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NHTSA 2002 Stats

4K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  electraglider_1997 
#1 ·
I can just see the American media herd stampeding into action again with this latest AMA press release...



'Thousands of motorcyclists dying every year"

"Legislation needed to curb epidemic of biker deaths"



I'll bet that that no major news source picks up on this little gem...



"The number of occupant fatalities for children ages eight to 15 increased by nearly nine percent"



Probably a result of being ejected from, or thrown around inside the cab during SUV rollovers.



Mike



PS The study doesn't seem to give statistics for the number of people who wound up as a disembodied brain floating in a jar.

 
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#3 ·
They can not figure why the stats have risen since 1996?

Plain and simple, it is the vast increase in middle-age men riding cruiser style motorcycles.

In 1996, only 3 out of 10 best selling bikes were cruisers, specifically, Harleys. Now, 5 out of 10 of the best selling bikes are Harleys, and fully 7 out of those 10 are cruisers.

Who is buying these $20.000 + motorcycles? Fat, inexperienced, chaps-wearing, bandana clad, white bad boys going through their mid-life crisis.

Did anybody ever see one of these doctors, lawyers, etc, piloting their 800 pound bike down the street? You can see at least 10 things that will eventually get them killed, not the least of which is the utter lack of protective equipment, here in Arizona they don't even have to wear a helmet so they don't.

And what exactly are this modern-day wild ones doing with their bikes? Heading to the track to hone their skills? Riding on twisty roads? Taking riding schools? No they are heading for the nearest bar where you can see many cruisers parked outside.

To ride a bike properly, takes years of practice, study, good physical conditioning, a clear and focused mind and proper safety equipment. Fat, inexperienced, drunk and helmetless riding is guaranteed to eventually get you killed!

 
#5 ·
SUVs rolling over on Motorcycles

NYT has the roll over stats covered.

LAT had a story about the increas in kids getting runover on thier way to school.

My guess is the rise in cell phone use by SUV drivinng, should be paying attention or doing their nails, soccer-moms are the root cause.
 
#7 ·
Now MO Staff Must Lead

JB et al, it's time for the MOrons to forsware alcohol consumption while riding. To a man, the MOridians will follow your example and, of course, the rest of the US motorcycle riders will join us.

The ball's in your court, guys.
 
#8 ·
Apples and Oranges Again

"...vehicle miles traveled increased slightly to 2.83 trillion, up from 2.78 trillion in 2001" but "sales of new street bikes up more than 100 percent over five years".

Well, "vehicle miles" refers mostly to cars not bikes, while "new street bikes" refers to the increase in sales, not the increase in motorcycle ridership. This post is a mishmash of unrelated numbers, all heat, no light.

Surely the AMA can come up with meaningful numbers for at least the percent increase in bikes on the road. If that number increased by 3% and bike vehicle miles increased with the number of bikes, the 3% fatality increase is about what you'd expect.
 
#10 ·
Cell phone related

Seems like everywhere I look there is some fool driving with a cell phone to their ear. Chances are that this has taken one hand off the steering wheel and thrown their already diminished brain off into lala land. It is no wonder that motorcycles are not seen. Cell phone use during driving is just plain criminal. If you are driving and talking on a cell phone and create an accident it should be treated the same as drunk driving. Both are diminished at the wheel. I don't own a cell phone because it is just one more way for the phone companies to get their grubby mits into my pocket. Have you noticed how you have to have a land line to access the internet and cell phone use is completely seperate. What a rip off.
 
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