Accident report

[Katman]

If anything it will be those blow-hards that say things like... "it's my life"... "I can ride how the fuck I want"... "what do you think I pay my ACC levies for"

Yep, Motorcycling's cancer.

[FROSTY:Me]

Yeah, I purchased a Mazda 626 4WS off a guy in the auto industry - he was bound to know a thing or two eh? (the bastard - we ended up on 1st name terms with Mazda service managers in 3 major cities)

You pedantic sod-
OK--this guys whole career has been about correcting defective vision. Specifically people who it is mission critical to have perfect vision.
Such as airline pilots. He's one of the guys that says if a pilot can or can't carry on flying 747's.

[FROSTY:Me]

Exactly the point i try to raise on occasions. It isn't the "safety Nazis" or Helen Clark that may cause us to lose any freedoms we enjoy now. If anything it will be those blow-hards that say things like... "it's my life"... "I can ride how the fuck I want"... "what do you think I pay my ACC levies for"

Look at all the new tough laws and police powers to combat boy-racers for example. First you have boy-racers causing trouble on the roads then you have legislation to help curb the problem. It doesn't happen the other way around.

It is usually in the best interest of smaller minority groups to stay under the trouble radar as much as possible.

BANG ON DUDE
Its a fuck load easier to be self policing and be seen to be as such than have the heavies come in and do it for ya.

[Fatjim]

No they don;t they have the issue I' was talking about. No depth perception and awareness of their lack of depth perception because they've never had it.

TBH, I'm virtually blind in the left eye, born that way. I had to convince the optimistic that it was worth correcting because I was used to it and not having it would be weird. I can't see anything "Clearly", and I use clearly very liberaly, further than 2 feet away. Admittedly my hand eye coordination sucks (stroking's ok though), and my depth perception aint the best. Had you noticed Jim?

[FROSTY:Me]

The data and facts presented on motorcycle accidents are absolutely correct. Its a pity they don't tell the rest of the story.Notice how the number of fatalities increased through the early 1980s until 1986 then took a sudden downturn. The question we should be focusing on is "What happened in 1986 that caused this sudden improvement in safety, and can we repeat it?"


Lets now go back to that very first graph and repeat the question "What happened in 1986 that caused this sudden improvement in safety, and can we repeat it?" What happened was that the speed limit was raised from from 50 mph (80 kmh) to 100 kmh and open road accidents immediately dropped.

One statistic I'd like to see is how many bikes were being ridden the entire time. Ie was there a sudden downturn in MC rego's
Less bikes on the road means less accidents surely

[motorbyclist]

I have only given the data a quick read, they way I enturperate it is that the greatest age group at risk is the over 40s, and those riding larger Motor cycles, so my geuss is that this is not so much those who have been riding most of their lives but those who have returned to riding after a number of years away from riding bikes, ie the 40 somthing that can afford to go out and buy a new sports bike of large capacity, that may have owned their last bike 15 to 20 yrs previously, 1970s or 80s technology, probably has forgotten more than they remember about riding, reactions and automatic motor responces, and how quick things can go to custard at +200 kmph.

that's what i read too

plus, of course, older riders don't bounce as well as the young ones

Men shouldn't be riding bikes on the road under the age of 25. The process around risk taking in the 15-19 year old age group is well documented and now increasingly understood to be caused a lack of brain development in the areas that moderate risky behaviour. Long known and understood by the military who advertise systematic butchery as "adventure", knowing that they'll appeal to a gullible and gung ho age group. This area of the brain doesn't finish developing until a bloke is around 25. There's your lack of judgement right there.

bollocks

i'm looking at these statistics and asking why riders under 25 payer extra for insurance if older riders seem to be the ones crashing

which is why this report needs to take into account the proportions of age groups within the riding population, and the total number of accidents (reported or claimed) that did not result in injury

the age discrepancy could be young riders bouncing better, could be simply because of less young riders, or as you suggest perhaps old riders should re-do the graduated licence system

[Ixion]

One statistic I'd like to see is how many bikes were being ridden the entire time. Ie was there a sudden downturn in MC rego's
Less bikes on the road means less accidents surely

Certainly was. I recall in the 70s, there were heaps of other bikes on the road. Almost always there'd be half a dozen bikes at the head of a traffic light queue. And they were more widespread. Nowadays when you do get a lot of bikes about they tend to be concentrated on a few places (eg Puhoi pub) on a few days (eg sunny Sundays). In the 70s they were all over.

Then in the later 80s the numbers I saw each day went down hard and fast. By the 90s I was seriously beginning to think that motorcycling was going to die out. I could ride to work all week, and maybe only see two or three other bikes. And in winter, maybe none at all!
Then in the 2000s it's started to rise again. Each year, more bikes around, and more 'universal'. Still nowhere near as many as in the 70s but a shit load more than the 90s (Im including scooters as bikes). 'S good!

[The Pastor]

so lost control of motorbike = gravel or deseil on the road aye

[dipshit]

which is why this report needs to take into account the proportions of age groups within the riding population, and the total number of accidents (reported or claimed) that did not result in injury

It gives you a clue in the report "The average age of motorcycle casualties has risen over the last 25 years, from 22 in 1980 to 35 in 2007. This reflects a trend away from motorcycling among the young."

The average age of casualties is rising because the average age of motorcyclists are rising because less young people are getting into motorcycling.

Next time you are at a rally take note how many 35 + aged people there are verses how many 20 and under riders there are.

[scumdog]

The country was flooded with cheap Jap imports.

Dead right if you're talking about cars.

[riffer]

so lost control of motorbike = gravel or deseil on the road aye

Maybe some of it could be attributed to this. But I would venture that the majority of loss of control of motorbike incidents would be through riders losing it on corners or simply running out of road.

[The Pastor]

i dunno how easy is it to slip on a bit of deseil or gravel while leaned over in a corner. cop comes along and hey you were speeding.

[Motu]

Certainly was. I recall in the 70s, there were heaps of other bikes on the road. Almost always there'd be half a dozen bikes at the head of a traffic light queue. And they were more widespread. Nowadays when you do get a lot of bikes about they tend to be concentrated on a few places (eg Puhoi pub) on a few days (eg sunny Sundays). In the 70s they were all over.

Then in the later 80s the numbers I saw each day went down hard and fast. By the 90s I was seriously beginning to think that motorcycling was going to die out. I could ride to work all week, and maybe only see two or three other bikes. And in winter, maybe none at all!
Then in the 2000s it's started to rise again. Each year, more bikes around, and more 'universal'. Still nowhere near as many as in the 70s but a shit load more than the 90s (Im including scooters as bikes). 'S good!

Definitely - I remember going to Taranaki in the early '90's ....the only other bikes I saw on the road were Harleys,and I could count them all on one hand and still have a finger left to pick my nose.I thought I was the only guy without a patch who was riding a bike back then.I would certainly expect a dip in bike accidents through the late '80's and '90's.

Another thing (while we are talking about crashing on gravel) I think the bikes to too narrow focused these days,particularly the sports bikes and cruisers.Sure,they are good at what they do...very,very good - but they are very,very bad at what they don't do well.In earlier times you had a bike to do everything you needed to do on a bike - which was to take you to work everyday,pick up parts and groceries after work,go to parties,get drunk and take a chick back home with you,and then on the weekend go riding with your mates.It didn't do any of this stuff very well,but it could.Push a modern motorcycle out of it's sphere of excellence and it's a nasty beast to behold.Just my personal view.....

[Paul in NZ]

Push a modern motorcycle out of it's sphere of excellence and it's a nasty beast to behold.Just my personal view.....

You might be onto something there....

[Genestho]

Im intrigued as to what the interpretation are of the stats under "lost control of motorcycle"
My husband was logged by emergency services as "patient lost control of Motorcycle into car" when the car driver crossed the centreline drunk and killed three people...

Im not sure what our friend was logged under. Dont have the info..

It just made me wonder how wide the interpretations are when creating these reports...