Topic: This journalist wants to ban motorcycles

[sangyo soichiro]

   

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/citylink/sfl-auto-erotica-its-time-to-ban-the-motorcycle-20110613,0,4414821.story

What if I were to tell you that the fatality rate for those of us who drive a car or truck is 14 out of every 100,000 drivers? That’s a distressing statistic but it’s far below what it once was.

Now, what if I were to tell you that there’s a vehicle on the road today that increases your chances of being killed while driving it by more than 500 percent, producing an average of 72 fatalities for every 100,000 users?

That vehicle would represent a pretty silly and dangerous way to get around, don’t you think? But wait — there’s more. What if this vehicle produced 11 percent of all driving fatalities, effectively erasing gains made from years of declining motor-vehicle deaths? Would you want to drive that vehicle? Would you want your loved ones to drive it?

Surprisingly, registrations for this vehicle increased by more than 63 percent from 1997 to 2005, with the fatalities that resulted rising at a disproportionately high rate.

Add to all that the fact that this vehicle can emit 10 to 20 times the quantity of nitrogen oxide than standard automobiles because so many of these vehicles don’t require a catalytic converter. In some states, they don’t even require insurance.

This deathtrap, of course, is the motorcycle, and it’s time for the grownups to take a stand and say enough is enough.

The above statistics come from a U.S. Department of Transportation study released in October 2007 entitled, “Action Plan To Reduce Motorcycle Fatalities.” Ironically, the welcome page is from then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters, who talks about breaking her collarbone while riding one.

I’m not a motorcyclist. What, then, gives me the right to call for the end of what many millions of Americans love to do? Well, first, there is the emotional factor. A friend’s older brother — only in his early 20s — was killed in a head-on collision. Another friend’s father shattered his leg going around a curve. A few weeks ago, a friend was hit by a car and suffered a puncturedlung and a partially collapsed lung, two shattered vertebra, a broken scapula and clavicle, fivebroken ribs — some in multiple places — and has lost feeling in his lower back and left leg. He’s 23.

Then, there’s the economic impact that motorcycle crashes have on you and me. The cost to us all in terms of increased health-insurance costs — if not direct taxpayer costs — to cover those people injured in and by motorcycle accidents who can’t afford to pay. The increased cost of auto insurance from damage inflicted and received, not to mention untold billions in insurance payouts to motorcycle drivers. The court time taken up by accidents involving motorcycle drivers. The cost of accident-scene public services such as police and fire.

It’s good news that motorcycle fatalities dropped 24 percent in Florida in 2009, and yet, the Florida Department of Transportation estimates Floridians will still have to pay $190 million to cover unpaid costs associated with motorcycle crashes this year alone, as reported by WFTV News in Orlando.

Look at the above statistics again. If a certain model of car produced that kind of horrendous increase in deaths — 72 fatalities per 100,000 compared to the car and truck norm of 14 per 100,000 — the public would demand an instant halt to the production and sale of that flawed vehicle.

Driving is not a right — it’s a privilege, granted by us, the American people, to those deemed responsible enough to exercise that privilege. We are doing a disservice to our fellow Americans when we indulge their interests in an inherently unsafe vehicle. Maybe there was a time in the past when cars and trucks drove slowly enough or were small enough to allow the luxury of a vehicle that has no seat belt, no door or hood or metal around it. But no more.

Beyond the actual costs to taxpayers is the realization that we’re losing more than 4,300 motorcycle drivers a year nationally who would have been far more likely to survive with airbags and crumple zones around them.

And I won’t even mention the obvious stupidity of not legally requiring — or wanting — the wearing of helmets.

Perhaps it’s time for those people who have lost a loved one or friend in a motorcycle accident to stand up and ask that, at the very least, these vehicles be restricted to off-road areas and tracks. Friends try to keep friends from engaging in needless risks, and that’s what motorcycles are, even when operated by well-trained, responsible drivers.

Contact Hugh Curran at kanga573@aol.com.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Fried and junk food and smoking kill way more people than motorcycles or moto-related accidents ever will.

I propose if we ban motorcycles we also ban fried and junk food and smoking- when do you think that's gonna happen here?

[Radam]

The person who wrote this article has probably run a lot of bikes off the road not paying attention. May have even hit a few and payed out the ass in insurance. Stupid stupid person. What would the author say if we banned butt plugs?

[mrbreeze]

SAY WHAT MUTHA FAWKA???
I say lets ban this guy from writing. A buttplug indeed!!!!!

[motocyconomad]

hate mail sent

[Coyote13]

Yeah let's ban motorcycles.  And while we're at it, let's ban freedom of speech, because we all know how dangerous THAT is.

[VonYinzer]

Rubbish

[scrapvalue]

I wonder if he is a liberal or conservative?

[mrbreeze]

Naw......he's a buttplug!!!!

[Duke McDukiedook]

he is a conservative, liberal buttplug.

[TwoTired]

I've seen this same BS before with people wanting to ban airports because they are "inherently" unsafe.

Just check out traffic accidents per mile of roadway on bridges.  You'll find that there are far more accidents on bridges than open highway.  So, the "rational" conclusion is that banning bridges will make us all safer, right?

I could also develop a statistical "study" that showed the majority of the motorcycle deaths/injury involved cars and trucks.  So, in reality it's the cars and trucks that need to be banned, not the motorcycles.  I'm certain you'll find the motorcycle-to-motorcycle collision rate far, far lower than the auto-to-auto collision rate.  Which is really more dangerous using those numbers?

It's called cooking the books or shaded statistics gathering.  Where you only look for numerical support for your preconceived and biased notion.  You can write it up so it LOOKS objective.  But, it is really glorified lying.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." - Popularized by Mark Twain.

Politicians and lobby groups LOVE statistics.  But, scientists and engineers (well, good ones, anyway) form them in a completely different way.  Usually, by gathering all the data first, and then allowing the whole of the data to provide a conclusion if supported.
It's a dying discipline, though.  Particularly, in a medium where opinion/popularity is more important than objective observations.

Cheers,

[72 yellow]

How about banning irresponsible journalism ?

[jahmic]

I'd hold off on sending any "hate mail" to this guy...

Chances are he'll be reading his email from a crackberry while driving and take one of us out.




edit:  I'm too late...he's already responded to his hate mail (via crackberry while driving down the highway and drinking Starbucks)


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/citylink/upfront/sfl-auto-erotica-its-still-time-to-ban-the-motorcycle-20110627,0,2043379.story

[singedebile]

actually "72" isnt that bad of a number considering how exposed we are ridding, I was always curious what this statistic would be. Especially when you consider how the "average" rider rides and that we (of course hehe) ride so very much more responsibly.

[mrbreeze]

F$@% statistics......who really gives a flyin' f$@%!!!!!!!!!   People that keep track of this sh!t need to get a life!!!!! They have waaaaay too much time on their hands......they should be out being a statistic than reporting to us about it!!!!............RANT OVER DA$$IT!!!!!!

[BobbyR]

Hmmmmmmmmm, one in six men will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. You could never leave the house and still get it. Perhaps we should ban prostates since having one is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle.

[74cb750]

The article seems to have been written specifically to draw negative comments,
thereby reinforcing the perception that motorcyclists are ignorant and irresponsible.

[Gordon]

This guy wrote a column that he knew would get a lot of attention and publicity.  Plain and simple. 

[motocyconomad]

he wrote a new one talking about all the people world wide that dont like him now. What a kook.

[bill440cars]

      You know, IF they were to ban the things that were more likely to cause death, eventually, HE would be banned because ONE DAY, it would be something HE said that would that would provoke someone to blow HIM away!

       I agree, he WAS out to provoke and THAT alone, could be dangerous to HIS health! 

[Duke McDukiedook]

This rider wants to ban stupid journalists.

[BobbyR]

This guy is looking for hate mail and physical threats. These effete Government as Nanny Liberals do this all the time. They can claim to be victims since they stand on the side of right. I live in NY and am surrounded by these priicks. 

[mark]

publicity stunt. move along. nothing to see here.

I'll give the shmuck one point though...

And I won’t even mention the obvious stupidity of not legally requiring — or wanting — the wearing of helmets.

no helmet = organ donor.

[grumpy]

GUESS WHAT?

Living will kill you!!
That's right!
100% of EVERY human who EVER lived eventually died.

Ban living then, right??!?!?!

Stupid fu#k!.
So, yes,  cycles are more dangerous than cars - I realize this fact but it's MY arse and I take responsibilities for MY actions.

You know what kills the most people on earth (other than being alive)?
POVERTY.
Seriously.
If this douche really wants to make a difference then he needs to fight to end poverty and the malnutrition, disease, and war it brings.

[mrbreeze]

GUESS WHAT?

Living will kill you!!
That's right!
100% of EVERY human who EVER lived eventually died.

Ban living then, right??!?!?!

Stupid fu#k!.
So, yes,  cycles are more dangerous than cars - I realize this fact but it's MY arse and I take responsibilities for MY actions.

You know what kills the most people on earth (other than being alive)?
POVERTY.
Seriously.
If this douche really wants to make a difference then he needs to fight to end poverty and the malnutrition, disease, and war it brings.

Couldn't have said it better!!!!!

[Don R]

Like Paul Harvey used to say, The statistics will say anything if you torture them long enough.

[jahmic]

GUESS WHAT?

Living will kill you!!
That's right!
100% of EVERY human who EVER lived eventually died.

Ban living then, right??!?!?!

Stupid fu#k!.
So, yes,  cycles are more dangerous than cars - I realize this fact but it's MY arse and I take responsibilities for MY actions.

You know what kills the most people on earth (other than being alive)?
POVERTY.
Seriously.
If this douche really wants to make a difference then he needs to fight to end poverty and the malnutrition, disease, and war it brings.

I owe you a beer. 

well said.

[dave500]

ban birth,it only results in death.

[tramp]

what he doesn't say is that most motocycle fatalities are unlicensed riders

[pknopp]

 People write stuff like this to draw traffic. It's like the sports radio guy taking a position he doesn't really believe just to get all the phone calls. In that he seems to have succeeded.
 
 Motorcycles aren't going to be banned. Just the opposite with rising fuel costs.
 
 BTW, what states don't require motorcycle insurance?

[DH]

Among all his other garbage is where he states that motorcycles emit  more NOX pollution than other vehicles.
How the heck is that true? New bikes DO have converters.
Wonder what HE drives?

[bluezboy]

 What a moron! You can have my bike when you can pry it form my cold dead hands! Ride on  My Brothers, Ride On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!