Homework Help

[Andrew]

As part of my degree I have to do this communciations paper. Part of this module requires me to do a report. I've decided to do a report on motorcycle road safety in general. I need to get facts and opinions from the motorcylcle community about accidents and how safety can/is be improved.

Any ideas/comments

Heres something to get it going, stuff like:

"Fuel system leaks and spills are present in 62% of motorcycle accidents in the post crash phase. This request an undue hazard for fire"

Cheers

[mccool]

Hello Andrew

You need facts and opinions from the motorcycle community? Well you've got a captive MC community right here, including young/old, urban/rural etc. My idea - design a survey about accidents KiwiBikers have had. Ask for the facts, and get their opinions on what would have prevented the accident, or reduced the damage/injury.

You should get an opinion on this from Slim. She is seriously onto it in the research department.

Seeya
Larry

[babyB]

fit every car with a m/bike radar so we dont hear the statment 'sorry i didnt see you'

these may be of help to you

http://www.motorcycleaccidentsinfoce...nformation.php

http://www.motorcycle-accidents.com/pages/stats.html

 

[Slim]

Originally posted by mccool
You should get an opinion on this from Slim. She is seriously onto it in the research department.

Google is a wonderful thing.

I'd start surfing the net, reading up on as much stuff as you can, and form a better idea of where you want to go with your assignment. Find out if the subject, as you've outlined it, is do-able, or too broad, and narrow things down a bit, possibly.

The survey idea's a good one, but you need to know what information you want to gather & to what purpose.

Here's some thoughts:
Are headlights on, safer than headlights off for motorcycles? (I saw a comment recently that headlight off might be safer, on a forum like this).
Why don't drivers see us before they hit us?
Is the new driver licencing system effective for new motorcyclists?
What's the minimum amount of gear a new rider should look at getting?
What're the different safety aspects between hard armour and the new soft armour in leathers?
Can accidents be related to age, or should they be related to experience on a motorbike?

Is that enough to go on with?

[Dave]

scary statistic-Have a look at how many motorists hit trains every year,If they cant see a f*#@king train how are they ever going to see a motorcycle!

[What?]

I've got a theory on that, Dave...

There is a T intersection at which I have seen three fatal crashes. Each one involved a car driver stopping, looking both ways, then pulling out in front of a large truck coming from their right. All three trucks were lit up like chrissy trees, and the weather / visibility was good every time.

My theory is, these drivers were looking for other CARS. Because they are looking for cars, their tiny brains do not register other things like kids on skateboards, motorcycles, trucks or trains.

I do not have a theory on how this will ever be changed. Advertising obviously does not work. Maybe a re-sit of the license test every (5?) years might help, but I reckon a lot of people promptly forget everthing they ever read in the road code within nanoseconds of passing their test, anyway.

[bluninja]

There's some incredible psychology involved here (apart from the looking for cars and not other things syndrome) Some junctions layouts are horrendous and cause accidents due to the way brains fill in the gaps in a picture.

eg. A T junction with a hedge or tree to the right obscuring the nearside of the road but clear view to the left. The driver waiting to turn right looks right and says the empty offside, thye look left and see a clear total road, and then right again to the empty offside.their brain fills in that the nearside too is empty and they drive straight out, often into the path of an oncoming vehicle. I've actually gone to a busy junction(UK) like this and watched the number of near misses in a 10 minute period, astonished that people will do this. It's the same patterning that makes you overtake approaching a bend where the road in front is clear, and the road around the bend is clear. Unless you stop and look for places that you don't have a view of your brain will complete the picture of a safe overtake on an empty stretch of road.

TTFN

[Slim]

I was just talking with my sister earlier this week about this very thing:

There is a HUGE difference between looking and seeing.

[Marmoot]

What about trying a new campaign for EXTENDED or SPECIAL license above the normal Full license? The requirements are proven riding/driving experience and extra-hard test but it gives an incentive of higher speed limit than normal (Anyone say 130 in the motorway? )
All the government needs is just to make a visible sticker to stick into the windscreen

[Redstar]

I'M saying nothing!
the Megarider site gets right into this stuff

Oh yeah and theres another reason for having your lights on.
it dumps the current from the alternator.
and takes pressure off the regulator.
like the alternator puts out a huge amperage Watts per second joules bla bla.
If you dont dump it off through your lights you may blow the rectifier. $$$$$