How can we re-educate motorcyclists?

Question

It is very difficult to get across to motorcyclists that their agresive driving manner is the main cause of accidents involving them. It is a well known fact that whereas 80% of car drivers are what you would call good drivers and 20% poor, with motorcyclists the reverse is true, 80% are poor and at best 20% good. How can the 80% be taught to dive as if there are others on the road, buying a high performance bike gives the owner no priveleges regarding speed etc? They seem to be determined to ride into oblivion then blame car drivers. I used to ride a bike, (a Honda 90) but it was so boring, uncomfortable and noisy. Come on you bikers, try to improve and live a little longer, not to mention the number of cars which will be undamaged!

Sorry, should be 'taught to drive', not 'dive', although........

Why is a Fireblade a 'real' bike? Because it is fast. Only reason. I rest my case.

Answer 1

the way i see it, it goes both ways; both cage and bike. it wasnt so long ago that dam near anyone could take and pass a written test not much longer than that of a standard cage, and that would instantly 'qualify' him/her to take control of a 70,000 pound, 18 wheeler. that changed back around '81 or '82.....now to take control of a 18 wheeler, u gotta know yer chit; even more so than either a cage or a bike. only the best gets to drive professionally.

too bad the test(s) to drive either a cage or a bike in the states wasnt substantially tougher. i'd be all for tougher on-cycle tests....and to be made manditory. lid laws i aint touchin, but being in total control of the bike is something that needs proved more than just a small section of manuvers in a parking lot. they need to be real world type.
there's no need to have a bike that will go up to 180 mph. or 1 that will crank from 0-60 in 3 seconds or less. bikes like this makes it too easy for a rookie to get themselves killed, and that makes it bad for the sane riders.

actually, stiffer enforcement would work better. if caught going at 150 on a bike, u automatically lose the bike(forfeited), mc license for not less than a year, and at least a 6 month tour in the pen would scuffice. stunting on the street.....i'd move this up to be on par with standard reckless operation and take the bike for at least 6 months. bikers need to show more responsibility, and every year, i see those that look to be on the fast track to the graveyard. 9 out of 10 of these are on rockets.

Answer 2

An awful lot of the bikers on here are misinformed - but you are also. Kindly tell us where your figures come from.

The latest motorcycle safety study was done by Team Oregon, a US motorcycle safety and training organization. They conducted this study based on the fact that motorcycle accidents in the US have been steadily increasing since 1995. Study carefully, bikers - you may not like these facts!

They found that 88% of motorcycle accidents were the fault of the RIDER - NOT a car. Cars ignoring bikes (left turns, etc.) can therefore be no more than 12% of the accidents, so get over that old saw already! In addition, 60% of the accidents were single vehicle, meaning that there was no car involved.

The Hurt report is over 30 years old. Many things have changed on the road in this time! Bikes are more powerful now, more agile, have mandatory lighting, are louder (unforturnately), and overall inspire more confidence in the rider than they did back then. This often translates into speeding and reckless behavior. Mandatory and better training is the answer.

Trying to ride safely does mean that you need to travel at a speed slightly faster than the traffic around you. This is so you do not linger in any blind spots. I try to keep that within 5mph of surrounding traffic. I have been riding for almost 25 years, and have experienced maybe 2 times that a car didn't see me - far more in my truck during the same time period!

Answer 3

You have some vague points, but they are supported by spurious 'facts'.

More motorcyclists than ever are taking rider safety courses. Less fatalities are happening (although the number increased very slightly in the last year in the US) now than ever before. Bikes are safer and better handling than ever before. Gear is safer and more comfortable.

Car drivers appear more safe because they have four wheels and a cage. A car can basically drive itself - the nut behind the wheel can eat, talk on the phone, play with the radio, do whatever, and the car usually stays on the road - or at least on four wheels.

A motorcyclist is required to keep the bike upright. Without the rider, a bike cannot operate.

Simply being able to get down the road on a motorcycle and turn a corner takes more skill than most car drivers have after years of experience behind the wheel.

Yes, there will always be safe drivers and unsafe drivers - as there will always be safe riders and unsafe riders.

Fortunately for you, the unsafe RIDERS will usually only harm themselves. Unsafe DRIVERS can and will harm others.

I am sorry that your entire experience with motorcycling was on a scooter-sized bike, with improper gear. If you were to try again on a larger bike, with proper gear, your thoughts on the subject might change. Then again, folks who have these types of fears don't usually make good riders.

Answer 4

Like always, people only remember the negative things and not the positive ones. You probably saw a couple of riders acting irresponsibley over the weekend and this is what has provoked this question. But for the two or three irresponsible riders you witnessed, you probably saw at least 15 or 20 motorcyclists riding completely within the rules of the road. Those riders blended into the other traffic and were either not noticed or quickly forgotten.

There is no need what so ever for re-education of motorcyclists. Most riders fully understand the disadvantage they have of sharing the road with much larger vehicles and drive defensively and responsibly 100% of the time.

Of course there will always be a small percentage that do not understand and act irresponsibly. Those are the ones that people remember. There is always a percentage involved with any activity that think they are above the rules. But that does not mean the vast majority of the participants should be penalized for their actions. Lets keep things in perspective.

Answer 5

Ray you are a bigot and a ****. 80% of accidents involving bikes are the fault of CAR DRIVERS!

ALL drivers need educating to respect the needs of other types of motorist. And a Honda 90 is not a proper bike Ray, it does not handle,brake or go anything like a motorbike...it is nothing more than a trumped up scooter. A 125cc motorcycle would have given you a better understanding.

I have all obtainable UK licenses including permits to transport and handle explosives/chemicals I am arguably one of the best trained road drivers out there. I also train other drivers and riders in my spare time. Do you lot have any idea about the effort it takes to even get a LGV C+E license?

Do you lot realise that when we are on test we are already quite accomplished and highly trained?

But of course there is good and bad in every job or every stride of life. There are bad policemen and good policemen, bent Judges and straight judges, pedo Vicars and normal human vicars.............Ray my blinkered friend there will always be good and bad drivers, motorcyclists, horse riders and car drivers it is the way of the world and no amount of re educating can cure that. People have lost sight of the fact that your license is a PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT.
Take the blinkers off Ray and see the bigger picture please...........Before i get started on old men towing caravans in the middle lane at 48mph!

Answer 6

you need to get a grip mate, riding a Honda 90 does not make you a past biker just a car driver who had a Honda 90,
isn't it funny how all the statistics show that the majority of motorcycle crashes are caused by CAR drivers,

you have not got a clue have you about the damage a middle size motorcycle will do to a car its a chunk of metal propeld by an engine JUST LIKE A MISILE,it can go right into a car even with side impact bars they are a joke seen many bikes where the driver & passenger were once yes the motorcycle rider was dead as well but so were the fools who thought they would not get hurt,wrong.
the motorcycle rider has more chance of beeing thrown clear at speed as long as the bike does not get him,
look at race track crashes they walk away most times.

gues you see a lot of crashes in your rear view mirror,

buy the way motorcycle riders get more & better training than car drivers in the uk ,

Answer 7

First of all, you cannot claim to be a biker having ridden just a C90. (My BMX with a coke can on the back wheel has more power). Did it come with a free Dominoes Pizza box on the back? If so, I`ll have a large meat feast, ta. I`m not sure of the statistics for accidents involving motorcycles SO I WON`T QUOTE THEM, But I know that most bike accidents are caused by other road users not paying attention. The fact that bikers are so vulnerable ensures that the majority of riders are very careful when riding to safeguard their own well being.
I agree that there may be a few who ride too aggressively, but don`t tarnish us all with the same brush... There are 5 hairy-arsed bikers in this room with me who would beg to differ!!!!
Maybe you should take a ride with a proper sensible biker and see for yourself how the majority ride safely...you might even enjoy yourself.

Answer 8

There are just as many reckless motorcyclists as there are unnatentive car drivers. Driving their car while talking on their cell phone and changing cd's.
Yes, there are some riders that are irresponsible, just as there are many drivers as well.
Since you seem to like using random (probably made up) statistics, here are some that are true (research it if interested)
-most motorcycle accidents are single vehicle accidents, no car involoved therefore no need to be upset about how many cars are "undamaged"
-The most common cause of death for motorcyclists when involved in an accident with another vehicle is in situations where the rider is going straight and the car driver turns out in front of their path (failure to yield right of way).
Get your facts straight first, then post a question....

Answer 9

the ultimate re-educator of a rider is the road. its the harshest teacher anyone will ever face, and it cuts no slack when it comes to dishing out severe punishment. punishment that wouldnt happen if those that ride were to stay 100% focused at all times, expecting the unexpected, and to keep the 95% throttle speeds where it belongs.....on a track. seldom will the road forgive a high speed mistake. a rider that winds up sliding into 1 of those lethal wire-rope barriers winds up being cut in half; these ropes are capable of stopping a run-away semi from crossing the median and causing a catastrophic pileup.
every year, the dragon dishes out punishment to the unwary fools that act as if its a race track....the tree of pain is its monument. the mountain also claims its share of lives every year all from stupidity. the cheroloa skyway is another dangerous streach that claims a life; usually they're not local to the road, and find out the hard way why locals spraypaint on the road close to a curve on mile marker 10 'SLOW DOWN'. those who miss this curve meets 1 of 2 deadly fates: 1 is, they plow hard into the mountain's rock face. the other, they get cut in half by a lethal guard rail that has claimed alot of lives.

daily almost, lurking around, 1 of the most common question is....what's the best sport bike for a beginner. and those that beg the guy to start small get thumbs down, and those suggesting getting a gsxr-xxx or 1 of those race replica's get thumbs up.......knowing that a rookie cant handle a machine like that. and dont even get me started on those that clearly cant see a good answer givin, and pick the most insane 1 out of the bunch.

i doubt anything that rider's edge or msf guys try to teach newbies will make much of a difference....as long as idiots at the dealer keep selling high powered rockets to rookies, the road will take over and teach a rookie in its school thru a hell of alot of pain. if they live thru it, they seldom make the same mistake twice.

Answer 10

The problem is that ANYBODY can buy a motorcycle... There's no idiot test... (the same holds true to cars)
I don't totally agree that so many bikers ride poorly, but there should be some standard...
What about a youngster in a 'Vette or Mustang? Same standards?
Maybe everyone should start out in a '72 Buick until they get the hang of driving a car...
Ya see my point?
ALL motor vehicle operators need good driving habits, courtesy, and patience, be they 4 wheeled or 2...
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Bikes are smaller and harder to see, so bikers should stay out of a car's blind spot... If you can see the driver's eyes in a mirror of his car, he SHOULD be able to see you...
It's common sense...
Scooters, cars, trucks... To each his own.
Just remember that 'stupid' comes in many wrappers...