Biker carnage on the increase (Stuff article)

[Katman]

So, please everyone - don't make out like the statistics prove anything!

Tell that to the people who will happily use those same statistics to legislate against us.

[dipshit]

However once again we aren't given all the statistics. Many licence holders have both class of licence. Some who have both seldom ride a bike and others seldom drive a car.

Current vehicle registrations would be a better indication of what's on our roads than licence classes.

http://www.acc.co.nz/injury-preventi...fety/WCM001268

"Motorcycles make up 2% of the vehicles on NZ roads but are seven times more likely to be injured than other road users and account for 17% of road-related injury costs to ACC.
• The rate of motorcycle crashes is ten times higher than their proportion of the New Zealand motor vehicle fleet.
• An Australian study indicated that motorcyclists are 19 times more likely to have a fatal crash per kilometre travelled than other road users. (Nairn, 1993)."

[FJRider]

You are right. The actual percentage is much higher.

From http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/...-Factsheet.pdf

As at July 2006, The number of class 1 licence holders is 3004196 and class 6 licence holders number 476474. That is 13.6%

However once again we aren't given all the statistics. Many licence holders have both class of licence. Some who have both seldom ride a bike and others seldom drive a car. They don't break the statistics down far enough to give an accurate picture.

Having the words "statistics" and "accurate", in the same sentance, is a contradiction in terms... be wary of quoting staistics to prove(disprove) a point...

[98tls]

I want what I can't have:
* injuries per million kms travelled
* deaths per million kms travelled
and I want these figures for cars, bicycles and motorcycles - also broken down by gender/age/experience.

I am also curious about deaths per million hours of riding vs deaths per million hours swimming/rugby/horse riding/etc.
As interesting as the statistics we have available are - I prefer to take them with a grain of salt. They are very incomplete and provide only some of the necessary information to make any real conclussions about anything.

Even looking at deaths vs number of registered vehicles is of limited value. If a person owns a bike and a car and drives the car to work 80% of the time, then the petrol price goes up and he starts riding the bike to work 80% of the time - risks change, but the stats wont reflect that fact!

So, please everyone - don't make out like the statistics prove anything!

Agreed,stats are about as pointless as trying to make motorcycling safer through endless threads on why/how/blah blah blah.Bikes are in the great scheme of things a risky way to get around,people on bikes will die prematurely just as many do doing just about anything you care to mention,it really is that simple.

[Ocean1]

Maybe, as motorcyclists, we should be trying to achieve the same. Encourage discussion of incidents without sermons, blame or ridicule. By encouraging such discussion we may be able to achieve a positive outcome.

HELL YES.

I understood that to be part of the rational behind the rules pertaining to "rider down" threads.

That, and common decency.

[dipshit]

I want what I can't have:
* injuries per million kms travelled
* deaths per million kms travelled
and I want these figures for cars, bicycles and motorcycles - also broken down by gender/age/experience.

Don't go there. Bikes that are treated like play things and only get taken out on sunny weekends for a hoon aren't going to look good for kms travelled vs accident.

[Jantar]

Really?

Fucked if I can see them.

OOps. Sorry, Cut and paste wrong link. Try http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/...ICENCE2006.pdf

Original post corrected as well.

[FJRider]

Current vehicle registrations would be a better indication of what's on our roads than licence classes.

better but still not accurate... those are the one's that have paid. What percentage have not paid their bills... but still on the road. A larger percentage than gets mentioned...

[FJRider]

Don't go there. Bikes that are treated like play things and only get taken out on sunny weekends for a hoon aren't going to look good for kms travelled vs accident.

Like the ten year old Harleys... with 3000 km's on the clock...

[Jantar]

Current vehicle registrations would be a better indication of what's on our roads than licence classes.

http://www.acc.co.nz/injury-preventi...fety/WCM001268

"Motorcycles make up 2% of the vehicles on NZ roads but are seven times more likely to be injured than other road users and account for 17% of road-related injury costs to ACC.
....."

Interesting! According to http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/statistics/m.../table-29.html (correct link this time) In 2007 there were 18769 motorcycles and mopeds out of a total vehicle fleet of 267043. That is over 7% of the total registered vehicle fleet. This number does not include unregistered motorcycles such as dirt bikes, farm bikes etc.

[MadDuck]

Like the ten year old Harleys... with 3000 km's on the clock...

Dont know of many of those myself....

[98tls]

Dont know of many of those myself....

Fwiw came across an interesting article the other day,Harley are offering a minimum trade in price when guys buy a Sportster in the States in order to help out with the recession (thats what they said anyway)other models are not affected by the same deplorable resale value so they say,i kind of agree as when a mate bought a new Harley last year what they offered him for his old sporty (immaculate) was insulting hence he still has it in the garage.

[dipshit]

Bikes are in the great scheme of things a risky way to get around,people on bikes will die prematurely just as many do doing just about anything you care to mention,it really is that simple.

But then you are a bit of an old-school chap...

[Ixion]

Go here if you want raw data about the vehicle fleet

[98tls]

But then you are a bit of an old-school chap...

And still here mate,38 or so bikes later,actually about the same in years since my first.In that amount of years riding ive listened to/read blah blah more than i can remember based around making bikes/riders safer,all good stuff and well meant im sure but as worthwhile as a 3rd ball on a greyhound.If someone doesnt want to get hurt on a bike then dont ride em,you can toddle along if that makes you feel safer but it wont protect you from the stupidity of other road users,you can get older n wiser and pick the places to have fun more wisely but as i found out last Woodstock trip that guarantees nothing either.Bikes are dangerous,doesnt take a genius to work that out,tragedies/stupidity will happen same applies.I enjoy riding to much to let what ifs bother me to much.