Don't Drink and Ride

[Jono]

http://rideapart.com/2013/05/what-th...rcycle-safety/

The Department of Transport has this month just issued its latest findings on motorcycles deaths and related injuries in the U.S. and all in all it makes pretty depressing reading.

Figures and research come from the DoT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has been tracking this information since 1982 and its latest report for 2011 shows that 4,612 motorcyclists died that year in the U.S. This according to NHTSA is a 2% increase in rider fatalities over 2010.

That overall figure of 4,612 deaths also includes other types of bikes (scooters, three wheelers, mopeds, mini bikes, pocket bikes and off roaders) so the actual two-wheel motorcycle fatality number for 2011 is 4323.

What’s not clear in NHTSA’s findings is if the number of motorcycle riders actually grew too from 2010 to 2011. A total of 8,009,503 ‘motorcycles’ (including scooters, trikes etc) were registered in 2010 but this increased by nearly 5% in 2011 to 8,437,502.

The good news from the report, if you can call it that, was that injuries from crashes involving motorcycles were down in 2011 with 81,000 recorded compared to 82,000 the previous year.

Motorcycles apparently made up 3% of all registered road vehicles in the U.S. for 2011 with NHTSA including everything on two-wheels and three-wheels in this category. But 4,323 (94%) of 4,612 fatal bike crashes in 2011 were riders of two-wheeled motorcycles.

According to the findings 2,449 (49%) of all fatal motorcycle crashes were the result of a bike colliding with another vehicle. Only 6% of deaths in 2011 were due to a bike being hit from behind.

More than 42% (1,998) of motorcyclists in 2011 were killed in two vehicle accident and 38% (757) of these were the result of another vehicle turning left in front of the motorcycle that was either going straight, passing or overtaking another vehicle.

NHTSA claims that of all motorcycle deaths in 2011, 35% (1,614) were the direct result of the rider speeding. This according to its research and data is a substantially higher death toll than any other vehicle type on the roads – 22% for cars, 19 % for trucks and 8% for large trucks.

Plus, based upon the average number of miles traveled by every type of vehicle on the road, in 2011 as a rider you were 30 times more likely than a passenger car occupant to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and five times more likely to be injured while out riding a motorcycle.

Riders of bikes with 501-1000cc engines accounted for 39% of all 2011 fatalities and also represented the highest increase of overall fatalities (25%) from when NHTSA first started recording this information in 2002.

Older motorcyclists (40 years and up) account for 75% of all motorcyclists’ deaths over this 10-year period with 42-years-old now the average age of a motorcycle rider killed on the U.S. roads in a traffic crash.

However, 22% of riders involved in fatal crashes in 2011 did not have a valid motorcycle license and were 1.4 times more likely than a car driver to have a previous license suspension or revocation.

The really scary part of all these statistics is that 42% of motorcycle riders who died in single vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2011 had blood alcohol levels (BAC) of 0.8g/dL or higher. The 40-44 year-old age group accounted for 38% of these deaths, while the 45-49 and 35-39 age groups were each at 37%.

NHTSA figures also show that in 2011, motorcycles riders killed at night were nearly three times more likely to have BAC levels of 0.8 g/dL or higher than riders who were kill during the day.

Across the U.S. in 2011, Texas had the most motorcycle fatalities with 441 riders killed and 37% of these had 0.8g/Dl BAC readings or higher. Florida was second with 426 riders killed and 34% impaired by drinking and riding and California third with 386 of which 22% of riders who died were under the influence of alcohol.

Mississippi and Ohio may have had fewer rider deaths in 2011 at 53 and 157 respectively, but both states had the national highest percentage of alcohol-impaired deaths at 40% of all motorcycle fatalities. (Vermont was actually higher at 63% but with only eight riders killed in 2011).

NHTSA’s figures also show that in 2011 of the 4000 plus motorcycle riders killed on the roads in the U.S. 40% were not wearing a helmet. And based upon all 2011 motorcycle crash information NHTSA estimates that 1,617 lives of riders were saved by wearing a helmet and a further 703 may have survived if they had been wearing a helmet. This data makes no distinction between types of helmets (full or open face).

There can be no doubting the depth of NHTSA’s 2011 research on motorcycle deaths and injuries. Some of it can be a little confusing and there are a lot of numbers and percentages to wade through but if you are prepared to read through it you can eventually work out the most dangerous day to be riding a motorcycle in any state in the U.S.

However, the staggering number in all of NHTSA’s research is that of the 4,323 motorcyclists killed in 2011, 33% (1426) of the riders were under the influence of alcohol. That’s almost 1 in 3 fatal motorcycle accidents attributed to drinking and riding.

Ride safe people.

[ninjamunky85]

I once had one of my buddies who ride a VTX 1800 tell me that his limit when he was riding was 8 beers. I was shocked. When I hear of a single vehicle accident involving a cruiser late at night alcohol is the first thing I think of as the cause.

I'm 100% with Jono on this one. Don't do it....period. Save the drinks for after the ride, it's worth it. Plus they taste better after a good day of riding.

[ninjamunky85]

After reading this more closely, I see that Ohio has a low number of fatal accidents but the highest percentage of alcohol related accidents.

Way to represent the buckeye state.

[JELY1990]

81,000 injuries and 8,437,502 registered motorcycles so less than 1% of motorcyclists are injured. 4,323 out of 8,437,502 registered so 0.05% chance of getting killed.
Every time I go on youtube and see all the crash compilations it makes me think I'm going to ride down the street and get hit by a car at least three times lol. However, I wonder how many of those registered motorcycles are just sitting in the garage or only go a few thousand miles a year and skew the statistics.

[broilmebk]

The really scary part of all these statistics is that 42% of motorcycle riders who died in single vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2011 had blood alcohol levels (BAC) of 0.8g/dL or higher. The 40-44 year-old age group accounted for 38% of these deaths, while the 45-49 and 35-39 age groups were each at 37%.

Those percentages add up to 112% No data for <35? I would have thought the younger ones would be more careless.
And seriously? 40% of killed riders were wearing no helmet?? Even if it's not illegal in whatever state, you deserve to be fatally injured if you're riding without one. Sorry for sounding like a dick.

[crazymadbastard]

I was reflecting about alchohol the other day, I had some wine -like 3 glassess felt a little buzz was chopping some garlic and nipped my thumb. I then thought what if i made a silly mistake on a bike. Not drinking ever for sure while/before a ride. EVER!!
Also speeding- big no no on the streets. Highway more visibility and stay within reason of the limit...

[BRad704]

Originally Posted by broilmebk

And seriously? 40% of killed riders were wearing no helmet??.

This was my biggest take-away from the article.

As for drinking... I'll have 1 beer if I'm riding alone. Zero if my gf is riding pillion.

[crazymadbastard]

ok statiscians, so if wear my helmet, dont drink and stay within speed limits what are my odds of never ending in a ditch - or worse...

[Vampyre]

Originally Posted by broilmebk

Those percentages add up to 112% No data for <35? I would have thought the younger ones would be more careless.
And seriously? 40% of killed riders were wearing no helmet?? Even if it's not illegal in whatever state, you deserve to be fatally injured if you're riding without one. Sorry for sounding like a dick.

The percentages aren't supposed to add up to 100. They can overlap. Of the 40% without helmet some could also be in the 39% that have 501cc-1001cc bikes and so forth

[fishdip]

Originally Posted by broilmebk

Those percentages add up to 112% No data for <35? I would have thought the younger ones would be more careless.
And seriously? 40% of killed riders were wearing no helmet?? Even if it's not illegal in whatever state, you deserve to be fatally injured if you're riding without one. Sorry for sounding like a dick.

No u just sound like a pussy

[hirubhaiambani]

My solution: Dont drink at all.

[eyeheartny]

It felt like the takeaways from that article were the same things we've known: don't drink and ride (like the thread is titled), be ultra-vigilant about people turning left across you, don't speed, wear a helmet.

This troubled me:
"More than 42% (1,998) of motorcyclists in 2011 were killed in two vehicle accident and 38% (757) of these were the result of another vehicle turning left in front of the motorcycle that was either going straight, passing or overtaking another vehicle."

Does this mean that a potentially significant portion of these accidents occurred when cars turned left across motorcyclists who were passing cars? If so, it seems like avoiding overtaking (if possible) when there is potential cross-traffic /left-turners would be good?

Lots to digest here, and at the same time, no surprises.

[broilmebk]

Originally Posted by Vampyre

The percentages aren't supposed to add up to 100. They can overlap. Of the 40% without helmet some could also be in the 39% that have 501cc-1001cc bikes and so forth

How can they overlap if they're broken down into separate age groups? These age groups are solely for the 42% of people that died with high BAC.

[THE BIG SITT]

Hmmph...

[jodag]

I think I remember an MSF instructor tell me not to drink and ride, and if you were going to, at the very least wait 1 hour after the first drink, 2 hours after the 2nd drink and i think it went up from there, like 4 hours after the 3rd drink?

[Aggrotech]

this isnt surprising at all.

i dont understand people who drink, Alcohol tastes absolutely horrid. Not only that, but it ****s you up to the point where you have to watch wtf youre doing and if you dont, you're going to get in big trouble..why would anyone purposely put themselves in that position i'll never understand. I dont really talk to people who drink, definitely dont hang out with people who drink and i'll never ride with anyone who drinks.

to me its the dumbest thing anyone can do tbh.

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by fishdip

No u just sound like a pussy

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Aggrotech

this isnt surprising at all.

i dont understand people who drink, Alcohol tastes absolutely horrid. Not only that, but it ****s you up to the point where you have to watch wtf youre doing and if you dont, you're going to get in big trouble..why would anyone purposely put themselves in that position i'll never understand. I dont really talk to people who drink, definitely dont hang out with people who drink and i'll never ride with anyone who drinks.

to me its the dumbest thing anyone can do tbh.

Swhy I do meth instead.

[Vampyre]

Originally Posted by broilmebk

How can they overlap if they're broken down into separate age groups? These age groups are solely for the 42% of people that died with high BAC.

You're still wrong. Of the 42% of all deaths that had alcohol, 38% of the 42% were one age group and 37% of the 42% were the other. The other 25% of the 42% would be the surrounding age groups. Still, none of the statistics in the article are put in a format where they should add up to 100%

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by Vampyre

You're still wrong. Of the 42% of all deaths that had alcohol, 38% of the 42% were one age group and 37% of the 42% were the other. The other 25% of the 42% would be the surrounding age groups. Still, none of the statistics in the article are put in a format where they should add up to 100%

[THE BIG SITT]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Swhy I do meth instead.

I read the comment before reading who posted it. I instantly thought "Jiggles".

[broilmebk]

Originally Posted by Vampyre

You're still wrong. Of the 42% of all deaths that had alcohol, 38% of the 42% were one age group and 37% of the 42% were the other. The other 25% of the 42% would be the surrounding age groups. Still, none of the statistics in the article are put in a format where they should add up to 100%

I wasn't concerned with the other %s because this is the one that stood out as actually having to add up to 100. That being said, if they can't get these correct, how can I trust any of the other %s.
Of the 42% dead, 38% of them were one age group, and then it says two more age groups were each 37% of the 42%. Must just be the wording
At any rate, all of the numbers/percentages are a lot higher than they need to be.