I’m surprised that some places in the US still allow people to ride without helmets. And would there be people dumb enough to do so? I know that there must be thousands of accidents every year in Taiwan, but I wonder how many actual motorcycle/scooter deaths there really are here. Most accidents are low speed, minor spills. I know back home that since the roads are so wide open, and speeds can get up there, most bike accidents usually are fatal. What do you guys think? I know on a daily basis it is dangerous to ride here, but is it more or less dangerous than riding a bike back home? Putting into consideration bikes are allowed on the highway, and most bikes aren’t power restricted in North America, and are more widely avaliable and cheaper.
The stupid thing about that article is that they talk about the increase in motorcycle deaths…but they fail to mention that motorcycle sales have increased just as much if not more. So of course there are going to be more deaths when you have twice (slight exageration) as many people buying the bikes.
[quote=“Mordeth”]The stupid thing about that article is that they talk about the increase in motorcycle deaths…but they fail to mention that motorcycle sales have increased just as much if not more. So of course there are going to be more deaths when you have twice (slight exageration) as many people buying the bikes.
I like this though:
Wonder why this doesn’t happen here .[/quote]
Mordeth, do really think that this the only reason … more motorcycle sales … guess not wearing a helmet is the main reason.
I wonder how many old-timers here went helmet-less in the days before mandatory helmet laws? I know that for me, a helmet was something I wore when it rained.
[quote=“belgian pie”]Yes, it should be an individauls choice, but only the most stupid amongst us wouldn’t wear one … brainless, so no harm would be done anyway. Ha [/quote]Belgian Pie -
I think this is also referred to as “cleaning the gene pool.”
(but its not very PC to say things like that…heh heh heh)
[quote=“TainanCowboy”][quote=“belgian pie”]Yes, it should be an individauls choice, but only the most stupid amongst us wouldn’t wear one … brainless, so no harm would be done anyway. Ha [/quote]Belgian Pie -
I think this is also referred to as “cleaning the gene pool.”
(but its not very PC to say things like that…heh heh heh)[/quote]
Well, bad choice of words, limited vocabulary or slow response from my brain to my request .
The first time I rode my bike in Canada down to the states. I was like “woohoo…no helmet laws” so I took off my helmet and tried riding without it. Back then I had hair down to my shoulders…it knotted all to hell and was a bitch to brush out later…that was the last time I rode without a helmet. Man…I sound gay.
There are always exceptions to the rule as well. A friend of mine was riding his Harley with no helmet…and he got hit by a duck. He broke his neck and his hand was almost cut off. The doctors told him had he been wearing a helmet he would have died. Since the extra weight on the head would have caused the neck to break worse…killing him.
Also, while helmets stop “killing blows” to the head. They actually slightly increase the chance of neck fractures and breaks. So you might be decreasing your chance of dying, but some people say you are increasing your chance of becoming an invalid.
I don’t personally believe that and I always wear a helmet. But that’s just something I’ve heard.
I did the math once (well, myself and and lilipus)…if you look at Taiwan’s fatality statistics. You have roughly a one in a hundred chance of being killed on a bike…in a 50 year period. Sounds like good odds to me.
I did the math once (well myself and and lilipus)…if you look at Taiwan’s fatality statistics. You have roughly a one in a hundred chance of being killed on a bike…in a 50 year period. Sounds like good odds to me.[/quote]Thanks for putting up the links Mordeth! Looks like I can retire soon…
More statistics will be interesting but let’s remember that statistics don’t tell the whole story.
I remember reading that quite a high proportion (not a majority, but surprisingly high nonetheless) of motorbike accidents do not involve any other vehicles. A lot of inexperienced riders get high-powered bikes, try to ride like Rossi and end up losing it in a corner and wrapping themselves round a tree or something. IIRC this info came from the USA but I would say it applies to other places too to some extent.
My dad came across a rider who’d dropped her bike a couple of months ago. He helped her get the bike up – nice sport bike – and she muttered some thanks and something about “diesel on the road”. After she rode off, Dad had a good look. No diesel to be seen.
So whether here or elsewhere, rider decisions play a huge part in risk.
But more statistics will still be useful and maybe we can try to take the above factors into account and make educated guesses as to the answer to KR’s question.
I guess it depends on how you define it. You added “fatally,” so the answer must deal with number of deaths. In that case, it might be as simple as determining motorcycle deaths per capita.
However, regardless of the “per capita” statistics, after years of driving, I can tell you with no reservations that the driving situation in Taiwan is far, far more dangerous than driving in the U.S.
The statistics for a related comparison would likely be very difficult to get, but I’d like to see this from another, possibly more accurate angle. I’d like to compare the number of two-wheeled accidents of any type per capita. If that isn’t a lot higher in Taiwan, there must be some supernatural force at work here!
I’m still stunned that there aren’t bodies lying in most intersections on a daily basis in Taipei.
P.S. - Just like the situation with seatbelts where circumstances can be found to implicate seatbelt use in an accidental death, same is true for bike helmets. However, in both cases, the data should show that the odds are much better using both.
Motorcycle & scooter accidents per capita will be biased by the percentage of the population riding these things, which is sure to be higher here. What I imagine you want is the ratio of these accidents against the number of registered 2-wheelers, no?
You’re right – per capita was technically the wrong term. Per capita normally applies to the whole population, whereas I was naturally thinking of the riding population.
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