ambo.

the ambo crew that turn up on the scene make the call on the helicopter, not the rider, in fact if you are not a certain level of ambo officer you can not call them,

it comes down to time to get them to hospital, and if you are in the middle of no where, and the ambo has taken an hour to get there they will make the call to get you there quick,

its not the riders call for their transport to hospital ,

[Asher]

The way i see it the rescue helicopter was mostly needed not because the injuries sound particularly serious but the distance the event was from a hospital.

Also 300 riders attended with 9 injuries, flip that to say rugby; 300 players = 10 games, thats 9 injuries for every 10 games of national level rugby, doesnt sound that high to me.

[scott411]

The way i see it the rescue helicopter was mostly needed not because the injuries sound particularly serious but the distance the event was from a hospital.

Also 300 riders attended with 9 injuries, flip that to say rugby; 300 players = 10 games, thats 9 injuries for every 10 games of national level rugby, doesnt sound that high to me.

I disagree, that is a 3% transport rate with injuries, (asuming everyone left in the helicopter), i consider anything more than a 1% rate two high in anything i run, that is one ambo every rugby game, (30 players per game) and that is a high number,

its hard to get a full picture with only the info in that article tho,

[CRF119]

Broken arms, legs, and concusion don't count as air ambulance injuries in my view. Possible neck back injuries do and broken femor (Only leg bone that counts.)

Ive driven home after events with plenty of injuries and plenty of mates have done the same. Only to end up getting xrays in the next following days.

I guess people are just to soft these days in this very PC world....

[Crasherfromwayback]

Broken arms, legs, and concusion don't count as air ambulance injuries in my view. Possible neck back injuries do and broken femor (Only leg bone that counts.)

Ive driven home after events with plenty of injuries and plenty of mates have done the same. Only to end up getting xrays in the next following days.

I guess people are just to soft these days in this very PC world....

I'm with you there. Or get a mate to drive you to the hospital. Broken arms (unless real bad), tib and fibs, ankles and collar bones don't need a chopper unless they're real nasty breaks.

[ktm84mxc]

Scott's rite to a point most road riders don't know how ACC funds the sporting injuries associated with off-road motorcycle/quad pursuits . Injuries and crashes can come in groups on any given day or event, we've all been to events were there has been a spate/outbreak it happens.
It looks like the track is the one previously used for the NZ Vet nationals with some very large up hill and down hill jumps and is in a natural river basin. Most of NZ'ds top riders were in attendance and it will be interesting if the victims were locals or out of towners unused to the track.
I've known Graham Allan for close to 30 yrs on a casual basis and he is a former multiple NZ MX & Hare Scramble Champion and am sure he and his crew wouldn't set out a dangerous track, a rider has to take some responsibility for their own actions[ ride to your limits ]

[tnarg]

You will probably find that there was not 9 separate flights but they more than likely put some of the less serious injuries onboard when they transported the serious ones.
To call in a heli they would have needed to meet certain criteria. A fractured femur or head injury has the potential to go down hill fast. Time matters with these thing.

Can't get over the wingers comments on the article.

[Kickaha]

9 chopper' transport is over the top, have not seen that for a long time, not to sure where the track is, is it that far from Christchurch,
65 km from the track to the hospital, if you google maps, Baxters road Waipara, Canterbury you can even check out the track

the ambo crew that turn up on the scene make the call on the helicopter, not the rider, in fact if you are not a certain level of ambo officer you can not call them They had three ambulances in attendance

I'm with you there. Or get a mate to drive you to the hospital. Broken arms (unless real bad), tib and fibs, ankles and collar bones don't need a chopper unless they're real nasty breaks.
I drove myself when I fractured my arm, that was after driving home from Timaru but I'd been told after an x ray it was only sprained, come to think of it I drove my self when I did my schaphoid and ankle as well :lol:


It looks like the track is the one previously used for the NZ Vet nationals with some very large up hill and down hill jumps and is in a natural river basin. Most of NZ'ds top riders were in attendance and it will be interesting if the victims were locals or out of towners unused to the track.
Sounds like the same terrain but I've only ever been to the Michael Godfrey there

I've known Graham Allan for close to 30 yrs on a casual basis and he is a former multiple NZ MX & Hare Scramble Champion and am sure he and his crew wouldn't set out a dangerous track, a rider has to take some responsibility for their own actions[ ride to your limits ]
The track was slightly different than last couple of years I've been to watch but not by a lot

Did you ever go to the events the Allans used to run on the family farm at Parnassus?

[neels]

I would suspect it's the same as when the mrs got a ride in the chopper when had a wee prang on the bike, it was already going for someone else so they stuck her in as well to save an ambulance trip to pick her up.

Good to see it only took until the 3rd comment for someone to start bagging cyclists as well for not paying ACC levies, stuff is almost as entertaining as the trademe message boards.

I figure I pay more than enough on my earner levy as well as rego on 5 vehicles, that if I bin it off road, on my mountainbike or on the road on my pushbike, I bloody well deserve a ride in the chopper to hospital if I need it. The couch dwelling, chain smoking, beer swilling dickheads that comment on stuff articles need to get a life and shut the fuck up.

[CHOPPA]

MX is getting much faster but there is not really any extra safety gear that can be used. The neck brace is a great thing but it really seems like the injury toll is on the up. Just gotta look at AMA.

More guys need to start looking at road racing......

A broken femur or humerus would not be that good to transport 65kms. Mind you the Taupo hospital made me drive to Tauranga with a broken humerus because they didnt have anyone to do the surgery. I think they hate MX

[Kickaha]

One thing I remembered from my visit to Timaru hospital was that while there were three others from the track there for various injuries the nurse I talked to said that was fairly minor compared to a motorcross meeting where she reckoned the Ambulance ran a continual shuttle service for injured riders

[Crasherfromwayback]

More guys need to start looking at road racing......



Aye. Most motocrossers make good road racers too. Exibit A: You.

[ktm84mxc]

No Kickha never had the chance to ride at the Allan's track, got to know him when my brother rode the NZ MX nationals in 84 on my KTM 250 [we stayed in the same motel at the time] He was on a RM 250. Meet a lot of riders there from the Sth Isld the KTM attracted a lot of interest especially the cost a heady $6300 , I was living in Rotovegas at the time and Graham latter joined Team Green so got to see him on a regular basis at major events.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I figure I pay more than enough on my earner levy as well as rego on 5 vehicles, that if I bin it off road, on my mountainbike or on the road on my pushbike, I bloody well deserve a ride in the chopper to hospital if I need it. The couch dwelling, chain smoking, beer swilling dickheads that comment on stuff articles need to get a life and shut the fuck up.

typical self centred foady rag statement. Get out of my lane! You in your salmon pink matching top and shorts with your shaved legs and stupid shoes spending more than I earn in a year on a bloody pushbike.






was that helpful, and what you were expecting? Seriously, dont read comments on stuff, or on bloody tardme: your blood pressure will thank you for that. Its just not worth engaging with the numpties. Road cycling still sucks though

[neels]

was that helpful, and what you were expecting?
Not quite, but thanks for trying.

Good effort at a stuff/trademe comment though, selecting only the vague mention of road cycling to comment on :laugh: