What is the biggest of cause of motorcycle accident?

[JetSwing]

i search the web for motorcycle related news on a daily bases. i see at least one motorcycle related fatality a day. and i notice that the most of times it's single bike accidents resulting from operator error, agressive riding, etc...

so...what do you think is the biggest cause of motorcycle accidents (not just deaths)?

i tend to think that most of the accidents can be avoided if you ride smart.

[scratch]

You are correct, sir! Most accidents can be avoided by training, knowledge, practice, skill, observation, experience, prediction, intuition, control, self-control and good judgement.

[Roadstergal]

The Hurt Report said that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by a car violating a motorcycle's right-of-way.

Which is not to say that they can't be avoided by training, knowledge, practice, skill, observation, experience, prediction, intuition, control, self-control and good judgement.

[pantablo]

The Hurt Report said that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by a car violating a motorcycle's right-of-way.
.

yep-car turning left in front of a motorcycles path is most common accident. I'd guess single vehicle would be second (ie, losing it in a turn).

[pandy]

First place: Srinath (I blame him for everything, so why not this).

Second place: crazy noobiez

Second place: crazy cagerz

Third place: crazy cagerz and noobiez

Fourth place: JetSwing

I tend to believe that *most* accidents can be avoided by riding smart; unfortunately, there will always be that percentage of crazy cagerz that whack us when there's not a whole lot we can do to protect ourselves.  :dunno:

(P.S. I don't really blame noobies, as long as they take the time to get themselves trained properly and get a lot of safe practice in!   )

[JetSwing]

The Hurt Report said that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by a car violating a motorcycle's right-of-way.

Which is not to say that they can't be avoided by training, knowledge, practice, skill, observation, experience, prediction, intuition, control, self-control and good judgement.

is it true that the hurt report was published in 1981? if so, i don't think it would honestly represent today's statistics.

[Roadstergal]

No, but we don't have anything better.

Yet.

And I doubt cagers have changed for the better.

[JetSwing]

but the demographic for motorcycle riders have changed vastly.

one of the question in msf written test were: "what's the biggest factor in motorcycle accident?" the correct answer was "turn or curve on the road". i'm pretty sure "intersection" was one of the choices.

[Roadstergal]

Was the question "what is the biggest factor in solo motorcycle accidents?"

In the course I took, they talked about right-of-way violation, then alcohol (although they did not cite the source, they referenced that as one of the most significant factors in solo motorcycle accidents - I'm assuming also from Hurt).  If there's more current data that has a cohort that's so statistically significant, I'm all ears.

[JetSwing]

i don't think it mentioned "solo"...this question was the only one i had gotten wrong. i think i chose "rainy weather/wet road". i remember being confused because i didn't think there were any clear cut answer.

[makenzie71]

Inexperience and stupidity.  No other causes.

[scratch]

Which makes me wonder why the 'crazy cager' option has six votes and Rider Error only 5? I mean aren't we talking about single vehicle accidents? Where the bike is crashed without another vehicle in sight (because the rider misjudged the turn?

[Badger]

The Hurt Report said that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by a car violating a motorcycle's right-of-way.

Which is not to say that they can't be avoided by training, knowledge, practice, skill, observation, experience, prediction, intuition, control, self-control and good judgement.

I was always told that right-of-way is not something you take...it's something you give.  :dunno:  Seems to keep me out of a lot of trouble.

[Jeff P]

The Hurt Report says just under 50% of accidents are caused by crazy cagers ie cars violating the motorcycle's right of way.  "The most frequent" (no % given) accident of this type is the dreaded "left turner".  

~17% are the rider just losing control and wiping out.  

As scratch said, even in accidents were it's technically "the other guy's fault", there's often a chance for the rider to avoid or at least mitigate the accident.

jeff

[Ed_in_Az]

 

[Cal Price]

Hi Ed, nice to see you in print again

Probably the biggest SINGLE cause is the four-wheeler turning accross the m/C, in your case the left-turner (right turner in mine) but taking everything into account it has to be rider error. So many of us seem to forget our vulnerability. We need to think for the motorists who clearly can't or won't think for themselves, like Ed says less fun but a longer life.

I think we have to go back about five years in this country for a bike-on-bike fatal crash, then about twelve years prior to that. Some people say that this is evidence the the crashes are caused by others but on the other hand most fatal bike crashes involve no-one else, makes you think.

Training-practice-training-practice....

[Stephen072774]

i used to think my greatest chance of going down was of my own doing, single vehicle lowside or something like that...  but after i was involved in an accident where a vehicle ran a stop sign, my opinion changed.  If your a mature rider and not acting squidly its the other guy you gotta look out for...

[Ed_in_Az]

 

[Jeff P]

I must however disagree with the prevailing mantra of saying it's the rider's fault, regardless of the circumstances. We are the most vulnerable of vehicles, but that does not make us liable. We are no more liable for the dreaded left turn accident than a gunshot victim is for being in line with the bullet.

Can you say "strawman"?   :lol:  I see a lot of "mosts" and "oftens" but no "regardless of circumstances".  Well mackenzie said they're all from stupidity and inexperience, but if we include car drivers among the stupid and inexperienced then he's correct  :lol:

Pretty much every safe riding strategy is predicated on the MSF stuff like the ladder of risk, risk chain, etc.  Like I said, even when it's the other guy's fault, oftentimes there were opportunties prior to the accident where the rider could have prevented it from happening.  There is a huge difference between being liable for something and having missed an opportunity to avoid it.  Sometimes there isn't, the one you had or getting t-boned at an intersection are good examples where there's probably not much that could be done, but lots of other times there is.  

jeff

[Ed_in_Az]