Study: 1-in-4 fatal or serious crashes involves a motorcyclist

Sample size

I'm not convinced by the sense of that list: it seems clear from the figures in the report itself (http://www.roadsafetyfoundation.com/downloads/RSFreportweb.pdf - page 14) that the numbers of accidents on each stretch are small enough that silly headline figures (bike accidents up by 144% on the Cat & Fiddle!!) are likely to occur just through natural fluctuations. For example, the figures for the Via Gellia relate to 11 accidents over three years. 

And it's going to be treated as a collector's list, of course (slightly bemused to find that in my first six months on a big bike as a wobbly middle-aged beginner I've already collected over half of them, although the big cluster in the Peaks does help there.)

Posted: 30/06/2010 at 10:20

.....and 3-in-4 doesn't involve a motorcyclist...

 the problem with the vast majority of surveys is that they can be used to prove everything and nothing....so many of these surveys use a criteria of 'fatal or serious', well fatal is self explanatory but what constitutes an accident being described as 'serious'?....I'm always suspicious when the two very different outcomes are measured together..... quite often the results reflect the mindset of the end user. I once went and asked a copper operating a speed camera van why he was parked on a particular road and the reply was that x number of accidents resulted in x number of killed or seriously injured...he was unable to quantify what serious actually meant....or what the figures proved one way or another!

Posted: 30/06/2010 at 10:51

The one third of accidents occuring at junctions is key here.

Poor observation

Poor road design

Poor maintenance(hedge trimming etc)

these all contribute though no doubt not get the same coverage as a cause as excess speed....

Posted: 30/06/2010 at 11:20

ted595

it would appear that the press cannot get enough shock factor form the other 3 out of 4 so their simpley not interested

why are the press always concerned with motorcycle fatality and not bothered with car fatality ?

Posted: 30/06/2010 at 11:25

I assume "Fatal or serious" uses the same criteria as KSI in other road stats. I think that "seriously injured" there basically means "required admission to hospital" and thus covers a pretty broad range including some stuff that most of us wouldn't call all that serious (as well as some stuff that means "might as well be dead", mind). It's a standard definition used in international stats, though, at least. 

 ted595 - to be fair, you are reading a motorcycle site. But of course there is a general acceptance of or blindness to the dangers of car travel (to people inside and outside the cars) in our society - and of course when it comes to planning, car journeys are assumed by default to be important or necessary, while motorcycling (and the same goes for cycling) journeys are treated as leisure activities or aberrant lifestyle choice. 

Posted: 30/06/2010 at 11:52