Motorcycle Safety With Statistics; Cut Your Chance Of Injury In Half

"Matt Brown" (superfastmatt)
06/21/2016 at 14:40 • Filed to: Two wheels good, motorcycle safety, ford mustang

Cool thing about the hospital? All the pillows you can handle. Totally worth it.

You suck at driving. Well, I mean, not you specifically. You are great at driving. And me, I’m also great at driving. But everyone else? Everyone else sucks at driving. This is especially disconcerting for those of us who travel on two wheels, because while automotive safety has been steadily improving for vehicle occupants, it is still quite dangerous to be outside the car that drifts into oncoming traffic while the driver is liking his friend’s swipe-chat, or whatever it is you kids do these days. I mean, not you, but, you know, other people.

I’ve been dodging lunatic four wheelers for 15 years now and managed to not get hit by any of them up until a couple months ago when another driver decided my left leg should have 17 degrees of freedom.

I’m usually the guy telling everyone that motorcycles are not as dangerous as everyone says they are. Two weeks in the hospital make it tough to stand by that, but I still believe it. A huge number of motorcycle wrecks and injuries fall under a small number of causes. If you know what these causes are, and you prepare for them appropriately, your risk goes down significantly, and you can protect your femur from the scourge of shitty Ford Mustang drivers, and from yourself.

Okay, without further delay: the top four things that will kill you:

Being a new rider

Being a drunk rider

An oncoming car turning left in front of you

Your un-helmeted face bouncing off the oncoming car turning left in front of you

There are many other ways that motorcycles are dangerous, but these four things account for the majority of motorcycle injuries. Avoid these four things and you are way more likely to make it home safe. Two of these things are suuuuper easy to avoid. Can you guess what they are? If you guessed “Being a drunk rider” and the face thing, you win a prize.

Drunk Riders

Guess how many motorcycle fatalities involved a rider who had been drinking?

A third.

Hey, guess what? Don’t ride drunk and your statistical chance of dying on a motorcycle just went way down. Easiest thing ever.

Full Face Helmet

Second easiest thing ever? Full face helmet. Helmets are estimated to be about 40% effective in preventing fatal injuries for motorcycle riders. The data also shows them to significantly reduce not only head injuries, but also neck injuries, so for those of you that think the helmet will just cause whiplash, the data is not on your side. Also, just for fun, take a look at the windshield of this Mustang.

Now take a look at my helmet.

Visor not shown, because it was ripped off and ejected into the trees, unlike my face.

Now back at the Mustang.

Now look at my face.

Notice that my face doesn’t look like it got smashed up by a windshield at 40 MPH.

I’m not going to be the All-The-Gear-All-The-Time guy here because this is an article focusing on the really statistically significant things, but I’ll just note that everywhere I wasn’t wearing protective gear has road rash. I only slid for a short distance and my legs and feet had road rash scattered all over. My torso, head, and hands literally don’t have a single scratch because of the helmet, gloves, and jacket. So make your own decision on your other gear, but the data says your helmet is mandatory.

New riders

Have you ever gotten in your car and driven somewhere while thinking about something, and you arrive at your destination without any recollection of the drive there? Me too. This is because you and I are wizards.

Not really. It’s because your subconscious knows how to drive because you’ve been doing it for long enough that (as long as everything goes normally) it’s just a reaction. If you haven’t been driving for more than a few years, this doesn’t apply to you, and you are an indiscriminate death missile. Riding a motorcycle has a totally different set of subconscious programming that needs to happen. The cool thing is, you won’t even know what you’re reacting too sometimes. I notice this when my subconscious expects something to happen but then it doesn’t. Something like the driver in the lane next to me will make some slight movement, and before I know it I’m reaching up to grab the brakes because a few times before a different driver has made the same movement and then changed into my lane without looking or using a turn signal because his subconscious has been programed to be an asshole.

You know those big white rectangles at crosswalks? They’re really slippery when wet. I’m not sure why I know that, but my brain figured it out for me at some point and I slow down without even thinking about it. There are a million little dangers like this that you pick up over time, but you just have to ride and experience them to program them in there, and while you’re programing them, you need to be prepared for them with extra space, extra time, and extra traction, because your subconscious doesn’t know about them yet.

So, for the first year at least, you need to be super aware and be a lot more careful than you think you need to be.

Oncoming cars making a left hand turn in front of you.

Okay, final thing. This seems really specific but is the cause of a huge number of motorcycle wrecks and often leads to serious injuries for the motorcyclist because it results in a head-on or near head-on collision. This exact thing has almost happen to me enough times that I always ride with my high beam on during the day, and I recommend you do the same. Just remember to turn it off at night.

Just as a quick bonus, two other things that are significant enough to mention. The first happens to me a lot: cars changing into your lane (or through your “lane” if you’re splitting lanes). Adjust your speed and spacing to be prepared for any of them to do it at any time. And the second not so common, but near to my heart given my current handicapped situation: When your light turns green, make sure the cross traffic is slowing down before you go, because sometimes they will ignore the red and accelerate directly into your foot.

So that’s it. Four things, two super easy, two you just need to keep in mind while riding, that will significantly reduce your chances of being injured on a motorcycle:

Don’t drink and ride

Wear a full face helmet

Be very careful for your first few thousand miles

Watch out for oncoming cars turning left in front of you

Riding is still dangerous. Life is dangerous. But it’s worth it. Yes, I’m getting another bike when I can ride again; probably two. I love motorcycles, and I’ll be out again, a little bit more cautions, and hopefully a little bit safer, looking forward to the day when the roads are filled with self-driving cars.

Also, if you drive a Mustang, you are a terrible driver. You suck at driving.

Seriously, this is not a joke, you are a menace to civil driving, and you should have your license revoked.

Matt Brown is a sometimes writer, occasional engineer, and guy who barely keeps up !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (100)

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 14:48

If this doesn’t get FP’ed I’ll get Raph a Ducati and a beanie lid.

Justin Hughes > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 14:49

If this doesn’t get FP’ed I’d gladly repost this to a new motorcycle site I’m building...

Chasaboo > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 14:51

I think that’s part of the appeal for riding a motorcycle. There’s so much detail in keeping upright, away from idiots in SUVs which are the worst, and then the changing weather.

Was hit from behind once by an idiot woman in an Accord. I wound up unscratched on the hood of her car. Just lucky.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 14:53

I’ve also seen some other motorcycle videos and other things to avoid to increase safety:

don’t get into doing stunts

don’t weaving in and out of traffic at speeds much higher than traffic

Leave a good margin of safety... especially around curves so that you might have some chance to recover if hitting a patch of sand or some oil.

Don’t rely on loud pipes to save your life.

spanfucker retire bitch > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 14:53

Every time I leave NY I’m absolutely blown away at the number of motorcyclists on the road that don’t wear helmets simply because it’s not mandatory in their states.

I just can’t fathom what goes through their heads - you know, before they hit the asphalt.

Tekamul > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:00

This is really great, and pretty accurate.

All the risks you describe reflect my experiences. I’ve had the invisible left turn happen frequently, and never been surprised by it. I assume they’re all going to do it, so I’m ready.

But the thing that surprises me so often is the lane change. It happens so many times. I’ve taken to spending as little time as possible next to someone, like a chipmunk sneaking past as cat. I approach slowly, then once I reach the driver’s window, I blast by before they can push me into oncoming traffic.

The worst example was about 8 years ago, in a 2 lane roundabout. The pickup next to me decided he wanted to be in the left (my) lane. As he’s sliding over, with me level with his window, he never even glanced left. He’s moving over so fast, my knee-jerk response was to flail out and whack his window with my glove as I’m crowding myself into the tiny shoulder.

He looked pretty surprised.

Justin Hughes > spanfucker retire bitch
06/21/2016 at 15:06

I’ve lived near and in states without helmet laws, and I don’t get it either. I used to live in a town in MA (a helmet law state) on the border of NH (Live Free Or Die Without A Helmet). Naturally I’d do my shopping in tax-free NH. During motorcycle season, there were almost always bikes pulled over at the border. Northbound riders were taking off and stowing their helmets, while southbound riders were putting on their DOT approved brain buckets.

For the record, I always wear mine, no matter what the law requires, at the cost of respect and waves from helmetless Harley riders.

Nonster > Justin Hughes
06/21/2016 at 15:07

New motorcycle site? Do tell....

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:07

Speaking as a jalop-oriented cyclist who took a significant chunk out of his knee while mountain biking at lunch today, I would also like to add: wether on motorcycle or bicycle, don’t ride above your skill level. You are (most likely) not a MotoGP/red bull downhill rider, and riding too fast/hard or on terrain that’s too advanced for your current skill set will bite you. My exposed kneecap rather nicely elucidates that fact. And that's nothing compared to the author, whom I wish a speedy and uneventful recovery.

Justin Hughes > Nonster
06/21/2016 at 15:09

Not ready yet, but under construction. Think Right Foot Down , but for motorcycles.

Tripper > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:11

Glad to hear you’re okish.

I’m a new rider in PA. It truly is baffling how many people wear little or no protection. I’ve got a Shoei RF1200 a padded jacket, gloves, and boots. When I ride to work I think, “Fuck, I need some sort of riding pants.” I have even spoken to a few people that think that safety gear wont help!

A few weeks ago, I pulled up to a light next to a guy on an electric bike, and another guy on crotch rocket of some variety. I’ve got a Honda Grom, so the three of us had a quick laugh about the quirky bunch of cycles that ended up at the same light. The crotch rocket guy mentioned that the three of us were the only riders that he had seen that day wearing helmets.

Matt Brown > Tekamul
06/21/2016 at 15:16

It is unbelievable how often people change lanes without looking.

cazzyodo > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:16

Glad you’re good.

I haven’t been on mine in a while but I always always always tell people full face is the only way I would ever ride. It came in handy when a 2 inch beetle decided to say hi at 55mph and it certainly came in handy for you.

PartyPooper2012 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:16

ahhh!

sub-conscience, not subconscious

Matt Brown > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:21

FP Bonus: X-rays!

Total injuries: Femur broken in two places with another crack in the middle, shattered Tibia, broken fibula, foot broken in three places, and enough titanium to build a small space station.

Kinja'd!!!

CaptainButters > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:22

My god. You need to by a lotto ticket.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:23

Being a new rider

Being a drunk rider

An oncoming car turning left in front of you

Your un-helmeted face bouncing off the oncoming car turning left in front of you

all of these will happen a lot this week in my town... motogp running the local track sunday....brings out the worst in the local riders (worst riders then bring out the worst in drivers too)

gonna be a lot of lost licenses by monday..(hopefully not many lost lives... but the TT usually claims at least one visitor)

User1312 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:24

All excellent points I agree with. Those subconscious motorcycle skills do come along, and your lane thieving cager isn’t at all a surprise. But it does take more time than driving, imo.

I had a very close left turn situation once. All low speed, and I cannot fathom why the driver didn’t see me. But as a riding instructor, I have to demonstrate quick stops regularly, which allows me practice. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep one’s quick stop and swerve skills fresh. Ideally, you can perform those maneuvers as muscle memory, so you can stay aware of other threats during (traffic from behind, what you’re swerving into, etc).

Glad to hear you’re on the mend. What bike is catching your fancy?

The English Guy > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:26

Biased because my wife is getting a Mustang. But the awful driver quotient appears strongest with BMWs when I ride.

There’s a combination of someone who bought a car to celebrate how important they feel they’ve become, mixed with good soundproofing to deaden them to all awareness of the outside world.

Not all drivers of a brand are bad. The best may be wonderful. There may be worse with other brands. But the highest consistent concentration of jackholes who try to block lane splitters, who swerve without looking or signaling, who don't let people merge... They're driving BMWs.

MyEgo > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:27

We have helmet laws, and drunk driving laws. If we can have ‘Mustang Driver’ laws, the world will be a safer place!

PatBateman > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:27

The Mustangs are coming for us. They are angry, and the C&C crowds were just the beginning. They know who we are, and are out for blood.

Matt, I’m glad you’re recovering, but you need to lock your doors right the hell now; they might be coming to finish the job.

For the rest of you: go buy bro-dozers. It’s the only way we can stay safe. God speed, everyone.

*goes to autotrader.com to find slightly used F-250 4x4s with 8" lifts for sale.*

ETA: #teamhairychests #wevegonethroughpuberty

The Compromiser > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:28

Ouch. Excellent read. this is the type of writing we need.

Margin Of Error > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:28

Kinja'd!!!

kmoney > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:28

One thing I would add to the list — I don’t know if these are statistically significant, or not, but they are usually brutal if not fatal. Getting rear ended. Always watch your mirrors until the car behind you has stopped and have escape routes in case they aren’t going to stop. This means not stopping in the middle of the lane with your bike in neutral and immediately putting your feet down and taking your hands off the controls, like I see lots of riders do. This is especially so if you are the only one turning left in a non-dedicated lane or stopping at the back of a long line of cars on the highway.

Duck > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:28

I’m an avid rider and I’m right up there with you on the dangers and everything you can do to minimize them. That being said, in my local area, four riders have been killed in the past three weeks.

On the local riding Facebook, they all blame the car drivers, when I firmly 100% believe it was the riders fault.

The first one, the kid was going 80 mph through a red light and a car turned left in front of him. The local riding Facebook claims the car should have seen him, even though the car driver had a green turn arrow and the speed limit is 45 mph there.

The second one was some fella that was going 90 mph in a 55 mph and simply overshot a turn and ended up smacking a tree. No cars involved, so luckily they couldn’t blame a car driver.

The third one was a fella that started ripping it when the light turned green and rammed into the side of a turning box truck. It’s estimated he was going over 80. Again, box truck driver was blamed for not seeing him, even though the speed limit is 40 mph.

The last one was a fella that had someone pull out in front of him. He was going 70 mph in a 30 mph and had a 0.09 BAC.

The common thing about all these dead guys? They were all speeding. All of them. You can’t expect a person to see you a properly judge your speed when you are going twice the speed limit. That’s on you. You’re the one making the mistake, not the car.

The second thing in common with these dead guys? All of them have been under 25.

I’m on the cusp of that last part, and it’s a bit scary. Especially because I crack the throttle a bit and you can end up stupid fast in a short amount of time. Every day I ride, I work to not become the next name in the paper. Be smart people.

Frankenbike666 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:29

I can sum up what has kept me from finding out whether my helmet is enough protection, in a single word: prediction. Predicting what other vehicles are likely to do lets me think of various routes out of the situation if my more pessimistic predictions come true.

Also, letting drivers who are signaling a lane change, change their lanes during lane splitting if there’s a gap they might fit into. Then I pass them. You are allowed to slow down and yield a position when you are on a motorcycle.

Around where I live, it’s the German luxury car owners who never signal and change lanes even when they know you are there, and the owners of white work pickup trucks, especially the ones with the double wide wheels on the back, who give no shits about laws or anyone else on the road. If I had to pick one, pickup drivers are the worst.

RevengencerAlf > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:29

I think people look. They just look lazily and have their cars set up completely wrong. Almost every car I’ve sat in just driven by someone else had a glaring blind spot because the mirrors tilted so far in or down that the majority of them are filled with either the ground or the side of the car.

Part of me actually thinks this is worse because it’s not just a spur of the moment laziness but an active contempt for learning how to properly and respectfully operate a 2000lb death machine

QuadPole > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:30

#2 and #4 are the rider’s responsibilities. How does this support your opening statement that drivers suck at driving when you state facts that support the hypothesis that some riders suck at riding?

freeskierusa123 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:30

Also, if you drive a Mustang, you are a terrible driver. You suck at driving.

Seriously, this is not a joke, you are a menace to civil driving, and you should have your license revoked.

Right on cue:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

450X_FTW > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:30

Game over man, that leg has gotta go. Ask for robot legs! If you’re lucky your insurance should cover it.

CampingElement > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:30

“......and then changed into my lane without looking or using a turn signal because his subconscious has been programed to be an asshole.”

I love this.

NasalRadiator911 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:31

Glad you will be ok. I have all but given up riding on the street, as the idiot percentage goes up every year. I find track days are enough to get my fix on two wheels, ymmv.

Paullubbock > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:32

Hey we have the same ankle plate and screws! It’s like we’re twins. I don’t ride anymore and just fair warning, the pain gets better but never really goes away, as you get older or the change of weather or you put to much weight on it for to long, etc. Do your therapy and it will hurt like hell but eventually it helps restore full mobility.

You came out worse than I for sure. But I was discharged with only crutches from ER, only to be later X-rayed by another Dr. with two broken legs and a shattered ankle. I was wondering why it hurt so much to move about.

marshamallow > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:32

Just gonna leave this here...

Kinja'd!!!

Matt Brown > User1312
06/21/2016 at 15:33

I did seem to see a decrease in this happening since I started riding with my high beam on during the day, for what it’s worth. I was riding a supermoto (KTM 690, totaled in the wreck). I’ll probably get the exact thing again. Love that bike.

Duck > QuadPole
06/21/2016 at 15:33

You mean #1, #2, and #3?

Drunk riding is on the rider. The full face helmet is on the rider. The new and inexperienced rider is on the rider. And as long as the rider is following the law (can be a big assumption with some riders), someone turning in front of you is on the the car driver. Don’t get me wrong, there are several techniques out there to help prevent that from happening, or bettering your position should it happen, but that all falls back to be a new and inexperienced rider.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > 450X_FTW
06/21/2016 at 15:33

smobgirl > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:34

Yikes. Hope you’re healing up quickly. More people need to see that helmet/face/windshield comparison (like my stupid cousin who refuses to wear one).

I have to ask - are you planning on keeping the helmet (obviously not to use again though)? I have a shattered bike helmet and ski helmet at home that I’ve held on to for (I guess) superstitious reasons. They just take up space but I can’t bring myself to toss them.

Xedicon > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:35

I still can’t believe how often a car would think that because my bike takes up a small part of the lane that it’s okay to pass me in the same lane!

QuadPole > Duck
06/21/2016 at 15:36

I am willing to let #1 slide because we were /are new riders at some point. #3 is on the driver because hitting someone on a left turn could just as easily happen to a pedestrian.

Wearing appropriate safety gear is 100% on the rider.

Johnnyazz > spanfucker retire bitch
06/21/2016 at 15:37

living in CT now. Its incredible, and im in a fairly big city/town with a lot of traffic, and a lot of drivers from the burbs,exurbs and rural area’s who come into town for work who cannot drive worth a shit. yet almost every Harley rider I see has no helmet.

ncasolowork3 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:38

I’d give a glib comment about #twowheelsbad or how just not riding reduces the risk 100%, but your information is structured, informative, and actually tells people who ride to wear a helmet.

to be clear. Anyone not wearing a helmet is a moron. It’s like riding in a car and not wearing a seatbelt. I see people without a helmet and I wonder when their time is up.

I mean lets think about it. How many people here can say they’ve never been in a motor vehicle accident? I’ve been in three and that doesn’t include a couple 3mph fender taps. Once turning left into my subdivision someone pulled out into me (age 16). Once just minding my own business going straight (age 33) when someone apparently thought the intersection I was approaching was a 4 way stop (it wasn’t) and once because I switched lanes with another car in my blind spot (my fault at the age of 18).

So I’ve been driving for nearly 20 years. I’ve been in 3 accidents that were noteworthy. One my fault. I will not challenge the odds that racking up miles on a bike will not result in me, at some point, being involved in a motor vehicle accident. There are some people in my extended family that ride. I believe all of them have broken bones due to an accident. Mostly not their fault, but I somehow doubt that matters at that point.

edu-petrolhead > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:39

In Brazil things are waaaay different. Almost three quarts of all emergencies treated on ERs in my country are bikers who suffered accidents. Since you wrote a bit about motorcycle safety on US, let me show how things are in other country.

And, in most of the times, the rider is wrong.

Why I’m so incisive? Because most Brazilian bikers think cars maneauver like bikes, that cars don’t have blind spots and, if the traffic is clogged at 20-30 km/h and you’re changing lanes, you’ll not be able to avoid a 120+ km/h bike lane splitting. Let me explore those points a bit more:

1) Brazilian bikers tend to believe then can ride wherever the bike fits. This includes passing you in the left, passing you in the right and passing other bikers while passing you at either side. This includes also trying to squeeze the bike between cars/buses/trucks and the curb on a intersection. I lost count of how many times I had to make an ultra-wide conversion at an intersection, going full four wheels on the wrong way just because a motorcycle was between my car and the sidewalk.

2) I’ve seen it more than once. Many bikers seen to choose exactly the sweetspot of the cars’ blind spots to ride. We call them the “vampire bikers”, because you turn on the blinker, look at the mirrors, look over your shoulder, look at the mirrors again to be sure, start the lane conversion and begin to hear the biker honking at you.

3) Finally, lane splitting. If you’ll do this, at least do it safely. In most Brazilian cities, it isn’t rare to see bikes lane splitting at more than 100 km/h. Just search youtube for “moto corredor” and you’ll see lots of bikers who film themselves doing this. Whoever rides a motorcycle has to know that if they’re lane splitting at high speed on a slow traffic, if a car is going to change lanes, you’re going so fast that if the car driver don’t sees you, (s)he wouldn’t be able to avoid an accident. I’m not considering, though, the assh*** drivers who think the blinkers are for Christmas use only.

I commute almost 80 km a day, back and forth from home to university to home, and most of these kilometers are on highways, completely clogged at the time I usually leave home. I drive for 7 years, some times 200 km a day, and never was involved in an accident. But I’ve seen some pretty nasty stuff, and most of them, the fault was on the biker. Only a minor part of those accidents happened by the car driver’s fault. In my last example, I’ve seen a biker been thrown 5 or 6 meters, after crashing at some 100 km/h on the side of a Peugeot 407, who was changing lanes in slow traffic. I was two cars behind, and the biker was so fast that I began hearing his bike only a few fractions of a second before seeing a red blur passing by me and crashing on the car.

Crapflinger > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:39

“When your light turns green, make sure the cross traffic is slowing down before you go”
same goes for a car....you fuckers behind me can honk all you want, but till i’ve got a positive indication the other guy’s are stopping (or actually turning, just because they’ve got a signal on doesn’t mean they haven’t had it on for the past hour) i’m not moving from my side of the light

McNobody > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:41

I would add one other major cause of hurt for bikers: being rear ended while sitting in traffic like a car.

The death rate of Californian motorcyclists when struck from behind by a passenger car is 25% of Arizona’s. Climate and traffic and riding seasons are similar. The difference? Lane splitting. I lane split even where it’s illegal, because my life is worth a ticket. Still haven’t gotten one, though.

Mystical Cat > User1312
06/21/2016 at 15:41

The driver didn’t see you because they weren’t looking for you. I wear a highlighter-yellow jacket and helmet and I still deal with idiots on a daily basis, because they’re not looking for me.

Ever see the video that starts with, “Count how many times they pass the basketball” so you watch and count and are all proud of yourself, and at the end they say, “Did you see the guy in the gorilla suit?” More than likely you didn’t because you weren’t looking for it. Humans are really shitty at true multitasking, and this is why the marketing campaign about “Share the road, watch out for motorcycles,” is not the least bit hyperbolic.

ecafsub > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:41

Buddy of mine lost his foot years ago when a silly bitch turned left in front of him. His bike and the car decided to put a crush-grip on said foot while the rest of him went sort-of over the hood. More like a face-plant into the hood while his foot and leg were mangled in directions not found in nature.

it was gross. people hurled. he screamed. a lot.

The closest calls I’ve had was once when a Mercedes driver decided to enthusiastically change lanes behind me. Enthusiastically and rapidly. My guardian angel goosed me, so I checked my mirror and saw a tri-star the size of Milwaukee bearing down. Took my CX500 over the curb.

Another when buzzing along on my old TC185 when a cage decided to join me in my lane without, you know, looking first. She realized her error when I knocked on her window. Emphatically. With my fist (thank Bog for gloves.)

klurejr > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:42

Well done, all the “close calls” I have had over the years could have been not close calls at all if I was just riding a little bit slower. So now I ride slower.

Also props to not jetting off the line on a green. I have nearly been hit by bad red light runners a few times. Scary stuff.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Turbolence1988 Loves Magic Turn Circles > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:44

Great advice, and glad to hear you made it through. The road is littered with too many people who don’t respect motorcycles and feel invincible in their Giant Metal Cages.

I don’t ride regularly (or even rarely, for that matter), but the eye-opening experience that was learning to ride a motorcycle on the road completely changed how I drive around motorcyclists. I used to treat them like other cars, but now I yield significantly to them and lengthen my following distance behind one after experiencing firsthand just how exposed they are. Much more respect for those who choose to ride.

FutureHeelToeHistorian > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:44

But will it cut the odds in half of me being cut in half?

FutureHeelToeHistorian > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:44

2 WHEELS BAD

Lurker113 > Margin Of Error
06/21/2016 at 15:46

Kinja'd!!!

Enderxenocide23 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:46

Just last week I was on the highway I was getting ready to move to the left lane and I count cars passing to check what I saw in the mirror. Everyone but the bike passed me, looked sideways (nothing), looked in my mirror (nothing), looked sideways again there he is as he pulled past my blind spot.

skeffles > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:47

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I don’t drive a Mustang, but I am willing to admit I am often far from the best driver in the world. A lot of the time it slightly scares me, especially since work demands often mean I am more tired and stressed than is really safe for the road. This is why I welcome the advent of self-driving cars, they cannot come soon enough. Bikers ought to welcome that too, well, I mean well behaved bikers who bike according to the law. They are gonna have a good time. Badly behaved bikers who fuck up autonomous vehicle’s predictive algorithms are gonna have a real sucky time of it. And if there is enough of the latter then biking is gonna get banned before human piloted cars do.

Lampost452 > User1312
06/21/2016 at 15:48

Absolutely agree on panic stop practice, there is a way to grab a bunch of brakes that won’t make the front end fold and riders need to practice this, but it seems they rarely do.

CalBearsFan99 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:48

For the 4th, I’m curious if modulated headlights help much? I had kids and cut my risk by 100% and don’t ride anymore :(

Lampost452 > Tekamul
06/21/2016 at 15:50

I practice ABP - Always Be Passing. Hanging out next to cars seems to invite them over to occupy your space.

JApexing > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:51

Great article Matt. I’m a new rider and am definitely over cautious of others on the pavement. Luckily I ride a dualsport and spend as much time off the road as possible.

Love that KTM690 tho. :(

Also, do you think adventure or even mx riding boots would have saved your lower bones? Mainly fibula/tibia/ankle? Because that looks messed up... sorry.

lingenfelter > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:51

Reliable? I don’t follow the new bike scene, but my R6 is a 99... so I’m bound to be replacing it sooner or later. KTM seems to have a bit of a bum rap, but nothing I’ve read gives a distinct reason. I love the look of their bikes though, and the R6 is terrible for longer or two-up riding (not what it’s made for, but the price was right when I bought it).

Lampost452 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:51

I think in ‘The cool thing is, you won’t even know what you’re reacting too sometimes.’ , ‘too’ should be ‘to’

SOCdriver > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:52

Hope for a quick recovery in both your health and your bike ownership. Also don’t let Mr. Mustang drivers insurance off easy, milk the shit out of them. Dude needs to have a life time of new driver in a V8 Mustang levels of insurance, even if his next car is a 2002 Kia Rio.

Nonster > Justin Hughes
06/21/2016 at 15:55

Sweet! I’d be interesting in contributing if possible. I’ve only been riding for a little more than a year, but I’m planning on going to my first track day later this year and am in the process of collecting the gear needed for it so if you want a newbie’s perspective I’d be happy to help!

ex.saint > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:55

Not sure I agree with driving with your high-beams on all day. Some Chrysler products here use their high beams as DRLs and they’re obnoxiously bright, even during the day.

arl > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:55

I’ve never ridden a motorcycle. But I did get my right leg smashed to bits riding a bicycle. Someone ran a stop sign and t-boned me at about 30mph. Threw me 20 feet and snapped my tib/fib into bits.

It took 4 surgeries; a titanium rod INSIDE my tibia from the knee to my ankle, a plate on the front of my tibia, a bone graft out of my GOOD femur (due to a non-union 3 months in,) and multiple screws to stitch it all back together again. I could walk without assistance (wheelchair, crutches, cane) in 9 months.

Good times remembering the Oxycontin, the Percocet, and the shots in the stomach I had to give myself daily to stave off blot clots. I watched a lot of bad TV in those drug induced weeks, a lot of bad TV.

Oh yea, then there was the time I almost died of a blot clot in the middle of the night after the third surgery.

I don’t ride much anymore.....too many idiots on the road.

Best of luck to you in your recovery!

Future next gen S2000 owner > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:55

Sponge baths are totally worth it.

F1N4LLY > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:56

A fun way to get used to being invisible in traffic: go ride a bicycle.

Bonus: you are invisible but when drivers see you they also hate you and want you off THEIR roads. Your survival instincts and situational awareness get really good, really fast.

CitronC > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:58

Be glad it wasn’t the pelvis, on ortho clinicals I saw bean a few bags swollen to the size and color of two eggplants.

StuntmanDan > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:58

This reminds me of the worst accident I’ve ever seen. I came up behind a motorcycle that had just crashed and had hit right in the center of a car turning left. The motorcycle rider was wearing no gear other than a helmet, and he flew over the car, with his bike angling off the car to the left, and he hit an SUV in the rear while airborne. I think I was there less than a minute after it happened, and he definitely did not survive until I got there.

This brings us to one more lesson you didn’t include. The news article in the paper the next day said he was traveling at 70+ mph at the time of impact, and the speed limit on that road is 30 mph. At more than twice the speed limit on a normally busy road, nobody will see you coming, and you will not have time to react to them.

User1312 > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:58

We regularly share the high-beams-during-the-day advice. Seeing other riders, it makes a big difference. Hard to argue with going back to supermoto..

Anduha > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:59

Get a Mustang detector. Makes you aware of all Mustangs in a 20 mile radius.

xenol > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 15:59

After the last two, I think most of reducing your chances of getting into an accident boils down to defensively driving. Maintain situational awareness, be visible, try to predict what others will do so if they do it it comes as less of a surprise, etc.

I think a lot of this carries over from your car driving habits if you’ve driven a lot before riding. The MSF instructors were saying how you drive is pretty much a predictor in how you ride.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Matt Brown
06/21/2016 at 16:00

left turner got me.

fawgcutter > QuadPole
06/21/2016 at 16:00

I’ve taken to wearing an orange safety vest after nearly getting hit by a Kansas farmer making a left turn in front of me into his farm (while giving the look of “what the f**k you’re doing here”) and championing the Art Friedman and Andy Goldfine philosophies of “Loud Suits (and fluorescent helmets) Saves Lives.” Another strategy is “Ahead, behind and never alongside,” that is, never assume the other guy will see you.

Matt Brown > QuadPole
06/21/2016 at 16:00

Most motorcycle wrecks are caused by other vehicles not seeing them. Extra injury from not wearing a helmet may be the fault of the rider but the initial wreck may not be. Also, the new rider thing is an issue largely because they’re not used to seeing other drivers do dangerous things yet. But yes, so many riders suck at riding and make up a bunch of the bike wrecks out there, but those people aren’t going to read a blog for information on how to be safer, they’re just going to say “fuck you, I’m awesome” and then wheelie into a phone booth.

Justin Hughes > Nonster
06/21/2016 at 16:00

We’re looking for writers. Drop me a line - jhughes@rightfootdown.com . That goes for anyone else who would be interested, too.