Durham police report a rise in serious motorcycle collisions

[OpenGambit]

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there's schools for that http://www.ridertraining.ca/

Truth.

 

[EngineerJoe]

If your 85 in a 70 is happening as you lane-split or weave in and out of slower traffic, don't you think that it would be fair to say that excess speed would be a major contributing factor if a left-turner should pull out in front of you while you were hidden between or behind a slower vehicle that you're about to blast past? That's one example of what's considered excessive speed. Just simple minor amounts over the speed limit would not be considered "excess" speed as far as crash causation or aggravation is concerned.

My issue is when cops release to the press "speed is a factor". To me this means that it's a suspect in the cause or partial cause of the crash, but by no means has this been proven. BUT to the average Joe Public, hearing "speed is a factor" and "Motorcycle crash" in the same sentence automatically means the the rider was WELL over the speed limit.

Eyewitnesses are just part of the equation. The gouge marks, debris, fluid, and skid trails on the pavement really don't care who made them and aren't prone to influence. The crash reconstruction experts that appear at virtually all fatalities are more than any well aware that witness testimony can be flawed, and keep that in mind when examining the available physical evidence. The examination is usually quite painstaking, painstaking enough to keep highways closed for many hours while they go through all the evidence.

I agree with this part. Fresh out of school, I applied to jobs where I would be an accident investigator for a private company specializing in accident investigations. In fact, my job would have removed the eyewitnesses almost entirely from the equation and I would have been analyzing the physics of the crash only.

 

[EngineerJoe]

For anyone on the "the weather is warmer" argument, the data doesn't support this theory. May and June were both warmer last year and peak July was 2 deg C warmer this year (July average was < 0.5 deg C difference)

 

[turbodish]

My issue is when cops release to the press "speed is a factor". To me this means that it's a suspect in the cause or partial cause of the crash, but by no means has this been proven. BUT to the average Joe Public, hearing "speed is a factor" and "Motorcycle crash" in the same sentence automatically means the the rider was WELL over the speed limit.

Usually that means that excess speed either played a role in causation, or excess speed played a role in exacerbating the outcome of the crash. Either way, the excess speed would be judged to have turned what may have been an avoidable crash into an unavoidable one, or a survivable crash into an unsurvivable crash. Either premise is a judgement call on the part of investigators, but the greater the speed or speed differentials, the easier it is to support such a judgement.

Also, you don't have to be over the speed limit for excess speed to be a causation or exacerbating factor in a crash. Speed differential and speed in inappropriate circumstances is a relative measure, not an absolute number.

 

[FiReSTaRT]

For anyone on the "the weather is warmer" argument, the data doesn't support this theory. May and June were both warmer last year and peak July was 2 deg C warmer this year (July average was < 0.5 deg C difference)

There's also the lack of precipitation once the monsoon season was over, so that would account for a huge increase in rider mileage.

 

[V-Tom]

So since Durham issued their statement of concern about a rise in serious motorcycle crashes, along come a few more fatalities within days.

With respect to SMIDSY, though it is a factor, I think that there are other factors at work this year. This year at least, primary cause of the majority (though certainly not all) of the fatals seems to rest with the riders.

This is a breakdown of 33 fatalities that I was able to find so far this year. I'm sure there are a few I missed, but there's enough here to give a snapshot of what's happening out there.
...

I've always maintained that we are our own worst enemy as the statistics show that the most fatal crashes are single vehicle crashed where the rider went off the road and dies. Of crashes involving other vehicles, SMIDSY type crashes (where another vehicle turns in front of an oncoming bike) are the most common. I hope the number of crashes we have had recently is a short term blip. There are several SMIDSY-type crashes in your listing, although you know as well as I do that we need to take a longer view of the data to get any kind of meaningful information from it.

..Tom

 

[GentlemanRacer]

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.

Ah, an economist.

Broadly, it is not a statistical problem but a political one. The numbers are only used, as they say, "like a drunk uses a lamp post; for support not for illumination", which means to bolster the agenda of the person quoting them.

Is there a motorcycle advocacy group that spends effort promoting rational policy, noting statistics, responding to bunk, challenging the insurance industry and collecting meaningful data?

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