Great, what new laws will come from this?

Brings to mind a cruiser rider I knew casually a few years back, who I personally heard say: "I'm just drinking beer. You can't get drunk drinking beer." I suppose he believed this because he usually drank whiskey. Can't ask him, because he is no longer with us.

 

Those cable barrier things on the interstates scare the living shit out of me. If they had decided to put sharpened machetes hanging from piano wire every 25 ft along the median,or there were zombies that randomly ran out onto the interstate they could not have scared me more. I wont even ride over in that lane unless its to wheelie past grandma in her Buick quickly enough to get to freeway offramp and use the backroads.

 

Can I get a picture?

I do not know of what you speak, but my curiosity is killing me.....can one of you post a pic?

 

NU-CABLE High Tension Cable Barrier

 

That will leave a mark!

Yeah , that does not look to motorcycle friendly.

 

I am also an MSF Instructor, however I throw in "Instructor discretion" I tell the students at the beginning of the class that I don't care how much experience you have, that you will learn something, and that just becasue you may pass the written and or practical test doesn't mean that you are going to pass the course. I do evaluate students on attitude and learning ability. I tell them straight away that if I don't feel comfortable with them being on the road, then I won't issue them a card. I AM concerned about their safety! Being that 99% of my students are military like me, they don't have a problem with this, as they know I have the support of the Wing Commander.

 

I wonder if any of these highway safety studies will ever figure out that people need to actually be trained to use the vehicle they're operating?
We throw billions a year (guess on my part) at 'highway safety' to make roads and vehicles 'safer', but never add training requirements. 99.999% of drivers/riders have never recieved any real training, have no idea of the physics involved, and don't care because it's their God-given right to buy what they want for their 'image', (ie soccer mom 'needs' a Hummer, can't safely handle a Civic with 1/4 the mass), whenever, wherever and do whatever they want while driving.
To wit: one of my co-workers is all fired up this week because she got hit, while stationary at an intersection, by a woman on a cruiser who had made it under 10 miles from the dealer on her new cruiser before losing control at ~10mph in a turn and hitting a stationary car. Pathetic.

 

I am totally for a graduated type of licence, both for bikes and cagers. For starters, a focus for a car, and a 500 for a bike, or a certian HP rating. Should help, and if they find out that there was a cell phone involved, then that privledge is revoked for you. done. that's it, that's all folks. No cell phone for you, unless it is a hands free device.

Cell phones are to us what radios were to people of my grandparents generation, a possiable distraction. It's hard to imagine what cars would be without them, other than boring. Now we have DVD players, VCR's (lol) and game systems in cars for trips. I had to look out the window.....back to topic...

anyway, eventually something needs to be done about the texting while driving, but it's too easy any more to get distracted. Even driving while eating - is that a statistic somewhere? How many times have you slopped that burger all over you, dropped that french fry on our leg, or spilled that drink all over? People just don't pay attention, aren't looking out for the other guy (screw em, they have brakes on their car for a reason..)

 

One of my best friends loves BK Whoppers. But watching him eat one while driving while in Wash. DC was scary. I mean, you know how messy they are, right? It's a minor miracle I lived thru it.

 

What new laws that can be expected is speculation. Not until the fat lady sings. The Granddaddy of these studies is the "Hurt Report" from a study done in the greater LA Basin. Lots of bike there always. The major finding was that most dudes bought the farm because they rode AFU...(all fucked up)

Keep in mind that in 81 there weren't many mobile phones of any kind in vehicles. Some CB rigs but compared to today an almost zero if ya crunch the numbers.

To wit:





The "Hurt" Study

Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report, Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Traffic Safety Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, Contract No. DOT HS-5-01160, January 1981 (Final Report)



Note: There was a study of similar nature done in Europe of accidents over a 2 year period and published in September, 2004: It si called the MAIDS report. Click here to access a PDF file of the report. Lots of detail - and someday I will try to summarize it down - until then, look at the executive summary, and then dive into the details.



Note: Fatal Accident Analysis by NHTSA: NHTSA Motorcycle Fatalities: 1990-99 (Conclusions Pg 4 & More Detail Pg 35)

.

Another Note: Plans are underway to conduct a similar study in the US. Funding was/is included in the latest Highway funding bill. Use of the funding is tied to the Motocycle Industry and Community coming up with a level of matching funding. Visit the AMA site for details and to make a small donation - to make sure this tudy gets done!

The Hurt study, published in 1981, was a ground-breaking report on the causes and effects of motorcycle accidents. Although more than 15 years old at this time, the study still offers riders insight into the statistics regarding motorcycle accidents and tips on safer riding. With funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researcher Harry Hurt (from which the study gets its common name) of the University of Southern California, investigated almost every aspect of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, Hurt and his staff analyzed 3,600 motorcycle traffic accident reports in the same geographic area.

This is the same study that is frequently quoted in the MSF rider safety courses.

A complete non-summarized version of this document is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by ordering document number PB81-206443/LL. The cost is $84.00 each per document plus $5.00 handling per order. For more information, call the NTIS Sales Desk at 1-800-553-NTIS or 1-703-605-6000.



Summary of Findings
Throughout the accident and exposure data there are special observations which relate to accident and injury causation and characteristics of the motorcycle accidents studied. These findings are summarized as follows:

Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile.
Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.
Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.
In the single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slideout and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.
Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.
In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.
The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.
Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.
Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.
Weather is not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents.
Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.
The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.
Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.
Fuel system leaks and spills were present in 62% of the motorcycle accidents in the post-crash phase. This represents an undue hazard for fire.
The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.
The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead.
Conspicuity of the motorcycle is most critical for the frontal surfaces of the motorcycle and rider.
Vehicle defects related to accident causation are rare and likely to be due to deficient or defective maintenance.
Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly overrepresented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly underrepresented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycles riders are significantly overrepresented in the accident data.
Craftsmen, laborers, and students comprise most of the accident-involved motorcycle riders. Professionals, sales workers, and craftsmen are underrepresented and laborers, students and unemployed are overrepresented in the accidents.
Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are overrepresented in the accident data.
The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.
More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly underrepresented in the accident data.
Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident.
Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.
Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.
The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.
Passenger-carrying motorcycles are not overrepresented in the accident area.
The driver of the other vehicles involved in collision with the motorcycle are not distinguished from other accident populations except that the ages of 20 to 29, and beyond 65 are overrepresented. Also, these drivers are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles.
The large displacement motorcycles are underrepresented in accidents but they are associated with higher injury severity when involved in accidents.
Any effect of motorcycle color on accident involvement is not determinable from these data, but is expected to be insignificant because the frontal surfaces are most often presented to the other vehicle involved in the collision.
Motorcycles equipped with fairings and windshields are underrepresented in accidents, most likely because of the contribution to conspicuity and the association with more experienced and trained riders.
Motorcycle riders in these accidents were significantly without motorcycle license, without any license, or with license revoked.
Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely overrepresented in accidents.
The likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents-98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.
Half of the injuries to the somatic regions were to the ankle-foot, lower leg, knee, and thigh-upper leg.
Crash bars are not an effective injury countermeasure; the reduction of injury to the ankle-foot is balanced by increase of injury to the thigh-upper leg, knee, and lower leg.
The use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc., is effective in preventing or reducing abrasions and lacerations, which are frequent but rarely severe injuries.
Groin injuries were sustained by the motorcyclist in at least 13% of the accidents, which typified by multiple vehicle collision in frontal impact at higher than average speed.
Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.
Seventy-three percent of the accident-involved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision which delayed hazard detection.
Approximately 50% of the motorcycle riders in traffic were using safety helmets but only 40% of the accident-involved motorcycle riders were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.
Voluntary safety helmet use by those accident-involved motorcycle riders was lowest for untrained, uneducated, young motorcycle riders on hot days and short trips.
The most deadly injuries to the accident victims were injuries to the chest and head.
The use of the safety helmet is the single critical factor in the prevention of reduction of head injury; the safety helmet which complies with FMVSS 218 is a significantly effective injury countermeasure.
Safety helmet use caused no attenuation of critical traffic sounds, no limitation of precrash visual field, and no fatigue or loss of attention; no element of accident causation was related to helmet use.
FMVSS 218 provides a high level of protection in traffic accidents, and needs modification only to increase coverage at the back of the head and demonstrate impact protection of the front of full facial coverage helmets, and insure all adult sizes for traffic use are covered by the standard.
Helmeted riders and passengers showed significantly lower head and neck injury for all types of injury, at all levels of injury severity.
The increased coverage of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.
There is not liability for neck injury by wearing a safety helmet; helmeted riders had less neck injuries than unhelmeted riders. Only four minor injuries were attributable to helmet use, and in each case the helmet prevented possible critical or fatal head injury.
Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.
Valid motorcycle exposure data can be obtained only from collection at the traffic site. Motor vehicle or driver license data presents information which is completely unrelated to actual use.
Less than 10% of the motorcycle riders involved in these accidents had insurance of any kind to provide medical care or replace property.

 

I wonder what .gov will "find" to be the primary cause this time.

To be sure, it will be politically correct, and require more bureaus, agencies for the
additional regulation, and more taxes and fees to pay for all.

In our county, obtaining a drivers license is considered an "entitlement".

.gov says "OK, give a license to any mammal that applies, and passes a "test".

Require insurance for all car drivers, and mandate cars w/ lots of technology to protect the occupants as the cars bash into each other."

That should cover the costs of the carnage.

Not much technology like that available for motorcycles, but .gov will try
again anyway to mandate seat belts or air bags or some other silly things to provide the perception that
".gov fixed the dangerous motorcycle safety problems"
by passing these wonderful new laws.

I remember being AMAZED driving a motorcycle in all kinds of traffic in Spain for a couple of weeks.

Drivers were trained to look for motorcycles.
Drivers would move over and make a through-lane for us to pass.

Initially I would not use the lane that cars & trucks made, because I thought they would cut me off.

Some Austrian guy w/ us explained the courtesy protocol extended to motorcyclists and that these drivers had to pass regular tests to be licensed.

One time there were about 5 giant semi tractor-trailers in front of us.
I had been driving in country for about a week and had learned.
ALL of them moved over in the lane about a meter for us to pass.
I felt secure in trusting the drivers.

When I returned to the USA and started driving my motorcycle here, I was scared by what our drivers did.

I had become accustomed to sharing the road with trained, licensed professionals, and here it was like a vast motorized circus act on the highways.

Infractions in the USA just mean "pay the citation and drive on" to most of us, in Spain it is massive fines and/or prompt suspension of driving privileges.
(Might be that way in much of the rest of "yrp", not sure, have to go back and check it out)

Defective drivers are removed from the roads quickly.
Here there are very limited legal consequences for poor auto or motorcycle operating proficiency.

Our liberal courts don't even do much to people caught driving w/o a license.

The perps here where I live actually drive themselves to the court for the hearing/sentencing, and then drive themselves home after, not concerned with any consequences.


Never happen here, we are too free, only in a Socialist country could they get away with such strict regulation...hey, wait a minute....I get it now.......

 

Anecdotally I have seen many deaths in heavy traffic in the Bay Area this year. Not knowing the rider's skill level, I would tend to believe it was due to inattentive drivers and rider indiscretion.
I ride like everyone is trying to kill me. I do this because I learned very quickly that people just do not frickin' pay attention. I have also been known to pull bone head moves from time to time.

 

Ain't we all...


Motorcycle deaths drop, safety effort accelerates

By Trista Talton - Staff writer Marine Corps News, pay, benefits, careers, entertainment, photos - Marine Corps Times HOME
Posted : Monday Oct 12, 2009 17:56:34 EDT

Fewer Marines died in motorcycle wrecks during fiscal 2009 than in each of the last three years, an encouraging sign to be sure, but that relative success won’t stop the Corps from introducing more safety measures and oversight in the year ahead.

The 14 bike-related deaths during the last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, is down considerably from the Corps’ all-time high of 25 in 2008. Moreover, the number marks an improvement from 2007 and 2006, when 19 and 18 Marine motorcyclists, respectively, died while riding.

The drop coincides with a host of new mandates and programs designed to enforce and encourage safe driving habits, but Marine officials won’t attribute it to those efforts just yet.

“We’ve made progress, but we’ve got a long ways to go,” said Col. James Grace, the Corps’ safety division director.

To that end, Marine officials are rewriting the service’s Traffic Safety Program order, adding to it the latest Marine Administrative messages that address bike safety along with several codes that will give Marines who take mandatory bike courses, such as the Basic Riders Course, a surefire way to track the training they’ve received.

They also plan to roll out a public service announcement created by the makers of Semper Ride, an hour-long action-packed video featuring highly skilled riders covering a variety of safe riding practices. The film premiered June 25 at Camp Lejeune, N.C., as part of an event that included live motorcycle stunts. In all, 22,000 Marines attended showings at bases throughout North and South Carolina, and Assistant Commandant Gen. James Amos, who heads the Executive Safety Board, has instructed all installations that have not hosted a Semper Ride event to do so this year.

“All of them will entail a showing of the movie and at least one of the athletes in the movie either jumping or stunting and talking to the Marines and sailors,” Grace said.

Soon, too, the Corps will launch Semperride.com, which will allow Marines to connect with riders who participated in the video. The Web site, set to launch in October, will include blogs with discussion topics ranging from maintenance to personal protective equipment.

Additionally, Amos is extending “track days,” another popular program that gives riders a chance to practice skills such as turning and braking on a closed course, usually an airstrip, with professional coaches on hand to answer questions and make suggestions. The Corps is contracting with California Superbike School to standardize the curriculum, which will be held at 12 locations throughout the service, Grace said.

“We want it to be an outlet for fun,” he said.

The Corps’ new safety initiatives have in fact relaxed some rules as well. Last year, for instance, officials stopped requiring riders to wear reflective vests, a move that has been popular with Marines, and they recently began offering discount vouchers to anyone who completes required riding courses. Those may be used at base exchanges to purchase helmets, gloves, riding jackets and other protective gear.

At one time, officials considered making protective jackets mandatory, but Grace said that won’t happen. Instead, the Corps’ only guidance on the matter is that jackets are “highly encouraged,” he said.

“We think we’re reaching [riders],” Grace said. “We’re getting feedback from them that we’re doing the right thing. Obviously, the trend downward is good, but really, the answer will be [next year]. That is when we can start pinpointing whether or not this is a blip.”

 

Since I'm in the civilan world I can't say "no" if they pass the skills test and riding test.

You sir, have a very nice option to deny someone with crap attitude and a superior back it up.

BZ

 

I will say that's one advantage to being in the military, the power of a Commander's backing. Although I will go on record and say that not all Commanders are supportive. One of our previous Wing Commanders said that if he had the choice/option, he'd ban motorcycles for active duty people. Our current Wing Commander is a former cop, and although he doesn't necessarily like motorcyclists, as he has said that he has scraped too many of them off the road, he still hopes that proper training can and will prevent some of these accidents from happening. I'll admit, sometimes I ride like a nutter, however I save it for the track, as there are plenty nearby, and track time here isn't too expensive. It's funny, the more track time I do, the slower I am on the road.

 

I ride EVERYDAY to & from work and always see people in their death boxes, texting, talking on cell phones (despite our new law against it), doing hair, makeup and countless other stupid thing so I'm always on the look out. Yet I still ride because I refuse to let someone else's stupidity take away my right to enjoy the road. I know, out there somewhere, there is a car with my name on it (thought i met it last week ) but we all have that appointment and although I hopes it's not for another 90yrs, if it comes on 2 wheels, at least I know I went out happy:thumbsup:

 

It would seem that the minimum to come out the study would be to mandate helmets nationwide--no brainer.

 

I guarantee that is what will happen.

Except for a few holdout States that have never had the law in the first place, all others will revert back to their prior helmet laws.

BZ

 

It is my God given right not to wear a helmet. As proud member of A Brotherhood of some thing about totalling a bike or something like that, we all know that the only reason we have to wear them is because of the Japs, Koreans and those sneaky Italians can sell us helmets.

Besides all my friends, have hard heads and we like to to think that if we squash our melons and drool in our porridge for the next 40 years, our wonderful lawyer who BTW, is a lawyer who rides will collect his 40% of the contingency fee.

Buncha pussies!

Praise the Lord.

 

Buuuuwaaaaaahahahahahaha!