lena

It’s not your imagination that this riding season seems to have had an especially high number of riding incidents. In the Portland area regions of the PNW forum from January to June there were 35 reported crashes. This includes accidents that were reported but were NOT members of the forum and track incidents, but not minor parking lot incidents. While every incident was not captured (lots of folks don’t report their incidents), what we found was quite significant.

• Nine accidents were fatal, one to both passenger and pilot.
• The vast majority was the rider’s fault (25 or 90%). In only 3 incidents was there a car at fault.
• May was the cruelest month, with 12 of the incidents (41%).
• Six accidents were reported on the track (17%). Subtracting those leaves 29 crashes.
• There were no injuries in 12 accidents, minor injuries in 8 and serious injuries in only 1.
• The leading cause of the accidents (13 out of 29 or 45%) was the rider failing to successfully negotiate a turn.
• Road conditions (debris, etc) were a distant second place with only 5 incidents (14%).

So … before you go riding, determine if you are mentally and physically prepared to ride. Then check your bike, get your gear. Look for burned out bulbs, loose or frayed cables, chain out of adjustment, leaks or anything else out of the ordinary. Finally, assume that you cannot be seen and manage your personal space accordingly. Don’t tailgate. Don’t ride in other people’s blind spots. Ride at an appropriate speed for the conditions. Continually Search, Evaluate and then Execute as you ride. And, most of all, avoid entering turns too fast; in slow, look through the turn as far as you can see, lean smoothly and roll on the throttle at exit. We have no one to blame but ourselves for most of our accidents.



Credit: looktwiceforbikes (307T, lena, recr8ton, soil, transported)

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

yellowpens

depressing... but a good reminder.
thanks lena.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

DGA

It truly is sad how many accidents we have had and a huge loss as some did not make it. Keeping these things in perspective and being vigilant as we ride are of outmost importance.

Thanks for crunching numbers and putting things in a better perspective; in one concise place, Magdalena, Jeff, Logan, Vaun, and Clay.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

motostunter

DAMMIT!!!!!!! I was 1 of 2 in March. But mine was at the track, so I don't really count it.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

Transported

^^^Well, it's true: if it happens on the track, then it doesn't really count.

I'd be interested to know the number of accidents on the track per mile traveled.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

Clay G

I'm a negative stat this year too!

PLEASE ride safe!

Tuesday evening, newbie ride - BIGGEST thing we talk about is 'surviving'!

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

mfrankpdx

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

hath600RR

mine was in may dang it,

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

Spec

Magda, are you an engineer?

Edit: Just saw Look Twice for Bikes put this together. Good job guys!

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

DGA

Fan boy does not like his track days scrutinized?

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

Transported

^^^He saves his crashing for the street.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

Transported

While it's good to see that 40% of us escape with no injuries from a fall, think about it the other way: 60% of us will have some sort of injury, and nearly one in three of us will expire.

Keep the shiny side up indeed.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

pdxnathan

1 in 3 fatal is probably quite a bit inflated just because of the number of unreported minor crashes... still, 1 in 10 is too much... damn.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

mfrankpdx

I don't mind Vaun psyching himself out of going to the track, but don't bring it to the board and psych others out. Track time is the most fun you can have on two wheels... don't knock it until you try it.

How about instead of figuring out crash rates at the track, how about we find out crash rates of riders without any track experience versus crash rates of those with track experience?

Or lets take those who crashed on the street, and ask them how things might have gone had there been no gravel, cars, guardrails, potholes, trees etc etc. Lets ask them how things may have been different had they had 30 meters of flat grassy runoff. Lets ask them how things might have been different if an ambulance was on sight when they crashed.

Anyone who has ridden track would probably agree with me... even if crashing were 10 times more likely at the track, I would still ride there because I'll take a crash at the track over a crash on the street any day. The track is the only place I will ever try to push my limits, and there's a reason for that.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

DGA

^^^Not knocking anything, just giving you shit.

You think 46% of the riders that failed to negotiate a turn on the street might fail to negotiate the turn at the track? But I guess it's safer crashing on the track...just ask some that are down and out due to a track incident.

Either way, the track stacks the odds in your favor a lot more than street, but it certainly is not a cure all. So it was included.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

ddonacazx12

hhmmmm... 20 min sessions, 15-16 laps *avg* at 2 miles per lap (1.9)
30 miles minimum, per session.
6-7-8 sessions per trackday.
figure 200 miles per day minimum
( some of the instructors / guys with video.. ride A, B and C groups they'd rack up a grip of miles in a day)

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

ddonacazx12

I've seen a number of guys overcook corners at the track (3-4-5 a day) but they just go out through the grass, get slowed down, and pull back on the track and keep going... CUZ THERES NO TREES, CARS, BUILDINGS, ETC in the way...

guys go wheeling off turn 4..., blow through 7/8 all the time, etc...

It's much Much MUCH safer at the track.

(imho)

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

lena

We didn't post this here for you guys to argue what is safer: street or track. I am sick of this argument. We posted this so hopefully some of you realize that the biggest danger of riding, judging just from the last few months, is you.

If at least one person reconsiders something because of this post, then I will consider this a success. That's all I am after.

Track accidents were included because they are what they are - can't call them anything else, if you need an ambulance to take you away. You can get hurt the same as on the street. I saw no reason to not include them so please don't say if you crashed on track, it doesn't count.

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

galenernest

Did you count my crash on Larch mountain in the snow? LOL... I was in the 14% due to road conditions. But it was still my own damn fault, didn't notice the snow. DOH! I'm going to pay more attention this winter!

Thanks for the report, Lena. It makes me re-evaluate a few things. Like more track time!

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

KevinD

1 in ANY NUMBER is too many, especially if it was their own fault.


KevinD

__________________
Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter