Too Dangerous to Operate

[life and death]

A Burlington man has died from injuries suffered in a June 9 motorcycle crash in Georgia, Vermont State Police said Monday.
James Gleason, 43, died Sunday at Fletcher Allen Health Care, eight days after the accident, police said.
Gleason had been operating a 1999 Yamaha motorcycle at about 3:25 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, on Skunk Hill Road in Georgia. The motorcycle left the road and struck a guardrail, police said.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20...

[life and death]

BARNET — A motorcyclist driving north on U.S. 5 in Barnet died Sunday afternoon after failing to navigate a bend in the road, crossing the center line and striking an embankment, Vermont State Police Sgt. David Petersen said.
The impact launched Andrew Shattuck, 21, of Barnet from his 2008 Yamaha motorcycle and into a rock ledge, Petersen said. Rescue workers responding to the crash at about 5 p.m. Sunday pronounced Shattuck dead at the scene.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20...

[life and death]

List of motorcycle deaths in U.S. by year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motorcyc...

[Just Sayin]

Here's a list of deaths due to animals:

http://historylist.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/h...

So I guess we should probably get to work eradicating all the animals, right?

Don't think motorcycles are safe? Then don't buy one. If enough people agree with you, then the motorcycle "problem" will take care of itself, due to dealers and manufacturers going out of business.

On the other hand, if people want to buy and ride motorcycles, then who are you to tell them they can't?

[Mike Mulligan]

Bad nuclear power plants sell more newspapers than tragic motorcycle accidents.

I got an idea, if motorcycle accidents or collisions with animals moved your heart...why don't you try to fix it?

You can't make money over it?

[life and death]

The popularity of motorcycling has increased in the last few years with more than 1.1 million motorcycles sold in 2006, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. The swell in ridership has resulted in an increase in motorcyclist deaths. From 1997’s historic low, to 2006, motorcycle fatalities rose 127 percent. In 2006, 4,810 motorcyclists were killed, up 5.1 percent from the 4,576 motorcyclist fatalities in 2005, marking the ninth consecutive year of higher motorcycle deaths. In addition, 88,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic crashes in 2006. Motorcycle rider fatalities accounted for 11 percent of the total 2006 fatalities, 13 percent of all occupant fatalities and 4 percent of all occupants injured.

The number and rate of motorcyclist deaths on U.S. roads are rising dramatically.

Motorcycle rider fatalities rose 115 percent between 1997 and 2005. During the same time, fatality numbers and rates for passenger car crashes dropped.
Fatality rate trends for motorcycle occupants versus passenger car occupants. Between 1997 and 2005, fatality rates for motorcycle occupants rose 115 percent, to 42 fatalities per 100 million motorcycle VMT. During the same period, fatality rates for car occupants dropped steadily, to less than 1.2 fatalities per 100 million passenger car VMT.

[life and death]

Motorcycles are the most dangerous type of motor vehicle to drive. These vehicles are involved in fatal crashes at a rate of 35.0 per 100 million miles of travel, compared with a rate of 1.7 per 100 million miles of travel for passenger cars.

[life and death]

http://trafficsafety.org/safety/sharing/motor...
•Motorcyclists were 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash in 2006, per vehicle mile traveled, and 8 times more likely to be injured.
•Although motorcycles account for only 2% of vehicles on the road, they make up more than 10% of all crashes.
•Motorcycles accounted for nearly 3% of all registered motor vehicles and 0.4% of vehicle miles traveled in 2006.
•Motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled in 10 years to 4,810 in 2006. Helmets saved the lives of 1,658 motorcyclists in 2006—and could have saved an additional 752 lives if all riders had worn helmets compliant with federal safety standards.
•Some 104,000 motorcycles were involved in crashes in 2006, including property damage-only crashes.
•Approximately 80% of motorcycle crashes injure or kill a motorcycle rider, while only 20% of passenger car crashes injure or kill a driver or passenger in their vehicle.
•In 2006, 37% of all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 23% for passenger car drivers, 19% for light-truck drivers, and 8% for large-truck drivers.

[life and death]

Approximately 80% of motorcycle crashes injure or kill a motorcycle rider, while only 20% of passenger car crashes injure or kill a driver or passenger in their vehicle.

[Just Sayin]

So what's your point?

Every single person who has ever swung a leg over a motorcycle knows that if they crash on a bike, they are more likely to be severely injured than if they were in a car. If they're choosing to ride a motorcycle anyway, then that is their business.

I drive a big SUV and I'm less likely to be injured in an accident than somebody driving a compact car is... so should we take action against drivers of compact cars??

[Just Sayin]

People who stay in their houses doing nothing all day are less likely to be involved in traffic accidents than people who leave the house and go to work... maybe we should make having a job illegal too!!

[Mike Mulligan]

What can I say, motorcyclist get what they deserve. They get on their bikes fully knowing the risk they take.

They are totally in control of the risk they take.

And if they do a head on with a bus full of kids doing 100 mph, chances are they will hurt no one but themselves.

[Mike Mulligan]

Right, you have the absolutely Right to kill yourself any time you want?

It is in the constitution somewhere.

[life and death]

Mike Mulligan wrote:

Right, you have the absolutely Right to kill yourself any time you want?
It is in the constitution somewhere.

So why is it society’s responsibility to clean up the mess if they are knowingly taking on the risk what is the haul away what's left of them?

[life and death]

What is the cost to haul away what's left of them?

[life and death]

Dead Body Clean Up
http://www.bioprollc.com/dead-body-clean-up.p...

Crash Cost Estimates by Maximum
Police-Reported Injury Severity Within
Selected Crash Geometries
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research...

[Mike Mulligan]

life and death wrote:

What is the cost to haul away what's left of them?

Least somebody is making a living off of it.

[life and death]

Mike Mulligan wrote:

<quoted text>
Least somebody is making a living off of it.

Well it might be a living, but with the economy such as it is, it might be time for the state to pass laws to allow them to collect from the estate for their rescue and or cleanup.

[Mike Mulligan]

Sounds like you live in the stone age...that is what vehicle insurance is for.

[life and death]

Mike Mulligan wrote:

Sounds like you live in the stone age...that is what vehicle insurance is for.

Vehicle insurance does not reimburse the cost to society for scraping your brain off of the sidewalk much less for the police and rescue responders.