Which is more dangerous? Corners or straights?

[Gremlin]

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 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1291658), where I was ridiculed (and got red :lol:) 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 :yes:

[Boob Johnson]

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]

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

[Romeo]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[Pwalo]

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]

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

[devnull]

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... :shit:

[Ghost_Bullet]

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 :doh: 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]

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]

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]

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.

[Warr]

Wet roads would rate more dangerous, then theres power poles, gutters, white paint ... etc

[GaZBur]

I have crashed on straights three times in 33 years of riding.
Once was mechanical failure - slid off the side of the road and ended in the Paramatta harbour.
Once was falling asleep riding - on a one day old bike! Woke up about 12 feet up in the air, not a lot of fun.
Once a cage did a U turn and I very nearly put my handlebars through her head as I splatted into the side of her car.
However I am unable to count the number of times I have crashed cornering racing road and dirt and just ambling along the streets and highways, there are so many more variables involed in corners.
The BIG variable about how dangerous the crash is "Was a Car Involved"

[Mikkel]

I think we still need an option: Other motorists irrespective of road conditions!

[more_fasterer]

Which is more dangerous?

Cars. Trucks. Stupidity. Inattention. Next topic please...

[Toaster]

Corners.

Although I got taken out by an elderly driver on a long flat straight road (Himatangi straights) on an overcast day. Lights on, 100km/h, she turned at the last moment after waiting there for some time as I approached. BANG into the side of her car.

Ruined my life, my career progression and my health for a very long time and is the reason I ride a cruiser and no longer a sports bike because of the pain in my back and neck.

Medical bills in the thousands - even with ACC support. Reparation - nil.

Lesson - always drive and ride defensively - you NEVER know when someone else will do the most stupid thing and take you down.

[darkwolf]

I think we still need an option: Other motorists irrespective of road conditions!

I'm not sure that that statement should be limited to riding either. I've just about shortened so many wheelbases lately.

[MVnut]

Straight Corners are the worst! :girlfight:

[NighthawkNZ]

Straight Corners are the worst! :girlfight:

Just as bad as bent straight... errr :crazy:

[avgas]

Of course it corners.. 75.2% of crashes are on corners haven't you seen the signs??
Yes, but how many of those corners are unintentionally done on straights :bleh:

[mitchilin]

Corners.Never gone too hot into a straight

[paturoa]

I rekon Dangerous is straight. Although on second thoughts he is a little twisted, which is close to bent.

[Hitcher]

Time to saddle up a hobby horse and go for a canter, and have a have a tilt at the traffic safety propaganda nazis (pings self for activating Godwin's Law) while astride.

According to the recently canned series of ads inflicted on us unsuspecting taxpayers (the ones where the Falcon was trashed, much to Ford NZ's extreme annoyance), 50% of accidents happen on corners. Which, by abstraction, means that the other 50% must happen on straights. So where was the other campaign warning people of the dangers of driving in straight lines (always a good practise until a corner turns up). There should be physical punishment meted out to those who make a living deceiving the raw and the cooked with bullshit statistics. I have better things to do than have what passes for my intelligence insulted by such unmitigated drivel.

Poor situational awareness, crap skills and general inattention (often under the influence of mind-altering substances) is what causes most road accidents, all things that so-called road safety experts have absolutely no interest in. But that's another hobby horse.

[Skyryder]

I thought this was a gay thread.

Skyryder

[Solarwind]

The two work together. You fall asleep on the straight, and don't notice the corner coming up, then *boom* *flip-flip-flip-flip-flip* *WHUMP!*

[darkwolf]

The two work together. You fall asleep on the straight, and don't notice the corner coming up, then *boom* *flip-flip-flip-flip-flip* *WHUMP!*

Damn landmines.

[McJim]

Hey Gremlin! Where's the option for "A hairpin on the Coro loop with some mad South African going round the outside of you on a bleck ZX10"? :rofl:

[MaxB]

Corners - heaps more to go wrong.

The straights are ridden with more or less constant inputs from the rider. Just about everything changes in a corner. Contact patch, lean angle, braking, slow in-fast out, visibility etc etc etc

That said its very satisfying when I get a set of bends just right.

[Gremlin]

50% of accidents happen on corners. Which, by abstraction, means that the other 50% must happen on straights.

You fall asleep on the straight, and don't notice the corner coming up,
mmm working these two together, you could imply the straight actually caused more crashes then, because while the crash happened ON the corner... it was the straight that caused you to lose attention. If those facts hold true, (and ads must be true :shifty:) straights are more dangerous :D

oi, McJim... you were passed on a straight... it was the slow suzuki that got passed round the outside :laugh:

[Boob Johnson]

I thought this was a gay thread.

Skyryder
Well I am heterosexual, but I haven't had sex in a while if that counts? :buggerd:

[pritch]

I haven't had sex in a while if that counts? :buggerd:

Don't beg:oi-grr:

Sex is like air, it 's not important unless you aren't getting any...

[Boob Johnson]

Don't beg:oi-grr:

Sex is like air, it 's not important unless you aren't getting any...
lol too true :lol:

[TRAINING WHEELS]

Personally i believe i would be the one who messes up a straight .... pushing my limits and bikes more on them (only been riding 6 months).
I know corrners are not always that nice but at this stage i still take them at a comfortable pace only pushing my self on corrners i know....

[Griff]

Sharp table corners can be a bugger when you are drunk.

[Drew]

Sharp table corners can be a bugger when you are drunk.

Also the straights that keep curving out from under you when drunk. Makes it a bitch to ride without weaving.

[Griff]

Also the straights that keep curving out from under you when drunk. Makes it a bitch to ride without weaving.

Woah There!

Are you talking about riding your bike when drunk or another type of drunken riding?

:Pokey:

[Drew]

Woah There!

Are you talking about riding your bike when drunk or another type of drunken riding?

:Pokey:

I'm drunk right now, are ther3e times I shouldn't be?:shifty: