New bike crashed, pelvis smashed.

[anglachel]

That seems odd. I wonder if that is because a single vehicle crash with a helmet might go unreported since the injury might not require hospitalization but without a helmet the chances of injury are much greater thereby causing a claim to be filed.

I don't have the numbers to say for sure, but I think that would be mostly true for single bike accidents... if you hit a car, or vice versa someone is going to want a police report for insurance purposes.

I don't know if this applies to the world of motorcycles... but on bicycles cars give more space to riders based on if they have a helmet, a jersey, the appearance of their bike, and their gender.

For bicycles, women get more space from other motorists than men who are dressed similarly (researcher wore a wig to simulate being a woman without changing the rider and riding style). After that the more gear you have and the more "professional" you look the less space they gave. I would not be surprised if someone found the opposite true for motorcycles.

The conclusion for bicycles was that the more gear you had the more professional you looked and the more cars expected your actions to be predictable and thus gave less space. For a motorcycle the less gear you wear the more you look like a pedestrian and the cars are less likely to actually expect that you are going 60mph...
That isn't even mentioning the ~3 inches of extra size your head takes on with a helmet to help with visibility and colors that help with visibility...

 

[bonnielover]

We need a lobby. No, not some money sucking organization that collects our dues and gives us a sticker for our helmet.

This is a good idea. Actually, I think technology can help. Google, in it's effort to develop self-driving cars, will have to deal with the situation of "seeing" motorcycles coming the other way. If they can solve it, then all cars should be equipped with the technology, self-driving or not.

Other technology situations might be radar/gps or other technology that can be fitted on motorcycles that can be somewhat predictive of potential crash situations. For example, by knowing the proximity of upcoming intersections and the relative position, speed of approaching (or stopped) vehicles that might try to make that left turn in front of you.

This past May, the USDOT released a policy "...intended to advance testing of self-driving cars and to encourage development of precursor technologies, such as vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems and brakes that apply themselves when a crash is sensed to be imminent. We see tremendous promise in these technologies whether you’re looking at the current active safety systems in some vehicles today or whether you’re looking at a truly autonomous vehicle" according to the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Here's link to press release:
Google’s Self-Driving Cars Get Boost From U.S. Agency - Bloomberg

Meanwhile, the lobby idea is a good one and should promote technology solution as well as rider/driver education. If AMA doesn't do this kind of lobbying, then a separate organization would certainly be worthwhile.

 

[davidc83]

I live in Michigan and thanks to our governor repealing the helmet law, motorcycle insurance went up. Law or no law, I will always wear a helmet.

Your governor did NOT repeal the law. Your state legislature passed the law and the governor signed it; what I saw in the news, the legislature had enough votes to over-ride a veto. I dont understand it but ABATE apparently has a lot of clout in Michigan.

 

[fumanii]

Get well soon. That really sucks!

 

[CMGuy]

It seems to be a matter of principle to them. They usually also don't believe there should be seat belt laws for cars. In a way I kinda get it.... government telling you what is best for you. But since I think it's crazy not to wear a helmet or full protective gear it's hard for me to get very upset about the law.

Yes, a matter of principle. Nanny state. Just like the mayor of NYC trying to tell people they cannot buy the huge soft drink because it will make them fat. Not to diverge too much further off the subject but we can still buy cigarettes (although they are taxed so heavily, even w/o the health risks, I cannot imagine being a smoker). Just a question of where does it end? How much "regulation" is too much?

Having said that, I'd never ride w/o a full helmet even though AZ does not require a helmet. And I always (since I got my license in the 60s) wear my seat belt.

 

[CMGuy]

...safety classes like the Smith system... those who own the copyrights do not make the material freely available....

To give an idea of what it consists of, here are the 5 "keys" to the system.
1. Aim High in Steering
2. Get the Big Picture
3. Keep your Eyes Moving
4. Leave Yourself an Out
5. Make Sure They See You

Are there any motorcycle safety schools that teach the smith system?

I took the "Basic Rider" course offered by TEAM Arizona which uses a text book published by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Because of the copyright you note for the Smith System (royalty issue, I presume) they do not use it but they talk about SEE (Search, Evaluate, Execute) as well as how to be visible, aware of your surroundings, and leaving yourself an out. So, while not "branded" the Smith system, it seems the elements are there even if the words you cite are not explicitly used.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Prayers for a full and speedy recovery headed your way.

 

[shoemonkey]

this is why i have a cam at the very least you would of got the daft prick i had a very similar thing car went through a mini roundabout i had to lay it down and she didn't stop until she got about 50m away if she hadn't i had her number plate and the hole thing on cam

 

[jelo]

Sorry to hear - Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Slid on some gravel in the middle of nowhere on mine, ended up in the ditch in a cloud of dust - ATGATT saved my hide, bruised and beaten but intact.

 

[TomInOregon]

Sorry to hear about your injuries and I'm glad they weren't worse! May I ask what gear you were wearing and how it held up and what parts of it failed (if anything)? Do you think a different type of gear would have helped lessen your injuries?

 

[johnakay]

we have no choice we have to wear hemets and quite rightly so.
this should inc jackets and gloves.
I shudders when I see other bikers riding on the bikes with just a T shirt and no gloves.
they'll get more than just a gravel rash if they come off even at low speed.IDIOTS