4 Deaths in 2 Days in KC - Yikes!

[KingSize]

4 motorcycle deaths in the KC area last weekend. Sad, sad, sad. Of course it was all over the news and my wife about went apeshit. Of course I was out riding with my buddy on Saturday too.

It's getting scary out there guys. Hell you can see it just driving to work in your car, let alone being on 2 wheels. :frownthre

[DM-SC]

It is, indeed getting worse...seemingly by the day. :frownthre

[SC_Compact]

How many people die each year in car accidents?

Does this mean you should stop driving a car?

One of the guys at work had some stats regarding bike accidents. A large percentage involved drinking and riding. Then another large percentage was riding without a helmet and then there was another group who only were riding a short time.

Last year they had two deaths in Ct. in the same area in a week. Both guys were in their 40's hadn't ridden for many years and overcooked a turn causing the to cross the yellow line into oncoming traffic.

Many people will not drive a small car because they don't feel safe in a small car. However I can be in a Mini and get by a Suburban and die or I could be in a Suburban and get hit by an 18 wheeler and die. I am a firm believer when your number is up your number is up. That is the only way I can explain making it through the 1970's and 1980's and still being here today.

[daesdaemar]

There are many things we can do to make it safer. Having said that, there is always an inherent risk because of the "other" guy, road hazards, etc.

[DM-SC]

There are many things we can do to make it safer. Having said that, there is always an inherent risk because of the "other" guy, road hazards, etc.

It was the "other guy" that I was refering to. People just don't drive with safety, either their own or that of others, in mind.

The disregard for safety is growing... :frownthre

[2wheeltodd]

Here is something that would help:

Require ALL drivers to take MOTORCYCLE safety course. I think the incidents would drop sharply.

[XLFREAK]

How many people die each year in car accidents?

Does this mean you should stop driving a car?

One of the guys at work had some stats regarding bike accidents. A large percentage involved drinking and riding. Then another large percentage was riding without a helmet and then there was another group who only were riding a short time.

Last year they had two deaths in Ct. in the same area in a week. Both guys were in their 40's hadn't ridden for many years and overcooked a turn causing the to cross the yellow line into oncoming traffic.

Many people will not drive a small car because they don't feel safe in a small car. However I can be in a Mini and get by a Suburban and die or I could be in a Suburban and get hit by an 18 wheeler and die. I am a firm believer when your number is up your number is up. That is the only way I can explain making it through the 1970's and 1980's and still being here today.

Is a huge issue in bike wrecks. Too many people going to damn fast and many of them through the canyons. My Uncle wrecked his bike going to fast in a curve. Hit the outside portion of the lane, caught gravel and adios over the edge. He is lucky with no major injuries. I rode with a couple of large groups and it seem's everyone wants to race.

I like to cruise period. If more people slowed down and rode within thier abilities, many people would fair better. As for left turn cagers, not much we can do about that.

Loco
So. Cal...

[SC_Compact]

I like to cruise period. If more people slowed down and rode within thier abilities, many people would fair better. As for left turn cagers, not much we can do about that.

Loco
So. Cal...

One of the main reasons I bought an HD was to keep me from riding too fast. Prior to my Sportster I had a 1995 Honda ST1100 sport tourer. It had an 1100cc V4 with loads of torque and it would cruise all day long at 90-100 mph and more. I never checked but I estimate top speed on that bike would have been somewhere up around 140mph. Between the V4 and the full fairing 90mph felt like about 55mph. It was just too easy to go fast on that bike.

With my Sportster and now with the Dyna I enjoy sitting back and cruising 60 - 70 mph. I also enjoy relaxing on the back roads taking in the scenery and the smells of the country.

On all the metric bikes I owned it was always the destination that was important. On my HD it is all about the journey and the destination is just a benefit of the ride.

[DustyJacket]

It spooks my wife when she sees the news. (We live on the East border of KC and I work near the West border.) This last one was a lady who almost missed the exit off the highway and slammed on the brakes.

From the vague description, she probably highsided into the guard rail or the ditch.

The other 2 I drove by looked like they got whacked by a car zig zagging through traffic.

I stay off I-70 in rush hour, and take the local highways. Lot less impatient drivers there....... and if I miss a turn, I'll go 'round the block.

[mikeLI_77]

too many people now of days only care about themselves and what they are doing or what they want to do at that moment. they don't care about whats around them. i had a lady just infront and in the next lane of the car i was in a few weeks ago miss her exit so she just stops in the middle of the highway in her lane and starts pointing at the sign for the exit she wanted to get off of to the other person she's in the car with. i was in my friends car and the guy who was right behind her almost hits her and just swerves right infront of us causing my friends car to almost skid from having to brake so hard. he hits his air horns and she's still pointing away at the sign as we go by her without a care in the world other than she missed her exit and she's to damn stupid to think of what she's doing or to take the next exit and backtrack. thank god i was not on my bike because i would have had to make some drastic measures to avoid the car that swerved into our lane.

and it's not just cars going to fast. i was coming back from my chiropractor the other day and another guy on a sporty cuts me off on the entrance ramp. he was in a turn lane and he went straight infront of me onto the entrance ramp of the highway. then he's going about 55mph in the right lane and i go in the left lane doing about 60. when i slowly pass him all of a sudden he looks over and guns it into the middle lane and probably got up to about 80 or so until he was pretty far ahead of me then slows down until i got closer to him then guns it again(with a bag of groceries hanging from his throttle grip). then he looks in his mirror and gives me that hand jesture like when a kid does something wrong and the parent yells at them and they point with their hand and shake there hand up and down. and goes into the right lane and gets behind slower cars so i ended up passing him. I guess he wanted to race me but i don't race anyone. if i race i will get stupid and make a stupid move and end up killing myself.

[JThomas]

I tell ya guys... EVERY MC accident is like a billboard for my wife to tell me how much she hates the fact that I have one. She is cool with ME, it is the other TOOLS out there on the road! - JT

[KingSize]

It spooks my wife when she sees the news. (We live on the East border of KC and I work near the West border.) This last one was a lady who almost missed the exit off the highway and slammed on the brakes.

From the vague description, she probably highsided into the guard rail or the ditch.

The other 2 I drove by looked like they got whacked by a car zig zagging through traffic.

I stay off I-70 in rush hour, and take the local highways. Lot less impatient drivers there....... and if I miss a turn, I'll go 'round the block.

Yeah I'm from BS. I don't get on I-70 either. That highway is dangerous as hell. My wife did not like hearing the news story over and over again. The sad part is that the media always acts as if it's the motorcycle riders fault. WTF? Don't even get me started on my opinion of the media :censor :censor

[DustyJacket]

Heck, most days I don't take my car on I-70.

Funny thing is, I-70 is jam-packed and yet US-40, which parallels I-70 and is a 4-5 lane highway, was nearly empty at 6:30 this morning. I think there were a maximum of 5 cars in sight distance from my bike until I hit the inner city.

I have found that with the high density of motorcycles here, the "usual" cager actually sees motorcyclists more often than not. That doesn't stop the unaware and the jerks from doing things near me, but I think I am safer here than in Colorado which has much fewer bikes, and the cagers don't even look for them.

[cantolina]

Here is something that would help:

Require ALL drivers to take MOTORCYCLE safety course. I think the incidents would drop sharply.

I metioned that to my MSF instructor...

He replied that the State then takes over...drops the cost SIGNIFICANTLY, and then the REAL scheduling headaches start....Peensylvania's program, I understand, is in complete shambles...

If they don't pay for it, they're not gonna take ATTENDING as seriously...and of course, they just reschedule whenever they want to...a REAL mess...

Great idea, just impractical...

Besides, I would suspect most riders who wouldn't want to take the course to begin with wouldn't get much out of it anyway...

[Chris B.]

I took the MSC about a month ago, a couple stats for Michigan,

50% of MC Deaths are due to Alcohol being involved, either rider or driver...
50% of MC Deaths involve riders without an endorsement, let alone a safety course.
85% of MC Crashes not involving other drivers (Alone Crash) are in a corner. Aniticipate your corners fella's!

I was riding a couple days ago with a friend, Mine is a 73' his is a 70'. Both of us are loud as hell. We had (1) pickup back right out in front of us, we slowed a popped the throttle a couple times, he looked back, then he took off like a bat out of hell. At least he got out of our way! We only rode for 20 miles and had that happen plus we saw (2) deer within 30 feet of the road.

Keep your eyes out all the time, there are no fender benders on a bike.

-Chris.