Proficient Motorcycling - David L. Hough

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advice to just half an hour. Apparently, riders taught by friends or family were about one-third more likely to crash than those who taught themselves. But the smart ones who took a rider training class were half as likely to crash as we do-it-yourself types. Note that the Hurt Report took place at just about the same time as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation came into existence. Obviously, a higher percentage of riders have received professional training since 1980, and training coincides with that gradual reduction in fatalities between 1980 and 1997. Unfortunately, motorcycle rider training philosophy changed around 2000, reducing most courses to “minimum national standards” and coordinating training with what the Motorcycle Safety Foundation calls “improved motorcyclist licensing programs.” Is it just a coincidence that fatalities have been increasing since training was reduced to the minimum standard? I honestly believe that rider training helps a new rider get a head start on riding skills, but I’d prefer to see more comprehensive courses available, to give new or returning riders more knowledge about such things as riding in traffic, cornering control, and negotiating surface hazards.

       Alcohol

      It isn’t a popular subject to discuss at motorcycle rallies or biker bars, but apparently too many motorcyclists have a serious problem with alcohol. There seems to be a direct link between alcohol and fatal motorcycle crashes. In the Hurt report, 41 percent of riders who didn’t survive the crash had some alcohol or drug involvement. That trend continues today.

      We’re not talking about an innocently sober rider getting whacked by a drunk driver; we’re talking about a motorcyclist riding while under the influence and crashing the bike into something. Since blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) is something that can be measured after a fatal crash, we have more and better statistics that point out the seriousness of riding under the influence. The Insurance Information Institute reports the following for drivers and riders by blood alcohol concentration and vehicle type, for years 2000 through 2004:

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      Those numbers are embarrassing proof that motorcyclists abuse alcohol more than other road users do. In round numbers, roughly half of all motorcycle fatalities involve a rider under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Somewhere around 10 percent of motorcyclists involved in crashes had been drinking, but drinking riders represent over 40 percent of all motorcycle fatalities. According to NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts for 2004, in fatal crashes, a higher percentage of motorcycle operators had BAC levels of 0.08 g/dL or higher than did any other type of driver.

      One big reason why a motorcycle crash turns out to be fatal is speed. The greater the speed, the more traumatic the injuries when the crash happens. Apparently, riders who have alcohol in the brain are much more likely to ride faster than they would while sober. What’s the message in all this? Well, the bottom line is that if you allow yourself to ride a motorcycle after drinking, even after just a few beers, you’re really hanging it out.

       Rider Age

      Another statistic that came to the attention of the number-crunchers is rider age. Around 1999, NHTSA statisticians observed an increase in motorcycle fatalities in the forty-and-over age group. The number of fatalities in the younger age groups actually declined. That news got widely reported, and today’s folklore includes the myth that the big problem with motorcycling is older riders. However, when NHTSA subsequently factored in the number of riders in the various age groups, it turned out that the twenty- to twenty-nine-year-old age group is overrepresented in fatal crashes. There are fewer younger riders in the total mix, but the younger riders continued to be more involved in more than their share of fatal accidents, at least up through 1999.

      Table 4: Motorcyclist Fatalities by Year and Age Group

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      Source: National Center for Statistics and Anaiysis, NHTSA, FARS

       Big Bikes Versus Small Bikes

      Doesn’t it make sense that bigger, more powerful motorcycles would be involved more often in serious crashes? The Hurt Report didn’t show that to be true.

      Back in the 1970s, apparently larger machines were less likely to be involved in accidents than were smaller motorcycles, especially if you factored in the estimated numbers of machines on the road. Part of the reason may be that in those days, riders moved up to larger motorcycles as they gained experience.

Engine Displacement Versus Accidents
Displacement Percent of Accidents Estimated Machines in Use
0-10 0cc 9 percent 8 percent
101-250cc 13 percent 9 percent
251-500cc 37 percent 26 percent
501-750cc 25 percent 34 percent
751+ cc 16 percent 23 percent

      Government and insurance groups continue to be suspicious of the relationship between engine displacement and fatal crashes. The NCSA number-crunchers have observed that larger bikes are showing up more and more in fatal crashes:

      Motorcyclist Fatalities by Year and Engine Displacement (cc)

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      Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, FARS

      According to the NCSA numbers, motorcycles 500cc and under have dropped from 17 percent of fatalities in 1990 to 6 percent in 1999. In that same time frame, machines of 1,001 to 1,500cc had increased from 22 percent of fatalities in 1990 to 33 percent in 1999. In other words, larger motorcycles seemed to be involved in the fatality increases. The researchers at first thought they had discovered the smoking gun that would explain the increases in fatalities. But it turns out that it’s just a matter of the demographics. When you factor in the sizes of motorcycles being purchased today, it becomes more obvious that the trend toward bigger displacement bikes being involved in fatal crashes is simply a mirror of motorcyclists’ buying preferences.

      What’s more, engine displacement isn’t a good measure of motorcycle performance. There are more than a few 600cc sportbikes around with quarter-mile speeds of over 120 mph. At the same time, we have some heavyweight cruisers in the 1,500cc class with top speeds of less than 100 mph.

      It might make sense to limit novice riders to less powerful machines. In some countries, novice riders are limited to smaller motorcycles, typically 250cc, during their probationary learning phase. Then, after a year or two, if the new rider can show proficiency, he or she can apply for a license to operate a larger

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