I am a motorcyclist but I agree with you 100%. My take is let Darwin do his work. "A little more chlorine in the gene pool please"!

I live in NYC and would love to get a bike, but the reality is that drivers here don't see you when you're in a car, so they definitely wont see you when you're on a bike. The incompetence and self-centerness of drivers along with very little desire to be engaged and pay attention means I'll have to put my dream on hold =(

As a biker, I also agree. It's not just one style of motorcycle though, it's the one type of rider, I've seen a few proper "rocket riders" as well as jackass cruiser riders. We *ALL* need to up the safety on the road, from cagers not paying attention to the morons on 2 wheels that think they can do what they want. It scares the crap out of me seeing how some of the 4 wheeled zombies drive, change lanes without looking or using any form of signal at all.

"It is disappointing that we are not making progress in motorcycle safety," said GHSA Chairman Troy Costales in a statement, "particularly as fatalities involving other motorists continue to decline.

For the most part, that is not a reasonable expectation. You can't legislate away all risk. Riding a motorcycle involves more risk than a car. Even if you restrict Horsepower and speed, when it comes to car vs motorcycle, the car always wins. If you choose to ride, you choose the risk.

There are only 3 reasons riding a motorcycle involves more risk than a cage:

1.) Some riders are stupid enough to engage in a riding style that simply should not be done on a public street (ie 160+mph, wheelie-riding idiots)

2.) Cagers in a hurry. They just HAVE to have that extra 20 feet in traffic and don't care who they endanger to get it (tailgate, improper merging, no signals to be quick, erratic lane changes)

3.) Cagers not paying attention to what's going on around them - specifically a**holes on cell phones.

I ride +16k a year, up to 500 a week in Atlanta rush hour traffic alone, and personal experience I've had more close calls due to people on phones than anything. Jacking their jaws instead of paying attention to the road during a lane merge and cutting into me or cutting me off completely. There are more than a couple people cruising around the city with a caved in door thanks to my boot - because they didn't hear the 138db air horn, my pipes, or screams at them.

Ban cell phones while driving and you'll watch this number descend. It's guaranteed.

I seriously doubt there are any riders you ever see doing more than one-hundred and sixty miles per hour, WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. Massive BS

Maybe the 160+ mph, but I can absolutely GUARANTEE that there are many out there on the interstates doing well over 100 weaving in-and-out of traffic. The favorite ploy seems to be running up between two vehicles ... must have learned that in Germany where it's done all the time on the autobahns!

2.) Cagers in a hurry. They just HAVE to have that extra 20 feet in traffic and don't care who they endanger to get it (tailgate, improper merging, no signals to be quick, erratic lane changes)

This one applies EQUALLY to those on bikes and those in cars!

LEFTLEANINGLISA

Spoken like someone that is part of the problem... The brakes can also be used to "get away" from the morons that drive cars too... Try it some time. I've been riding since the 70's and even though a "good rider knows his limits" bad car drivers don't know the riders limits.... So, keep your eyes open, drive at the speed suitable for the present conditions and learn to use both brakes....

There are only two types of motorcycle riders, those that have wrecked and those that will have a wreck, as the old saw goes. If you really want to see the latest motorcycles wrecks, just visit the Dragon on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, 300 sharp curves in eleven miles. People come from all over the world just to kill themselves there, it seems. I made the mistake of driving my car through there a while back, but never again.

There are definitely responsible bike riders out there, but also many who make me cringe and hope my kids never get on one. I do drive carefully and responsibly on the highway or elsewhere, and I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone on a motorcycle comes screaming by me, in the high speed lane, weaving in and out of traffic...etc. I wouldn't drive that fast or recklessly in my car! There is no doubt that people in cars drive horribly...two hours a day on the highway and seeing countless accidents have proven that to me. I can honestly say that on many occaisions I have actually travelled behind a responsible bike rider on the highway just so no one else will tail gate or kill the person...but unfortunately it is more the norm that the bike rider is traveling too quickly for me to even consider doing that.

Since the vast majority of motorcycle accidents involve a car driver violating the motorcyclist's right of way, it's obvious to see you're just another moron with an opinion based on your personal mythology instead of any factual information. Take the bus a**hole.

@ Dasvet,

Which brings me to my personal beef with bikers, it seems all bikers. I constantly drive a hilly, winding road with blind curves. Without exception if the on coming traffic is bikers, they love to ride the line on a curve while at the same time leaning into the curve which actually puts their bodies over the line. They could get the same cornering effect if they were riding in the center or right side of their lane. All they have to do is meet a car that's driving tight to the line to lose their lives. It drives me nuts. What's up with this behavior?

No, better to eliminate igonrant dumb ass people driving cars that don't look before they make a left turn onto an intersection. Another piece of information for some of the intellectually challenged on this blog that still rant about "motor-cycle safety"; got news for you, there is NO such thing unless you completely encapsulate a rider inside a cushioned F-16 style bubble. The laws of physics will always grade the human body an F when compared to steel, concrete, trees, deer, cows, and semi's. Riding a bike is, has been, and will always be dangerous whether you're doing 20 on a dirt bike OR 160 on a street rocket. You can get killed either way - THAT"S why many people choose to ride them. If you want to stay safe, never take the training wheels off your peddle-pusher let alone try to handle my 1450cc Harley Davidson Road King Classic. Enough said!

I don't suppose flying over the handle bars without a helmet has anything to do with causing these deaths. It seems too many like to feel the wind in their hair and bug juice on their faces and think death only happens to the other person.

The "old saw" is a stupid saying made up by someone who never rode a motorcycle. Look at the photo at the top of this story. I'd bet a paycheck the old fart in the pickup got that bashed-in door by pulling out in front of the destroyed motorcycle on the pavement.

You want to make riding safer? Mandatory re-testing of drivers over 65, which includes me BTW, and I'm also a rider. Mandatory re-testing for anyone who was determined to be the cause of an accident. Lifetime revocation of anyone found guilty of their 2nd DUI. Ban the use of all hand-held phones while driving, and no BS about eating a candy bar or changing the radio station being the same thing. They're not. Ticket slow drivers for clogging up the fast lane traffic. It's a major cause of road rage.

Helmets are important. I always wear one. But I still think the government has better things to do than worry about my head. I have insurance.

I've riden a sport bike daily for many years, so I know whereof I speak. I like to travel a bit faster than most traffic, because I can see and anticipate vehicles ahead of me doing stupid things better than I see vehicles overtaking me from behind. I always wear a helmet, and it has to be pretty hot before I'll leave my leathers at home. I always travel with my high beam on during the day. I pay attention, anticipate the action of other fools on the road, and my many years of experience gives me good control of my machine. Other drivers, if they look at all before pulling out into my path from a side road or changing lanes, are looking for cars, not bikes. Many times my image is focused on their retina but does not register in their brain. So far, I've been lucky enough not to have had any serious accidents.

Incidentally, I've heard somewhere that most motorcycle fatalities involve older riders who have just recently bought their first bike (usually a Harley) and weren't wearing a helmet. It is inconceivable to me that occupants of a car have to wear a seatbelt yet it is legal to ride a bike without a brain bucket.

I've only been riding for about 3 years and I lost track of the times I've almost died or could have been seriously injured because a driver in a SUV or truck didn't put a blinker on to change lanes or even look before they changed. I've gotten to the point where I stay behind the vehicle next to me so when they change lanes without looking I have plenty of time and space to react. My favorite is when a passenger in the back seat looked directly at me while the person he was driving with almost sideswiped me off the road after switching lanes without looking or signalling. Oh yeah I'm on a 125cc scoot so you can save the screaming by you weaving in and out of traffic bit cause it doesn't happen on one of those.

Any thought of eliminating the drivers who turn in front of motorcyclists?

Looks like those loud pipes aren't quite as effective at saving lives as projected.

I seriously doubt there are any riders you ever see doing more than one-hundred and sixty miles per hour, WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. Massive BS.

@leftleaninglisa - 160 is an exaggeration, but 120 isn't. Drive a couple hundred miles a week in the Chicagoland area during the summer, and you'll be proven you wrong 3 or 4 times.

I have been riding all my life and I don't think that most motorcycle crashes are related to any 'hot-dogging' by the bikers. Mostly drivers in cars don't pay enough attention to bikes. They only see other cars. And riding bikes in cities is a nightmare in general. I hate it. 95% of my riding is out in the country, where the biggest problem is deer.

Someother guy, you are a main part of the reason why there are more fatalities. So you feel you have the right to go faster because you can see and inticipate better. That maybe true, but the moron who is texting or eating his/her lunch not nesesarily paying attention switches lanes with no signal. Your a goner especially if your one of those freedom loving bikers who refuses to wear a helmet.

I would much rather ride the Dragontail in the Smokies (which I did, and without crashing), than get on the LSD in Chicago during the rush hour traffic (done that many times, with several hair raising experiences).

Auto deaths are down because of Seat Belts, Airbags and Energy Dissipating construction...These are not possible with bikes.

Etoh enforcement also played a part, I don't know to what extent.

I have two words for the scooter guy ... Ball bearings. You can get 3/4 steel ball bearings from Amazon and when they tail gate you just throw them over your shoulder. They tend to back off after that.

Also, "Following too closely" is illegal. You can get a cheap Tachyon camera online and velcro it to your helmet or the back of the bike. Get their license plate number and call the cops. Have them fined.

You think bullying is bad at school...try riding a scooter in the suburbs where moms in SUVs think they just bought muscles and try to intimidate everyone.

Al718 my daughter sent me a picture this idiot drove his car 3/4 of the way under the back of an 18 wheeler. Now don't tell me he couldn't see that. Texas Dps once asked me what the safest speed to ride a motorcycle was " I said 5 mph faster than the idiot trying to climb on my passenger seat" And really is that text message that important. Now for all who think this is just a biker problem. If you can't see my red motorcycle, and me wearing the new can you see me now stupid attire of bright orange or a construction reflective vest. You won't see a child cross the street either.

, better to eliminate igonrant dumb ass people driving cars that don't look before they make a left turn onto an intersection.

A major cause of mva's. Inexperiences operators riding beyond their capabilities that fail to negotiate the radius of a curve is another.

Not even included in the article was the proliferation of distracted drivers on cell phones, texting, shaving, and even reading books! I ride a bike and I just assume that the a__hole to the right of me on their cell phone will change lanes without looking. Anytime a car is beside me, I ALWAYS have my thumb on the horn button assuming they will come over. Amazing how many times I have to use the horn.

It's just a matter of time until we outlaw driving while talking on a cell phone, so we might as well just do it and save the lives now.

Most fatal motorcycle accidents are not the fault of the motorcyclist, but rather of the motorist who pulls out in front of them. The biggest problem is one of distracted drivers.

There are 2 types of bikers, you have bold bikers & old bikers. They're not too many old & bold bikers.

I can sum up these comments in 3 statements:

1. Car drivers say it's the motorcycle riders' fault.

2. Motorcycle riders say it's the car drivers' fault.

3. It's everybody's fault but mine.

That is all.

Ban motorcycles. Everyone's banning cigarettes, requiring drivers to wear seat belts, etc., all in the so-called interests of saving people's lives, so ban motorcycles, too. The same justification can easily apply to such a prohibition. Let's not draw arbitrary lines here.

Personally I would like to see some additional stats.

1. Break the accidents down to the type of bike, cruiser, dirt, crotch-rocket

2. Age. But not just the age, they need to tie this to the first point.

I've been a rider for most of my life, 40+ years on the roads, and most of my experience has been that those with the racers cause most of the problems (those that are caused by the bikers themselves).

Simply put, cruisers are meant to be seen; crotch rockets are meant to go fast.

The report states that half the fatalities don't involve other automobiles. In this case I want to know what type of bike it was and what the age of the victim was. Perhaps I am talking about stereo typing but I think that information is necessary to be properly educated about what's really going on out there on the roads. I believe that age and experience are critical in understanding.

For example, I wouldn't sell a racer to anyone under 25. Extreme? Perhaps. The worst offenders that I see are the younger ones on racers.

I have my own opinion of helmets. While I agree that they might keep you from dying in an accident, they may contribute more to you becoming a quadriplegic with the extra weight on your neck. They restrict the bikers vision and/or keep you from hearing what's around you. I have saved myself on many occasions because I listen to what's around me as well as look. You have to be able to do this to keep yourself safe.

I'm not trying to incite any arguments here, these are just my observations and opinions from a long history of being a biker.

Let's be clear folks, there are idiot on BOTH sides here. Drivers AND riders.

Those yahoos doing wheelies and zipping in and out of traffic annoy me too, though for the most part they are risking serious injury only upon themselves as a 400 pound bike doesn't do nearly as much damage as a 5000 pound SUV, with some consideration for variations in velocity.

But the jackwagon who cut me off in a corner without so much as a turn signal OR a glance to ensure the lane was clear, left me with with not enough brake to get behind him, and not enough motor to get in front of him (500cc, my old ride, new 800 might have made the difference). He runs and is never caught (indeed, the clueless SoB might not even KNOW), I get a harrowing 5 seconds on/off my bike, a broken back, and quality time with some kind (albeit slightly stingy) folks at my insurance company/emergency room/EMT's etc.

Was he texting? Messing with the radio? Drunk? Illegal?! I don't know, and likely never will. I'd had a great morning that changed with a random F U from the universe and someone's self-importance.

As I see it, riders to a vastly greater degree risk their lives, not just property damage from a dinged bumper, while drivers risk everyone else's lives. You won't see riders texting, or on cell phones, though they do make plenty of other mistakes (some willful, yes). But the truth is (IMHO) the riders are/have FAR more at risk, and are usually paying FAR more attention than those on 4+ wheels.

And my observations match bmc's, under 25? On a liter bike? Bad news...

This article is rather misleading. Fact is, the sheer number of riders has been increasing steadily over the past couple of decades (the number of households owning a motorcycle increased by 26% just from 2003-2008, for instance. . .more than 5x the rate of increase of automobile ownership).

Given the rapid rate of increase in the number of people riding motorcycles, the fact that motorcycle deaths have remained static IS a relative decrease. It means that as a percentage of the total riding population, fewer riders are dying every year.

Leave it to the MSM to leave out half the story, and only present it in its most sensational light.

2010 here was heavy motorcycle traffic throughout. Last summer, cut about 60% and I do not know why. Above wants more info. Yes, accidents not fatal but super serious., serious, really hurts for months.

Insurance: may be based on age of owner / rider and passenger. Set up for the coma stage for "X" years. Paid for by the bike owner, period. No helmet law demanded and passed, then why is seat belt law mandatory?

We all know that too many auto drivers do not 'see' bikers at all.

The local county here always faults the auto driver and never releases the blood sample results of the bikers. Even when 80 mph on the double yellow centerline, coming over the hill at 75+ mph. Not many parts of seconds available to get out of the way, over into the ditch or telephone pole only options. I wonder if new drones will get that license plate?

so the cyclist feels the impact from the darwin effect, but sometimes they injure or kill others doing their thing. as well, if someone else is involved in the accident and is not at fault, they can feel the emotional impact of the experience very negatively and that can take a long time to heal. too bad stupidity can't just affect the stupid.

The main reason there are so many motorcycle fatalities is the fact that the motorcycles involved were'nt loud enough. Motorcycles are much safer if they're loud. Very loud. As loud as possible, because as we all know;

LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES

Intelligence and riding skills are not nearly as necessary as a loud exhaust. Loud pipes make up for stupidity and carelessness, and it gets people to notice you, and let's face it, that's why you ride a motorcycle, right?

So bikers, play it safe; get out there and take off those mufflers, and for God's sake when you ride, ride around town in the lowest gear possible and rev the living @!$%# out of your engine any time you're stopped at a light. Make as much noise as possible as often as possible.a Be safe. Be loud. REALLY loud! And get that attention you so desperately need

I ride a Harley cruiser. You have to be so much more alert then when you are in your car. Each car in front of you behind you and beside you has to be watched carefully so you can quickly throttle out an escape route. You approach a car or truck on the freeway try and stay out of their blind spots and then prepare to pass. You have pass quickly and safely as they may not be paying attention but not at 120 miles an hour as some do. When you see a soccer mom pull up to a stop sign in front of you be prepared as she will look right at you and then pull out. You have to be a alert defensive driver. But the joy of riding is great. I often just get up and go ride. How many people enjoy doing that with the car in their driveway.

You are shifting with your left foot clutching with your left hand,rear breaking with your right foot and throttling with right hand and breaking front tire with the right hand as well. Then your fingers are working blinkers and a finger by the horn at all times. So we have a lot going on shifting our body and muscling the handlebars of an 800 lb bike with a very large engine. Give us a break we are doing a lot already and our main concern is cars and reading and setting up for corners. Oh yeah we also put our feet down when we stop and hold up the bike.

Great fun and many smiles. As we say keep it between the mustard and the mayonnaise. Oh yeah many of the bikes are worth as much if not more than many of the cars we dodge every day. Just saying....

Please look out for the people on bikes cause we are constantly watching you. We want to come home too.

Hahaha - you are right Lokay5, I can't stand being deafened by those RUBs.

Luckily, I am well endowed so I have no problem with my 125 scooter (factory muffler).

p.s. I have only heard loud mufflers as they pass or after - they never gave me a warning on a bike or in a car. it's just a myth!

Steve, saw your comment on those suburban c--ts, and you are DEAD ON CORRECT. I drive for a living, and my work vehicles are either Tahoes or Suburbans, and those crazy white suburban house c--ts drive like they think they're in an M-1 tank. They should be banned from driving ANYTHING bigger than a Prius. They f--king nuts and they are ALWAYS riding up my tailpipe, even thought I have a nice big sign saying my vehicle makes sudden stops and turns, and is covered with cameras and radar equipment. I don't know, I guess being a kept woman in the suburbs must turn your brain to jello.

And ladies, f--- you if you don't like my description, you want respect, start f---ing driving properly and maybe you'll deserve some.

Not a myth Steve2570999! Ever been on the highway & have a car attempt to change lanes when your next to them? Crank on that throttle...they know your there!

@ those moaning about the lack of helmets on motorcycle riders.

1) 80% of motorcycle fatalities is due to chest injury. less than 10% from head injury.

2) Most states with helmet laws require the helmet to be US Dept. of Transportation approved. US DOT has not tested a motorcycle helmet since 1974.

3) Helmets are dangerous and the full face helmets are the worst. They restrict the rider's vision and hearing, gives a false sense of security and cause injuries to the neck- resulting in more quadriplegics.

4) The only reason the politicians pass helmet laws is money. In 1991 (the year Calif's helmet law was passed- requiring ALL riders to wear helmets) there were about 850,000 licensed motorcycles in the state. That number translates to about 1 1/2 MILLION helmets at an average price of $200, which totals $300,000,000 plus $20,000,000 in sales tax.

5) A helmet is worthless above about 20 mph. A few years ago a CAlif. highway patrol motorcycle cop died from head injuries when he crashed at around 60 mph. And yes he was wearing a CHP approved helmet.

I have been riding for 50+ years and had no major accidents until I had to wear a helmet which didn't even have a scratch from the accident. It MIGHT have helped if I had my helmet on my foot. According to several witnesses, the driver of the car was 100% at fault.

@ lokay5:

I read your sarcasm, but loud pipes DO save lives. Many times I've seen a car that was obviously going to run a stop sign but, at the last second, slammed on his/her brakes because he/she heard my loud pipes.

Complete myth Jan - If are car is changing lanes and you blip the throttle, congratulations, you now share the same lane and the car wins. They are incapable of reacting that fast. Taking the MSF course is your best defense.

Don't get me wrong - I hate being deafened by the people who remove their sport bike mufflers too.

How does annoying everyone on the road make the cagers respect bikers?

Think of it another way. I could scream at the top of my lungs while I shop in the grocery store aisles or I could use my skill and dexterity to avoid the people who do not look where their shopping carts are going.

I can hear the Harleys and Sport bikes from 3 blocks away - who does that help? If everyone rode without mufflers you would be back to relying on skill anyway.

@ Same Lame - ever heard of a blind spot? Motorcycles are so easily hidden. I drove professionally for 12 years and I can tell you, there are stupid motorcyclists and car drivers. Period. A certain number will always follow to close, cut you off when passing, greatly exceed the speed of traffic, weave in and out of traffic and be distracted by any number of going-ons inside the vehicle. All of them are equally responsible for the accidents they get into. Until the govt. takes a stronger stance on all reckless, stupid drivers, nothing will change.

It's bad enough down here in Alabama the way they drive their cars and trucks...tailgating at high speeds, stopping for red lights (when they decide to stop instead of running them) halfway in the intersection, and passing in the oncoming lane on a curve, but some of the bikers, especially the so called crotch rockets, are even worse.

Now I know that most bikers are just as safety conscious as most of us, but I have had these guys tailgate me so close they could have held onto my tailgate, then proceed to pass me to do the same to the next vehicle, until they cleared a line of us and take off. Any one of us could have easily just slowed down enough to send this idiot over us and onto the highway in front of us.

I hate to say it, but I also had two Harley riders do the same one day...sad, but true. I have always thought these guys looked so cool when out and about, but these two, definitely not. They were just two more idiots out on the road, being stupid.

It is more difficult to see a biker, which is all the more confusing as to why these people would be so careless.

ALL drivers, whether in a car, truck, or on a bike, need to be careful. Those of us in vehicles need to watch out for bikers. They can see us a lot easier than we can see them.

5) A helmet is worthless above about 20 mph

BZZZZT! Wrong. My neighbor was on his way to work on his motorcycle a few years back when a semi side-swiped him on the interstate (speed limit 70 for cars, 65 for trucks). Actually hit him - can tell this through physics, because the bike went one way, and my neighbor went another (back onto the roadway). He was wearing a helmet and it sustained serious damage (it was an M2005 rated helmet - the best at the time). He survived the wreck.

I'm sorry, but if I, in 2 tons of steel and glass, am required to wear a belt and, in the event of an accident, have a plastic bag explode at my face at 300 mph - I think you on your 500 pounds of aluminum and plastic can wear a brain-bucket. Unless you haven't any.

At most speeds, the only difference a helmet makes is whether or not you want an open or closed casket.

Yeah sadly I have to agree, the helmet really only protects you at low speeds, been told far too many 1st person accounts of people taking the helmet off and the skull coming with it.

I laugh at the riders in this state (CO) that don't wear helmets, but I respect the hell out of the fact that we all have the RIGHT to not wear our helmets. I like that I can ride my bike to the store that is a few hundred feet down the street, without having to strap everything on. I wear my helmet 99.9% of my rides, but I'd NEVER EVER EVER EVER vote to take that right away from anyone. And IMO, anyone who wants to take that away, doesn't belong in the motorcycle community.

Since you obviously don't know what you're talking about, let me educate you. While a helmet may save a life at low speeds, nothing is going to save a rider when someone pulls out in front of them on a public street. But, in most accidents a severe head injury is only on the list of fatal injuries.

Most times, severe internal bleeding is the cause of death. How you even think to blame riders as a primary cause of accidents only highlights your ignorance on the matter.

My Uncle survived a bad motorcycle crash because he wasn't wearing a helmet, he got hit by a cager, fractured his skull which allowed his brain to swell with less pressure.

Two types of riders. Those who have crashed and those who will.

Rosco2u

I've been riding for 38 years too and I've covered this contry from side to side and top to bottom, alone, with a rider and towing a trailer. I do not wear a helmet unless the state I'm in mandates it. I'm not a moron, I'm a believer in choice. I don't call you an idiot for stuffing your empty head into a bucket.... If you drive responsibly and give way to vehicles larger than you...you will be fine and a helmet isn't needed. I drive over 500 miles a week in all types of conditions..... Learn to ride better and you'll live longer than the false protection afforded to you in a minor accident by a helmet!

Donorcycle riders should have to freedom to do as they please...don't put a crimp in the organ supply.

Safety equipment--including helmets--does in fact make a difference. Motorcycle racers regularly crash at over 100mph and walk away. To say that it's only "the difference between an open or closed casket" is foolish.

1SGFitz - You got ahold of some bad drugs if you truly believe that not wearing a helmet saved his life by allowing the brain to swell. Brain swelling isn't instantaneous. So by the time he was at the hospital and had the helmet removed there would have been very little difference in the amount of cranial pressure.

Some people can rationalize anything.

Motorcycle racers regularly crash at over 100mph and walk away.

While that may be true the crashes result in low angles of impact between the track and the helmet. Auto-motorcycle crashes result at high angles of impact. It is the same thing as sideswiping another vehicle versus T-boning another vehicle. Quite a bit of difference in the amount of energy being translated into the head.

Helmets DO help. You guys spouting these urban legends about helmets need to listen up.

Myth 3: Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks

It seems logical—you put more weight out there on the end of your neck and when you get thrown off the bike, that extra weight will create more pendulum force on your neck. Turns out, it doesn't work that way. In fact, the energy-absorbing qualities of a DOT motorcycle helmet also absorb the energy that breaks riders' necks in impacts. Studies show that helmeted motorcyclists actually suffer fewer neck injuries when they crash compared to riders who crash without helmets.

Myth 4: Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger

The thing you learn when you dig into the research is that motorcycle riders who use helmets crash less frequently than those who don't. Maybe that happens because motorcyclists who decide to wear helmets have a better or more realistic attitude about riding. Maybe it's because putting on a helmet is a reminder that what you are about to do can be dangerous and the act of accepting protection puts you in the right mindset. Maybe it's because a helmet provides eye protection and cuts down wind noise so you can actually see and hear better. Maybe its because, by cutting wind pressure and noise, a helmet reduces fatigue. Whatever the reasons, wearing a helmet clearly does not increase a motorcyclist's risk of having an accident and wearing one correlates to reduced likelihood of an accident.

Myth 5: A Helmet Won't Help in Most Crashes

People look at the seemingly low impact speeds used in motorcycle-helmet testing and assume that if you are going faster than that, the helmet will no longer be up to the job. That ignores a few critical facts:

Myth 6: A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died

Of course that's possible—your helmet attenuates the impact energy enough to keep the injury from being fatal but not enough to keep all of your eggs from getting scrambled. However, that's rare, and if you hit that hard, you are likely to get killed by some other injury. It's actually the un-helmeted rider who is likely to cross from animal to vegetable kingdom, and often from a relatively minor impact that would have damaged nothing but his ego if he'd been wearing a DOT helmet.

http://www.motorcyclecruiserDOTcom/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/

My suggestion; When you don't wear a Helmet you are and automatic organ donor, no further authorization required. When they wheel you in to the ER, they start stripping you of parts, like a car in a chop shop.

I will wear my helmet anytime I get on the expressway because stuff coming up off of tires in front of me comes faster and hurts more. And even in states with no helmet laws anywhere I have to follow stock trucks. I don't wear it running to Stripes or Wal-Mart because to see to the side I have to turn my head alot farther and finding sounds like sirens etc is harder. I have had a couple of mishaps two with gravel roads and one with another rider who hit me when he lost it on a turn. The helmet didn't do anything for me in two of those since the head wasn't involved. And I am an organ donor anyway dipstick. I won't need those parts then and my kid knows that.

@ Jay, My riding skills are just fine thank you. I raced semi-pro MX and made money at it so I think I know what I'm doing. I work in an E.R. at a large hospital and can say with certainty that helmets save lives. If you don't want to wear one then don't, Darwin's theory will take care of that eventually.......

My helmet was the reason that my $11k in medical bills wasn't $110k (of course the motorcycle jacket I was wearing did it's part too). And I was slowing down from highway speed to a 45 zone when a buck deer decided that it needed to cross the road right now. I had a helmet, jacket, gloves and boots on. Walked away with a minor concussion, broken clavicle, one dislocated finger and minor road rash on my right leg. The accident totaled the bike and killed the deer, so I quite sure I got the better part of the deal.

A helmet may not keep you out of the hospital but it will make the trip a whole lot cheaper.

I went down in the desert on a Custom built 400cc dirt bike back in the 70s at close to 80 mph. (Bestow to Vegas race in the dirt) I was wearing all the proper gear, boots leather racing suit, including a full face BELL helmet. When I woke up in the hospital I had several broken bones. Eye balls looked like cue balls. The doctor told me that the helmet saved my life and then showed me what was left of the helmet. It had been cracked in two places as well as chunks missing from the rocks my head bounced off of. I still have that helmet and it hangs in my garage where I park my current ride (2005 Honda Gold Wing with 165,000 miles). When I sit on the Wing the helmet is directly in front of the bike hanging on the wall. When I think of just going down the road for a short ride I look at that helmet and think of my grand kids. Who would not be here if I hadn't made it out of that wreck. I do not ride with out ever wearing my helmet. Some have made fun of me for it but it is MY COMFORT zone to wear it. America is a place where you have a choice. To wear one is my choice.

As a some time biker, I'm with the helmet crowd, and support the idea that if you don't want to wear a helmet you should have a DNR on file so we can start the organ harvest early, I would also support requiring such riders to wave any medical treatment unless they have special insurance coverage based on not wearing a helmet. I don't mind paying for the occasional idiocy, but repeated stupidity should pay its own way.

The DNR is not a problem for me. My drivers license states "Not An Organ Donor." I don't want some for profit company &/or doctor making a 100 grand from my donated corpse.

That's too bad, hd...you could save a life...I can't be a donor because I am a cancer survivor.

I skied for years with no helmet. Then in a moment of inattention I had a low speed fall that left me concussed. Shortly after, that actress died from a low speed fall. I too wear a helmet now and wonder why I avoided it all of those years. It is not much more uncomfortable than a stocking cap.

RUSHLESS

The thing is...I don't have to wear a helmet! And, after 38 years of riding in traffic in the Boston to New York corridor as well as throughout the South and West....I've found that helmets are not necessary. As a former traffic cop, I responded to many motorcycle accidents and found that the fatalities happened IN SPITE of the driver wearing a helmet! Maybe you drive so poorly you need a helmet....I don't!

rushless - You SHOULD wear a helmet. You should not HAVE to wear a helmet. Big difference.

Citizen: You choose. Subject: Government chooses for you. Which one are YOU?

In my state you have to be 21 and have a specific level of personel injury protection not to wear a helmet. That level will cover the hospital bills for a severe head injury. My state doesn't pick up bills for stupid.

As stated, there is a big difference between opting to wear a helmet and being mandated to wear a helmet.

Maybe you drive so poorly you need a helmet...I don't!

It must be the miraculous effect of your lifesaving pipes that have sustained you so far. But riding at 45 mph is usually a survivable crash.

Jay is that how it is with you, if someone is riding with a helmet you assume they are a bad rider? Pretty idiotic remark but I forgive you. I've never had an accident on a motorcycle thankfully, call it skill or luck I'll accept either.

I agree with many here that it should be our option as to whether we wear a helmet or not.

I just spent 2 years in Northern California, and it's amazing to me that they require you to wear a helmet but allow you to split lanes, very dangerous.

@ Jay, My riding skills are just fine thank you. I raced semi-pro MX and made money at it so I think I know what I'm doing. I work in an E.R. at a large hospital and can say with certainty that helmets save lives. If you don't want to wear one then don't, Darwin's theory will take care of that eventually.......

Your odds of surviving a crash depends on so many factors, just adding a helmet to the total equation certainly cannot hurt. You can debate the conclusion of an accident all day long, and in the end the better you protect yourself with additional safety tools, the better. In the end its your choice.....

@ rushless:

Splitting traffic is mandatory in heavy traffic on a hot day. Most motorcycle engines are air cooled which means that they have to have air going over the engine to keep it from overheating and seizing. Also Calif. law was changed to permit splitting traffic in order for the cops to do it legally.

Jay...my ex and I would get into fights over his driving the company van...you see, his boss is a complete dick, and expects him to be at all his different, state-wide businesses NOW, so when I was with him he would normally hit at least 90 mph. He would say how he was a great driver.

It doesn't matter how good you drive, it's the other one that can get ya.

That's why I like to drive...I don't think anyone drives better than me (stupid, maybe, but that's the way I am), and I have only been on a bike twice...terrified both times.

Yes, I'm a wienie...

proudamericanveteran -

It becomes increasingly difficult to be a proud American when lumps like you take their hands out of their underwear just long enough to allow their fellow believers to take a whiff.

Please resume your Google search for 'intrafamily weddings'.

I wish I could find out more about the Indiana minister murdered in his church that was up for only a half hour yesterday.

without a doubt the politically correction of black vs white is in effect.

In the end only seperation of the races will be the answer. This will be without a doubt long after you or I will be gone.

...and you just had to bring up racism...

J Camp - You must really hate life when others are correct. proud pointed out what happens all too frequently on msnbc - The National Enquirer of web news sites.

Loud pipes are a joke. The people that hear them are behind you. I have been riding for 40 years and the most common complaint I hear is about loud pipes. When you are driving a motorcycle you have to be aware of every vehicle on the road. That's how you stay alive.

The only thing loud pipes do is give the rider a break from the sound of their bike shaking apart from its intentionally poorly tuning ignition system. The myth of noisy being safe is perpetuated by Harley riders as an excuse for their disregard for everyone else. Somehow the other 90% of non-crotchrider bikers manage to stay safe without sounding like some 18 year old who drug the muffler off his Dad's car.

ohwow, are you daft? intentionally poorly tuned system? Where do you get your information? Last I checked motorcycles engines performed at a much higher efficiency than any other car/truck engine on the road, just slapping pipes on the bike and not getting the bike retuned is a stupid mistake made by stupid bikers, it's not the normal process and the pipes being loud isn’t a myth.. It’s to make your presence known. Now don't get me wrong there is such a thing as TOO loud, but I can tell you this, the stock pipes on my bike were so quite that the noise of a truck passing me quickly overpowered them to the point where you couldn't hear my bike at all. After switching to some Cobra Streetrod pipes and a factory retune and rejet of the carbs the bike is loud yes, but not stupid loud. I can tell you this from personal experience, both with stock pipes and with louder pipes, I get more attention from the surrounding traffic with the louder pipes than without and that attention garners acknowledgment of my existence and I'd rather have my existence known than be side swiped by some cager that's not paying attention!

Pilot, loud pipes are not a joke to me. If I can hear you coming before I can see you coming, I'll be more in tuned to be more alert to your presence. I drive a car and I WANT to be able to hear the motor cycle rider in front, behind, beside and all around me. To me, the louder the bike the better. More power to the loudest biker on the freeway!

I like motorcycles but I hate the loud pipes I hear going by. I'm standing in my yard and the neighbor cranks up his harley it just makes me think of putting a bullet through the engine. Or, when I'm walking to or from my car in a parking lot and a bike goes by 100 yards away and I have to put my fingers in my ears...all I can think of is "what a f'n dumbazz". Completely unnecessary and makes people hate bikes and bikers. I pay attention when I drive and have a clean driving record. I don't appreciate having a bike shoved in my ears.

Do the statistics back up the loud pipes? I suppose that only quiet bikes are the ones getting mowed down. Also, from what I understand, more than a third of motorcycle accidents involved the rider having had adult beverages!

What moron gets on a bike after a having drinks? It's a damn medical fact that even one drink impairs one's ability to operate a vehicle. Every time I see a bike club hitting a bar I just shake my head. I would laugh but one of those idiots may crash into my loved one's car and I would bet a paycheck they will get on a blog and talk about those damn cagers..

MJZeigler

Sound is directional....and, unless you ride backwards on the highway, the loud pipes are BS! Ask any ambulance driver, police officer or firefighter.... Their sirens are louder than your pipes and still people cut in front of them....because they may hear the noise, but they can't tell where it is coming from! Most of them say they never heard the siren until it was too close to avoid the accident! Car interiors are being made quieter, stereos louder and people are distracted by their GPS and cellphones. Drive slower, ride better, use modulating headlights and quiet your pipes!

"...and have problems determining depth, speed..."

No. I have trouble guessing that you're going to use five gears to travel from one red light to the next, and that each traffic maneuver is a hole shot.

As a motorcyclist, I agree that "loud pipes save lives" is BS. Come on, you don't need to lie to make a point. When in a car with the windows closed, you don't hear the loud pipes until the bike is next to you--when it's too late. You know it's true.

Loud pipes do work - and they can be heard in front as well as behind (and to the sides). I have noticed MANY times when cage drivers don't see me, but they do hear me.

By the way - I ride a Honda.

I don't believe that loud pipes make the motorcycle safer for one second--the way sound is perceived from other vehicles is way too inaccurate and unpredictable. They do, however, say loud and clear that the rider is an immature, obnoxious, A*HOLE with total disregard for the right of every other person around them to some peace and quiet!

@dogma - I bet your neighbor hates listening to you whine as your filthy little wifey makes you do your lawn chores and get the groceries from the minivan (scourge of the earth vehicle) while loading the fresh soccer balls for the kiddies practice later. As for adult beverages and doing anything like driving, walking, fishing, swimming, boating, making movies with the little wifey...well mind your own business and let people make their own choices!! If all it takes is loud pipes "to get your motor running" then I applaude your neighbor and would like to move in next door as well. Does she lay out topless in your backyard? LOL!!! STUFYSMF!!! TSSB!!

@Dogma:

I'm standing in my yard and the neighbor cranks up his harley it just makes me think of putting a bullet through the engine

A puff of sealing foam in the muffler takes care of this problem nicely.

Pilot I ride a stock Honda Shadow my horn is louder than my exhaust. Ride in a parade and those same people want you to rev the engine. Between the radio, the cell phone, the talking GPS and the radar detector nobody out there is paying attention to the road. Leave escapability and ride defensivly. Elsie RI and how about the a--hole kid with the sound system heard a block away is he yours?

What are you spraying over that surgical mask?

Yeah, loud pipes = small penis.

Um...I usually have some Nickelback playing, so I need to rely on watching for you...

I agree. Cell phone use is dangerous for EVERYONE. I suggest considering using a cell phone while driving attempted murder so that I can bust out my .45 and blow away these imbeciles and cite self-defence to avoid prosecution. "Yes ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that ignorant slob WAS trying to kill me by talking on their cell phone. They were in control of a two-ton lethal weapon and I felt threatened". It sounds like you could ALL READY get away with it in Florida...

SRS

I used to complain about cell phone jaw jackers but now it's the head drooping texters. I agree with you....you text and cause an accident leading to death...life with no parole. I like the stickers on helmets...STFU and drive!

Timing is not mysterious at all. It's the week before Memorial Day. More traffic, more motorcycles on the road.

I guess you've never been a day trader and what that has to do with anything is a mystery to me

Brian-1075075

Timing is not mysterious at all. It's the week before Memorial Day. More traffic, more motorcycles on the road.

Exactly we're gearing up to do our yearly bike run Thursday-Sunday, y'all stay safe out there!

The Ride to the Wall and Rolling Thunder run are on the ticket this time of year...Ride safe and ride free!!!

LL&R

It is true that motorcycles have increased on the roads and that more riders are women. Honda started it with the you meet the nicest people on a honda campaign in the seventies. Eventually HD learned there was a big market out there. So now dealers have ladies of Harley clubs. But there is a big increase in bike sales when gas prices rise dramatically. It only took $8 to fill my tank when gas was $4 a gallon. For real bikers this will be a great deal when they find out you get wet in the rain. There will be a large assortment of barely used bikes out there for those who have worn their pony out.

1SG and BFD...I'm jealous...sounds like fun...be careful out there...

Should they also ban super cars that go in excess of 200MPH? Or how about handguns.... or how about we make it mandatory that all persons trying to obtain a motorcycle endorsement complete a safety course. Also one of the biggest issues is people in cars that just dont look out for people on motorcycles. I cant count how many times i have had cars drive right up against me not aware that a motorcycle can stop much sooner than a car. So Damp knock off about banning anything.

Pretty sure those "crotch rockets" were designed exactly for the road... They may LOOK like the bikes on the track, but I assure you, they are not the same.

Lets ban pencils, they can have sharp points. Just more cager knowledge trying to point the fingers at the 2 wheelers as a whole. Every group of riders, cruisers, street bikes, ATVs, Dual sport, Off road, blah blah blah has 2 types of people, those that operate within the safety limits of the enviroment and those that don't. Don't blame the rest of us on a few douchebag bikers. 90% of the motorcycle/automobile crashes are caused by the person in the automobile.

Scott-562660

or how about we make it mandatory that all persons trying to obtain a motorcycle endorsement complete a safety course

That is exactly what Oregon does. Beginning two years ago, anyone obtaining a new Oregon motorcycle endorsement had to take and pass an Oregon State sanctioned training course. The age requirements are being phased in over a five year period. It started with anyone under 21, then under 31, then under 41, etc. until one day, everyone obtaining a new motorcycle endorsement in the State of Oregon will have received proper training. There is no substitute for training. It's the single most effective tool in reducing motorcycle fatalities. Oregon is a helmet-only state and Team Oregon is a nationally recognized training organization. The motorcycle safety culture in Oregon is what other states should strive for, not the continual assault on helmet laws.

Why don't we just implement a law that requires us all to walk around wrapped in bubble wrap?

I guess bob doesn't like any course that saves lives like Oregon has. Not macho.

I had to take a course when I got my license because i was in the USMC and it was mandatory to ride on base alone with wearing a reflective vest for greater visibility. I also think something has to be done to increase the the drivers knowledge and awareness for motorcycles on the road.

It's the same on post here too Scott, I think it's an all military thing? Here at Hood rider's have to wear all the safety equipment off post too.

body air bag......let's get some of those guys laid off at NASA....get some goverment funding and lets get it done...ohhhh sorry i was dreaming again...back to the work now :)

Scott, 1SGFitzsWife

The entire DoD requires military members to wear protective gear and reflective vest anytime while riding. Failure to do so results in a line of duty investigation in the event of a crash and can result in benefits being withheld.

"...make it mandatory that all persons trying to obtain a motorcycle endorsement complete a safety course..."

I'll agree to this when it becomes mandatory that 80-year-old geezers driving 40 ft. motorhomes have a special endorsement. These people who have never driven anything bigger than a VW plunk down a 100K+ and drive off happy as Larry, leaving distruction in their wake, most of them with a car hitched to the back. Yikes!

Am I mistaken, or is that a temporary tag I see on the back of the bike? Know your limits, the limits of the bike, and watch the drivers face (if possible), if it's not behind a cell phone.

Nothing wrong with the bike the fault is with the squid riding it. Squid- squirelly young kid. I've been riding 12 years in all conditions and on all kinds of roads. You have to pay attention and OWN your lane. If in the right lane ride the left half of the lane. If in the left lane ride the right half of the lane. It discourages cagers from crowding you in your lane. It is a military thing all active duty personel and Nat Guard. Helmet, reflective gear your PT belt counts, and gloves. But my sons commander did say he could ride up behind me since he didn't have a motorcycle license.

I've been in 5 accidents in the 40+ yrs. I've been riding motorcycles everytime it was caused by cars turning in front of me. I've been lucky that I never had any life threatening injuries considering 3 were totaled out & 2 were laid down. Road rash & a sore body hurts like the devil for a couple of weeks though.

Tell that to the dickhead cagers that tailgate me when I'm doing 90 in a 65!

K12RSrider, Isn't that 1 one of stat's they keep up with? Most MC accidents happen within the 1st 60 or 90 days of ownership.

gollie...oh how cool! You must know the morons I saw doing wheelies on the highway one day on their bikes...

Riding a motorcycle is no more dangerous that getting out of bed, if done properly. Respect for any device you use is necessary for safe operation.

Loud pipes is not a safety issue. All they do is let everyone know you were there, not that you are coming.

Riding a motorcycle is no more dangerous that getting out of bed, if done properly. Respect for any device you use is necessary for safe operation.

I see what you are going for, however I respectfully disagree. While you are correct in your assertion that all manner of activity can be performed safely given the proper training, you have to acknowledge the fact that danger =/= risk.

Risk assessment is something you do all the time and dont even know it. Loud pipes, well, if you dont like them, then you dont DILLIGAF!!! Now there are some activities you can do in bed which can be high risk and a loud bed means you must be doing it right!!! LMAO!!!

LL&R

Riding a motorcycle isn't inherently dangerous. I go to church on mine. I shop on mine. I have ridden 60,000+ miles including interstate miles. In fact since I live in the southern tip of Texas I don't even own a car. I know people like you would like to put all of us on busses but btween NYC and LA there is a large chunk of America with spots where the busses don't run, there are no gas stations for 60 miles, there is no cell phone service for 60 miles. The town only has one full time cop so don't start something on his day off. Your plan to cocoon this 64 year old grandma just doesn't work since the bus doesn't stop at the corner of corn and soybean.

Go git 'im Granny! shiney side up.

I had a car try to crowd me onto a sidewalk. I just wish there had been a cop around then.

Zack, you should take the bus, and keep your ridiculous ideas to yourself.

51msg...don't feed the troll

Zack,

Before 1974, there was no national speed limit. Then they lowered the limit to 55. Now, if you read the article, you might remember the part where it said traffic fatalities are the lowest they've been since 1949! So I don't see a mandatory 55 as necessary at all.

Also, reading some of the above comments, I have learned that helmets really only protect you at low speeds, lower even than 55. Also, many, if not most of the deaths of the motorcyclists, were due to other injuries then just the head.

Should we have mandatory football padding laws for them?

Why not make it 25 mph? That would be even "safer".

Hmm Zack needs to get off the drugs. Why is it that the autobahn has no speed limit and is yet the safest road to drive on...hmmmmm lets see...one it is constructed properly with the right pitch at all turns and two they will not let slow drivers on the autobahn, the police will escort you off the highway if you are not doing a certain speed. So lowering the speed limit isn't going to do jack.

From what I've seen, people think there isn't actually any speed limit now, so what good would lowering it do?

Zack stay home we have state highways here with 75 mile an hour speed limits. It is a dang long way from Harlingen to Freer through absolutely nothing.

Zack spend a few days in my area. It is a long way from one place to another. I actually find stopping at the BP checkpoint can be handy after assuring them I am an American citizen pulling off to the side getting my drink out of my bag and indulging my other bad habit. It makes a safe place for a break.

Fatalities are at all time lows because of all the safety features IN current cars, compared to the 1970's. If you compare the 1970's to the 1960's, however, you see a dramatic drop in fatalities. Slower is safer, period, and any engineer or physics student can tell you that.

the last thing any rider wants is to stay with the motorcycle in an accident. Please, don't even mention seatbelts and motorcycles in the same sentence. The NHTSA already floated that one. It would be a disaster!

The Honda Goldwing has airbags.

I agree with Paul, lets please not start with the seat belts and Motorcycles....some moron will think its a great ida and bring it to congress to pass a law....the last thing any bikers wants to do is stay with his or her bike when you have to lay it down.

That is simply false. I used to ride. A friend of mine was riding on I-85 in Atlanta when a truck dropped a telephone pole of the trailer. He hit it at 70ish MPH. Bent the forks of the bike, threw him off. He slid for a few hundred yards. The helmet was worn almost down the the padding inside. His helmet saved his life.

Completely unrelated, I stopped riding the day another friend was rear-ended on his bike while waiting at a turn signal. He was wearing a TSA Orange jumpsuit from work (we worked at the airport at the time). The driver's excuse? Wait for it....."I didn't see him". He was literally, a giant traffic cone on a bright green bike.

That is complete BS.

First of all most motorcycle accidents occur at lower speeds where having a helmet would be the difference between life and death, usually on county/town/city roads where cagers turn in front of the rider.

Secondly the reason helmet laws are repealed is because of lobbyists who work for the insurance companies because guess what - it's much, MUCH cheaper to the insurance company if you died in the accident than having to pay for any type of prolonged medical care. Look it up.

I once asked our fire department why they put out little orange traffic cones by the big red truck. Federal regulations was the answer. Please lets not get the feds involved.

I believe that is to keep those working around the fire truck safe from all the drivers, no matter what they are driving. Many workers on the side of the road are killed because people won't even slow down for them.

Is too -- when the bike falls over in the parking lot.

no place to attempt humor - you do not seem to be good at it anyway

I had one two weeks ago. another biker lost it as we were turning into a funeral home parking lot PGR ride. My bike jumped a curb ran across the grass, the sidewalk, the grass and wedged the right handlebar into a small wiry Texas tree just before launching itself off the steep side of a deep wide drainage channel. It stopped in the same position it would with the kickstand down. And I gently tumbled off the bike onto the grass. It took three guys to get the handlebar loose from the tree. I am getting very funny looks from every biker including the 1% ers around here and the guys that teach Riders Edge. BTW both of us walked away from it and the bike took a half hour of labor to straighten out the front brake controls.

lonereb- I just want to say I see you in a lot of different threads on the vine and I just think you're awesome!

Why should I have to do the work for you - I race on the semi-pro circuit and idiot car drivers will always be idiots

You are assuming that people with a drivers license is educated in it's operation. Most of the people I see "driving" look like they are on another planet, they are oblivious to their surroundings, and they are not necessarily on a cell phone.

"YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID"

As a female I took the motorcycle safety course and thought it was so educational and taught me so much I was amazed - I became a greatly improved driver in cars as well as obtaining my motorcycle license. It made such an influence on me that I made my daughter take the class right after she received her drivers license at age 16 - but I did not allow her to have the motorcycle endorsement. The class made both of us much better drivers and I agree - this class should be mandatory for every licenses driver.

I commend you and your daughter Cindy, I'll be doing the same thing with my daughter who will be getting her license in a few short months *sob* I think it makes us more aware of what and who is around us.

Agreed on taking the course...learned to get rid of some bad habits. I also agree there should be a driving course for drivers similar to ones we took in the military for PSD and such.

It would help if cage drivers learned that it takes longer to stop a bike than a car safely. Less friction with the road. Then maybe they wouldn't cut in so close but I doubt it.

How would we "cage drivers" even know we needed to learn that? Our lives don't revolve around an extended childhood Big Wheel fantasy. We got crap to do.

rw...but do you still think you are racing when you get on the highway? My guess would be yes.

lonereb...drivers (all of them) tend to forget how simple physics works...and what hydroplaning is.

Better is what I saw a dealer do. When a kid with no experience wanted to buy a fast sport bike He said I won't sell it to you. You'll kill yourself come back when you have the experience. I started on a 50cc then a 250cc and now a 600cc I may get a 750cc or a HD 883 but I won't ever need anything bigger.

rwbplastic, and what does this do to reduce motorcycle accidents? Pay attention when you are behind the wheel, that will help.

Skip the seat belt and helmet laws. Everyone is free to choose whether to use these safety features or not. BUT allow insurance companies to say they'll cover only 50% of your expenses if you're not wearing your helmet or seat belt. You (not the taxpayers) are responsible for the rest of it. People tend to act differently when they're on the hook financially.

Pilot - All modulators do is make you feel like others can see you. It reduces your diligence. I don't care if other people on the road see me or not. As long as I can see them I can avoid the stupid stuff they do.

I saw those the other day and have been wondering what they were about.. if anything, I was more distracted looking in my mirror trying to figure out what was going on.

Brian

Trust me, modulators work. I have lost count on how many times I've seen someone fly up to a stop sign, give a quick glance and then do a double take. I am alert when riding and am very diligent about safety. Modulators work....unless your head is down because you are texting.

They did a double take because they thought you were an emergency vehicle. The day I think I need gimmicks rather awareness and skill, to ride safely, I'll hang it up.

@ pilot - the modulating light is stupid. you light causing someone to do a double take can create more problems and it appeared to make you feel cool. What an idiot!!! If you want your bike to look like CHP when you are cruising, join the LEO. I bet you have a 10 foot orange flag on your sissy bar too. probably has a new deck of cards and a clothes pin to make it sound like you have pipes....STFUYSMF!!!

They are illegal in some states. Heck in some states tire flys are illegal.

been using a modulator for the past 10 years, and they seem to work. I know it ennoys the driver and that gets attention.

1. People in cars don't pay enough attention.

This is likely true as a whole; however, if you assume the responsibility of car drivers, you must also assume the responsibility of motorcyclists. Unfortunately, I personally see more reckless motorcyclists than not.

"Reckless" defined as aggressive weaving, carelessness about trying to avoid the blind spots of other vehicles, and similar behaviors

Chicken, you probably don't actually see more reckless bikers, those are just the ones you notice (I usually say 'Idiot!' when I see one). I've been paying attention lately and the majority do drive safely and responsibly. I've had more issues with the slower riders, who don't just go ahead and pass (probably using cruise control, I hate drivers who rely on cruise control to pass). If you can't hear their bike, you don't know they are there (and my vehicle has a pretty big blind spot). If someone is barely going faster than me, it may be a minute or more that I can't see them in my mirrors. Note to bikers, watch out for Jeeps, big ole blind spots, front (the windshield support is very thick) and to the side/rear (those side mirrors suck and you can't get a decent stick on blind spot mirror).

I spend alot of time cussing idiot cagers too. Look for us in the left half of the lane behind you not the right. Most ride left of center to avoid the oil slick in the middle unless there are long tar snakes. And remember according to the law it is our lane from one line to the other. Do not come in next to us to pass that slow poke we are trying to pass too.

Make it mandatory that drivers attend a motorcycle safety course so they know the limits of motorcycles. I've had people tailgate me while I'm on my bike. I can stop faster they they can and they haven't left much room to stop if I have to.

Those same drivers do the same thing to other cars, and would rear-end them as well. They are definitely part of the problem.

AvgJoe - Simple rule. If the guy behind me is following too close, I back off so my following distance takes up mine and his.

Most riders are weekend riders. They have limited experience with adverse conditions. Some of us are hardcore riders and could teach MSF a thing or two since we have been caught in all weather and road conditions. I don't think they could give me lessons for chasing the horse down on a gravel road with a street bike.

I can't say I disagree with anything you say but I would add something. What kills motorcyclists are car drivers. If all the education is aimed only at motorcyclists then the fatality rate will never substantively decrease. Car drivers need to be educated.

I went to a funeral this past Saturday for a woman who died in a motorcycle accident on Mother's Day. She and her husband were just taking a Sunday ride on their motorcycle when they came around a corner and hit a car pulling out of a driveway. The husband lived, his wife slammed into the car, breaking her neck and dying instantly.

This was truly just an accident. The driver of the car didn't see them coming and they didn't see the car. If they were riding in a car instead of on a motorcycle they would have at least been protected and probably only had minor injuries, if any at all.

It's not always the car driver's fault. Sometimes it's just an accident. But when you have no protection around you and you're driving on streets with cars, you're just not as safe. It's a choice you make when you get on a motorcycle.

I had to take a road test with a 250 to get an unlimited license. Now you have to take a cone test or take either the MSF which is always full or the HD course to get a license here in my state. The majority take the training course. But if car drivers aren't paying attention or are actually driving like Pattons tanks in Europe it won't help. But you may find yourself paying for a new window the next time you crowd a biker. There is this braided lead which clips to the handlebar grab the end and swing the metal clip right into the window of the a--hole who crowded you. Now I'm a nice person so I won't buy one but I see alot more hanging from handlebars around here.

lonereb- THAT'S what those things are for, I've been seeing them a lot lately also and was wondering what they were for, thanks for the info!