10 things learned from the Virginia Tech Bike Crash Study
by Joseph Coelho

 

Doesn't take Virginia Tech to learn what is already known.

 

Wonder what that study cost.

 

The only "surprise" for me was the number of incidents in only 300k miles. A very high number! Ron

 

When did you learn that riding in urban area is safer then riding country roads? Or that one of the more frequent accidents is bikes rear ending another vehicle?

 

Also not a surprise that no mention was made about distracted Cage Drivers causing collisions.
This reads like it was written by someone in a Volvo texting while driving in the left lane on an interstate at 5 mph under the limit.

 

Did you not read number 3, sideswipes?


"it is likely that the motorcyclists were in the blind spots of the cars"

 

I found this statistic surprising.

2. Bikes Rear-Ending Cars
One of the more surprising findings of the study is that motorcyclists rear-ending other vehicles was the most frequent accident involving another vehicle, at 35 of the 156 total incidents recorded.

All the bitching we do about distracted drivers yet the most common accident involving a bike and other vehicle is probably the riders fault.

 

I wonder if they would have added an 11th if the study was done here in the Cannabis state of Colorado...

 

1. Cars seem to run these uncontrolled intersections a lot. But what they did not say was running a stop sign. Everyday, I see not even rolling stops, just a glance while powering through. I can see why this was ranked first. It has nothing to do with motorcycles as all vehicles are equally ignored. Urban residential, suburban here are worse than rural. The worst times seem to be the most dangerous, commute hours and dusk and dawn, and close to home. I see it every morning.
2. This surprises me. I watch cars race up behind me all the time when stopped for a light or stop sign. I always watch the rear view mirror and I remain ready to pull up or over. I have not seen a motorcycle rear end a car. Here I think it may be the slow or stopped car on the hwy, not at a light or stop sign. Car slows down for injured bird, water on the road, dropped makeup kit,Other might be a slow car hidden by normal traffic? But I don't see how a motorcycle rider would not be aware of that long before they get close.
3. Pulling into your lane. Wow, for me this could be number 1. Seems many cars do not use blinkers as it will inform other drivers of their intentions, so they pull over, maybe hitting the blinker as they change lanes. Texting drivers just add to this, but usually they are the slow car causing the rear enders listed in number 2.
4. I do not get rural. Must not be a tourers statistic. Maybe entering a decreasing curve too hot, then again I watch the videos of the dragon and other famous roads and see people riding straight off into the brush all the time. Usually for simple basic countersteering mistakes, like braking in the curve, of steering not countersteering in a panic, of getting off the gas instead of adding throttle. Maybe fatigue enters into play here. I do know that after riding 6-8 hours on rural mountain roads, I have to be aware not to get lazy or tired in the next series of decreasing curves.
4. Gravel is my worse nightmare. We all know after icy conditions that there is gravel on the road, we all know that in areas cut into banks and cliffs, that rock and gravel may be common, we all know in curvy areas where trucks and RVs towing trailers, that they can throw gravel on the curves, but sometimes, there is gravel on it has no rational reason for being there. Wet leaves, water over the road, oil or fluid leaks just happen. We learn to leave ourselves just enough room to dodge anything short of a landslide.
6. Pot holes, steel grates, painted lines, okay, what next. Learn to look next to the hole, not at the hole.
7. I don't get the downhill issue. My touring Harley goes just as well uphill as down. What am I missing here?
8. Three times, always in front of friends. Once in gravel, once washing the bike and once when I put it back down on the kickstand right after we decided to head out and I had kicked my stand up. That got the most laughs. It is also why I like hwy bars and saddle bag bars. The only scratch was on my pride.