Baby boomers dying in motorcycle wrecks

[johnnymk]

BY DAVID SHARP Associated Press


PORTLAND, Maine - Mike Cullinan made a midlife course correction, breaking up with his girlfriend and buying himself a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle: a 620-pound Dyna Low Rider with a 1,450-cc, fuel-injected engine.

Lots of baby boomers and middle-age Americans such as Cullinan, 38, are getting motorcycles, whether to recapture their lost youth or pull through some kind of midlife crisis.

And now, as a result, riders 40 and over are accounting for an alarming number of motorcycling deaths.

Safety specialists suspect older riders with a lot of disposable income are buying more machine than their aging bodies can handle.

Across the country, the annual number of motorcycle fatalities among 40-plus riders tripled during the past decade to 1,674 in 2003, while deaths among riders under 30 dropped slightly to 1,161, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to NHTSA, the average age of motorcyclists killed in accidents rose from 32 in 1994 to 38 in 2003.

''It's really kind of astonishing. The ages of these fatalities are so high. You would think it would be all of the young kids on those fast bikes, but it's not,'' said Carl Hallman, highway safety coordinator with the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The surge in deaths among older riders helped to push motorcycle fatalities higher overall.

They jumped by nearly half during the past five years, from 2,483 in 1999 to 3,661 in 2003.

In Maine, 22 people were killed on motorcycles in 2004, the highest level in a decade. In New Hampshire, 29 died, versus nine the year before. In Vermont, there were 11 fatal crashes, more than in the three previous years combined. In all three states, riders in their 30s and older accounted for the most crashes.

As for why so many riders in their 40s, 50s and beyond are dying, big, powerful bikes appear to be part of the explanation. NHTSA data show that engine size and deaths among riders with the largest class of engines rose during the past decade. Also, safety specialists say many older riders are either returning to motorcycling after many years or are trying it for the first time.

Finally, safety officials point out that older riders' eyesight and reflexes are not what they once were.

[Nanotech9]

yeah this was just posted on our local www.speed-tribe.com and the response was... "news we already knew". lol.

we pretty much blame the middle aged "i have a good line of credit and just bought a fancy harley and wanna fit in so i'm gonna go to every bar i can find, get drunk, and ride home" attitude for the deaths...

I've only had two personal friends die on sportbikes in the last 4 years... one was in his mid 30's the other in his 20's. The first was an accident at night - car over centerline... the second, unfortunately, he chose to run from the Popo and paied the ultimate price to freedom... however, in the last 4 years, i've heard of dozens of cruiser deaths... Around here, 90% of the cruisers i see are parked in front of a bar.

[BrewMaster]

that's kind of frightening and sad. but I suppose the same thing could happen if those same people were buying sports cars to satisfy that midlife crisis.

[mechmike0034]

that's kind of frightening and sad. but I suppose the same thing could happen if those same people were buying sports cars to satisfy that midlife crisis.

Yeah, but cars are much more forgiving than bikes when their respective operators do stupid things.

Though I fit the demographic, I don't feel like I am part of that group. I have been riding off and on for thirty years or so, and I am conservative.

I don't "ride with the pack" because riding with a group of inexperienced people will get you killed. I have done two local charity "poker runs" in the last couple of years, and was nearly run off the road by inexperienced members of the "cruiser crew" both times. If you can't hold your lane/line while riding staggered double-file in a group then you've got no business riding.

I'll ride by myself, thanks - it is bad enough dodging HUA four-wheeled drivers without worrying about being run over by an in-over-his-head motorcyclist.

If you want to ride, regardless of your age (or previous experience if you've been away from it for a while) then *PLEASE* go take the basic MSF course. The hide you save might be mine. :)

[johnnymk]

Wow, that's interesting. I always thought that riding in a pack was a good thing. I figured that other motorists would be less willing to do crazy things if you were part of a group.

[Bires]

And now, as a result, riders 40 and over are accounting for an alarming number of motorcycling deaths.

Safety specialists suspect older riders with a lot of disposable income are buying more machine than their aging bodies can handle.


Eh. You pays your money. You takes your chances.

At least they aren't running down 12-year-olds in their giant boat-cars.

[BrewMaster]

Wow, that's interesting. I always thought that riding in a pack was a good thing. I figured that other motorists would be less willing to do crazy things if you were part of a group.
it might not be a matter of doing crazy things. simply not being under full control of your bike could bump someone else or cause other problems. not to mention that if one guy wipes out, there are a whole lot of others behind him that are going to pay for it.

[bachviet]

We need more stringent eye and physical tests for pple over 40 with a motocycle license.

[brainsmile]

maybe they're having heart attacks

[Nanotech9]

bachviet... we need more stringent eye and physical test for cagers (car drivers) over 40... theres people in cars that run bikes off the road like they're nothing... they dont even treat bikers as humans... i've hade people merge lanes right into me right after they look over at me and look me in the eyes.... The cops wont do anything, and the cagers dont care, so now we've started taking matters into our own hands... people who look at us then merge into us get their door panels kicked in, or mirrors kicked off, etc. We're tired of people basically comitting assualt with a deadly weapon and getting away with it scott free.

BTW, the bigger the group, the more "newbies" you get riding with you... also, the crazier it gets - adrenalin gets going, people want to show off, and newbies wanna get out there and "prove" that they're as good as the old timers and do something stupid in the middle of the pack and wreck.... the old timers know to do it out in front or off to the side so as not to endanger the other riders.

[mechmike0034]

We need more stringent eye and physical tests for pple over 40 with a motocycle license.

The process to become licensed to operate any type of motor vehicle, be it from two to eighteen wheels, should be a whole lot more like the process to become licensed to fly an airplane.

[bachviet]

The process to become licensed to operate any type of motor vehicle, be it from two to eighteen wheels, should be a whole lot more like the process to become licensed to fly an airplane.
Can't do that here in the US since cars are the main transportation for most pple because we don't have good mass transportation. You deprive pple the driving right, you deprive pple from making a living.

[johnnymk]

This thread has brought up things I never realized before.

So which is better...riding in a pack where hopefully other motorists will treat you more politely but taking the chance that a newbie in the pack could cause a major accident or travelling solo realizing that some idiot might run you off the road?

There was an article several months ago that described how the local police will start enforcing ordnances regarding loud motorcycles because of late night cruising in the neigborhoods. One guy whom the newspaper interviewed said that loud cycles make other motorists aware that cycles are nearby and are therefore a deterrent to running them off the road. It made sense to me.

I guess a loud cycle plus a scary looking dude riding it is a real deterrent.

[Merlin]

There was an article several months ago that described how the local police will start enforcing ordnances regarding loud motorcycles because of late night cruising in the neigborhoods. One guy whom the newspaper interviewed said that loud cycles make other motorists aware that cycles are nearby and are therefore a deterrent to running them off the road. It made sense to me.

Or in my little car I can just lean on the horn as I drive down the street. That way everybody knows where I am. Or better yet we can all just pull off our mufflers.Yeah, I've heard that arguement before and it is pretty weak. Just a justification for making the bike sound "cool."

But yes, people do need to be more aware of motorcycles.

And nano, be careful kicking the sides of people's cars. You gotta be real close to do that. Might I make a suggestion? Keep a roll of pennies handy. When someone gets too close just flip a few at him. Wakes folks right up.

[mechmike0034]

Can't do that here in the US since cars are the main transportation for most pple because we don't have good mass transportation. You deprive pple the driving right, you deprive pple from making a living.

The logic in that statement is flawed - operating a motor vehicle is a privilege, not a right.

[mechmike0034]

This thread has brought up things I never realized before.

So which is better...riding in a pack where hopefully other motorists will treat you more politely but taking the chance that a newbie in the pack could cause a major accident or travelling solo realizing that some idiot might run you off the road?

There was an article several months ago that described how the local police will start enforcing ordnances regarding loud motorcycles because of late night cruising in the neigborhoods. One guy whom the newspaper interviewed said that loud cycles make other motorists aware that cycles are nearby and are therefore a deterrent to running them off the road. It made sense to me.

I guess a loud cycle plus a scary looking dude riding it is a real deterrent.

Like I said earlier, I'll ride solo, thanks. The fewer the number of objects (cars, bikes, or whatever) there are in my immediate vicinity, the more room I have to take defensive/evasive action when something goes wrong. Give me that "cushion of space" anytime...

I am a conservative rider, but I am also the first one away from a traffic light - not because I have anything to prove or because I am an armchair drag racer, but so I can distance myself from the group of cars behind me and get a little space.

I also don't believe the old "Loud pipes save lives" argument. Loud pipes antagonize others, period. I would think that antagonizing other motorists would increase my chances of a crash rather than decrease them. People don't pay attention when they're PO'd. Road rage is a more likely result of antagonizing other motorists in this day and time.

[sparklet81]

And nano, be careful kicking the sides of people's cars. You gotta be real close to do that. Might I make a suggestion? Keep a roll of pennies handy. When someone gets too close just flip a few at him. Wakes folks right up. Posted by Merlin

:idea:I totally agree with Merlin on the pennies thing. I know that it's your life that people are messing with, and that totally pisses you off!:angry: You have a right to be upset about the fact that the police arn't getting involved, but when you start getting up close to the cars like that, that's when you start endangering yourself as well! If you keep a roll in you jacket pocket and throw them back at the car behind you, it can ding or nick their car pretty bad. Just think of how pissed you get when rocks hit your windshield in a car!:mad3: My friend Chris used to do this and it worked all the time. He would get up in front of the car on the freeway going about 70 MPH and throw about 5-10 over his shoulder, totally messing up the paint on the hood of the car and sometimes worse.:lmfao: I always gave him props for it, because the pricks deserved it! That's just like keeping a tube of paint gun pellets in your pack as well. :cheers: Paybacks a :censored: !

[Bires]

theres people in cars that run bikes off the road like they're nothing... they dont even treat bikers as humans...

This is why I stopped riding my mountain bike. Drivers are even worse about bike lanes-in Las Vegas, they are pass-on-the-right lanes. :censored:


You deprive pple the driving right, you deprive pple from making a living.

I was always taught that driving was a privledge, not a right.

Imagine, if you will, if we took licenses away at 60 years old. The taxicab businesses employ a lot of unskilled labor. They would expand, and hire a lot more unskilled labor, and they (high school dropouts, legal immigrants, etc) would actually contribute to society (pay taxes) instead of draining it with unemployment claims.

[bachviet]

This is why I stopped riding my mountain bike. Drivers are even worse about bike lanes-in Las Vegas, they are pass-on-the-right lanes. :censored:



I was always taught that driving was a privledge, not a right.

Imagine, if you will, if we took licenses away at 60 years old. The taxicab businesses employ a lot of unskilled labor. They would expand, and hire a lot more unskilled labor, and they (high school dropouts, legal immigrants, etc) would actually contribute to society (pay taxes) instead of draining it with unemployment claims.
How much is it going to cost the passengers for a week of taxi to/from work? How much will it cost them for a ride or two to the supermarket?

[Bires]

How much is it going to cost the passengers for a week of taxi to/from work? How much will it cost them for a ride or two to the supermarket?
With the increased demand one would expect new companies to form that would undercut each other and prices would be lower than they currently are. In urban areas, mass transit would also expand to cover.

[OC]

Stupid people doing stupid things and killing themselves. What a shame.