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Riding to work theis morning, I was thinking about the dangers of motorcycling - a Paramedic from my county in NC was killed the other day when a driver "fell asleep" and went over the yellow line. Then I thought about my trips to Latin America in the last year and the environment that the motorcyclists ride in down there, which made me wonder about what the rest of the motorcycling world worries about when they ride...
A report done in the US several years ago says 75% of cycle accidents involve a car or truck, and in 2/3 of those the motorist is at fault. So, ~half of our accidents are someone else's fault - but the motorcyclist was often deemed to have contributed in some way, most often by not driving defensibly or stopping when it should have been possible.
So, in my corner of the world, the main hazards are (imo):
The roads are mostly good, you can get almost anywhere on pavement.
What about your country? I know we have members from all over the world, interested to learn what is different there...
A report done in the US several years ago says 75% of cycle accidents involve a car or truck, and in 2/3 of those the motorist is at fault. So, ~half of our accidents are someone else's fault - but the motorcyclist was often deemed to have contributed in some way, most often by not driving defensibly or stopping when it should have been possible.
So, in my corner of the world, the main hazards are (imo):
- Distracted drivers: cell phones, kids, pets, food, etc.
- Deer / wildlife: We have a lot of deer in NC, it's common to see them often, especially dusk and dawn.
- Road Rage: Several incidents in NC and nearby states in the last year where motorists lost their temper and caused an accident
The roads are mostly good, you can get almost anywhere on pavement.
What about your country? I know we have members from all over the world, interested to learn what is different there...