Which is more dangerous? Corners or straights?

**Warr** · 13th November 2007, 08:28

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

**GaZBur** · 13th November 2007, 08:54

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** · 13th November 2007, 10:22

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

**more_fasterer** · 13th November 2007, 10:27

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Which is more dangerous?

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

**Toaster** · 13th November 2007, 12:10

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** · 13th November 2007, 15:10

Originally Posted by Mikkel

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** · 13th November 2007, 16:18

Straight Corners are the worst!

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 13th November 2007, 16:20

Originally Posted by MVnut

Straight Corners are the worst!

Just as bad as bent straight... errr

**avgas** · 13th November 2007, 16:24

Originally Posted by Speedie

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

**mitchilin** · 13th November 2007, 18:49

Corners.Never gone too hot into a straight

**paturoa** · 13th November 2007, 18:54

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

**Hitcher** · 13th November 2007, 19:36

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.