Durham police report a rise in serious motorcycle collisions

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turbodish

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It doesn't appear to be just Durham Region either.
Police are expressing concern after a rise in motorcycle crashes. Durham Police say since June 30th, there have been eight serious collisions involving motorcycles, three of them fatal and two resulting in amputation. Sergeant Shaun Arnott says there are things riders can do to improve personal safety. He asks riders to practice proper helmet use, leave plenty of following room and to always follow the rules of the road. Arnott says motorcycle riders have their bodies fully exposed, increasing the thrill of the ride, but also making them more vulnerable in the event of a crash.
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http://www.durhamradionews.com/archives/32050
 
(rolls eyes)
 
*patiently awaiting a 20% increase in insurance premiums*
 
And another one this morning, not Durham though, 401 at Avenue Rd.
 
Not sure you can draw many conclusions from 2 months of riding...rather small sample size..
 
Unfortunately these types of articles are much like preaching to the converted while the others just roll their eyes.

Regardless of how much data you produce the average squid is still going to think he's not going to be the next "Rider Down".

The Romans had a way of getting a point across. I think it was called decimation. Not PC today I guess.
 
Think there was a car accident somewhere's too... roll eyes... Good to be reminded to be safe I guess.
 
invictus43 said:
Not sure you can draw many conclusions from 2 months of riding...rather small sample size..
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If it turns out to be just a short-term spike, no. On the other hand, the spike shouldn't be ignored either, especially if the spike is occurring across several regions in addition to Durham. It certainly seems that serious or fatal motorcycle crashes have been occurring more frequently this year as compared to others right across the province. If that perception is actual fact, then why is this happening?
 
Kool said:
Think there was a car accident somewhere's too... roll eyes... Good to be reminded to be safe I guess.
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Oddly enough, the OPP reported on crash stats for this year so far following their Civic holiday weekend blitz.
As of July 31, 157 people have died in motor vehicle collisions in 2011 compare to 173 in the same period for 2010, a decrease of 9.2 percent.
http://www.opp.ca/ecms/index.php?id=405&nid=650
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So yes, there has been a car crash somewhere, but not as many fatal ones as last year. Why the apparent spike in motorcycle crashes?

It would be interesting to be able to see the final numbers break-down at the end of the year, and compare overall 2011 numbers by vehicle type with those of 2010.
 
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Or maybe it's just perfect weather means more kilometers rode (on average) compared to other summers.
 
turbodish said:
If that perception is actual fact, then why is this happening?
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It would be useful to know the number of accidents as a rate based on kilometres ridden. We've had a much better riding weather year..I suspect more kilometres ridden..which, all things being equal, will mean more accidents.
 
They're making use of the attention related to these recent fatalities to remind riders to ride safely. Nothing wrong with that. But, to draw any conclusions from these minute and incomplete statistics is moronic.
 
Gais! I'm pretty sure nobody has mentioned this yet... but maybe it's because of the more kilometers ridden. You know, because of the better weather and such.

:lol:
 
daveyflakes said:
Gais! I'm pretty sure nobody has mentioned this yet... but maybe it's because of the more kilometers ridden. You know, because of the better weather and such.

:lol:
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Maybe. The weather has been a bit warmer for riding this year (and at times actually too warm for some over the last few weeks), but last year wasn't bad for riding either. I don't know if there would be that massive a difference in riding seat time for this year vs last.

What's the usual frequency of serious crashes? I don't recall serious and fatal crashes last year being anywhere near the same rate as this year. Can any increased serious crash frequency (double?) actually have a direct correlation to any supposed increase in motorcycle seat time?
 
Every year I see more and more squids, riding like lunatics and almost naked. So this doesnt surprise me at all, and in the end we all pay, insurance premiums will go up, numbers of drivers who hate motorcyclists will go up...and the list goes on and on.
 
Yeah, the media relations people in the police force need to keep themselves occupied, and the media need filler material. So context gets thrown out the window but the complete picture involves the weather and the price of gas.
 
turbodish said:
If it turns out to be just a short-term spike, no. On the other hand, the spike shouldn't be ignored either, especially if the spike is occurring across several regions in addition to Durham. It certainly seems that serious or fatal motorcycle crashes have been occurring more frequently this year as compared to others right across the province. If that perception is actual fact, then why is this happening?
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How long is a meaningful spike? Is it a time span or a death count?
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