The Road Thriller
Riding a motorcycle is perhaps the most thrilling experience for the young generations and of course for a lot of people. In fact, one could make a credible argument that some of the best chases and stunts ever performed in movies have involved motorcycles rather than cars. Who forgets the famous runaway shots of Carrie-Anne Moss’s motorcycle ride with the key master in The Matrix Reloaded or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s greatest appearance riding on a huge Harley Davidson in The Terminator series and Tom Cruises’ super fascination of riding motorcycles almost on every movie he played. The action movie loses its excitement a great deal if not any motorcycle stunts are absent. These encourage lots of young people to feel the fascinations of speed and thrills of motorcycles rides. Of course, motorcycles are one of the most utility vehicles on the road, especially in heavy traffic. All of these valuable and beautiful things go down when crushing happens due to a lack of proper safety issues. Let us understand how to solve this with the implementation of the newest technology.
Motorcycle Accidents cost lives
Each year thousands of people died and millions are injured in motorcycles accidents around the world. The highest casualty is in India. WHO estimates that there were 299,091 total traffic-related deaths in India and 33% of their total of 98,700 people died in motorcycle accidents in the year 2020. Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia are the countries following India in motorcycle casualties. Roads are highly risky in Thailand. There were 5,458 motorcycle fatalities happened in the United States last year. Norway has the safest road in the world with a very minimum death rate.
Motorcycle Danger Statistics
Riding and controlling a motorcycle is much more difficult than driving a car. Reckless driving, speeding, driving distraction, and alcohol use are common causes of motorcycle accidents. We have a misconception that accidents occurs mostly at intersections, but it is not. Only 35% of the crashes happened at intersections. The majority of motorcycle crashes occurred on parts of roadways other than intersections. One factor that contributes to these statistics maybe speed. At intersections, motorcycles are far more likely to be traveling at slower speeds, stopping, or starting. In contrast, stretches of roads with no intersections result in higher speeds on average and no reason to slow down or stop. Another reason is the low visibility of the motorcycles, often other vehicles fail to recognize motorcycles properly and are majorly responsible for accidents.
Bad Weather
Uncontrollable factors like inclement weather can also set the stage for accidents. Inclement weather, on slippery road surfaces, or when encountering obstacles on the highway proves more hazardous for motorcycles than other motor vehicles.
Inexperienced Riders
One of the major causes of accidents is inexperienced riders riding the motorcycle and often get puzzled in face of danger. As we mentioned earlier it is more difficult to handle a motorcycle one must master it before going to a bigger periphery.
Bad Maintenance
Bad maintenance of a motorcycle often causes a mechanical failure and eventually accidents. Tires are very much crucial in this. Those often get into trouble.
Drivers Distraction
No matter how good we are at driving a vehicle always there are high chances of casualties for other drivers’ fault. The distraction causes this mainly. Everybody should be careful when driving any kind of vehicle.
Left Hand Turns
Cars and trucks making left-hand turns at intersections are particularly dangerous for motorcycles, and left-hand turns account for 42% of fatal motorcycle crashes with cars. Many of these crashes occur when the motorcyclist is either going straight or overtaking another vehicle.
As mentioned earlier, motorcycles are difficult to see, and many motorists will be on the lookout for other cars and not motorcycles at the intersection.
Lane Splitting
Lane splitting is when a motorcyclist rides between two lanes of cars in traffic. While it can be safe when done at a safe speed, relative to the traffic, it is also a major cause of accidents. Many motorists do not anticipate being overtaken in slow-moving traffic and therefore will not be looking out for a motorcyclist. As a rider, you will be near the cars when lane splitting, and if a car driver decides to change lanes abruptly, you will have very little space to maneuver out of the way.
Lane splitting is not illegal in most places. However, if an accident occurs during lane splitting, in many instances, the accident will be attributed to the motorcyclist unless they can prove that the car driver was inattentive.
Lane splitting has its benefits as it helps to reduce traffic congestion and helps to reduce overheating in your motorbike. It is only safe if you exercise extreme caution and a safe speed.
Driving under influence (DUI)
Motorcycle riders under influence of drugs, alcohol are risky to ride on the road. They often have the tendency of speeding and thus cause fatality.
Below are some statistics from North Carolina of the USA to illustrate just how deadly drinking and driving can be, especially for motorcyclists.
40-45% of all riders killed in motorcycle crashes had been drinking; only a third of these riders were legally drunk.
90% of crashes resulting in injury involved substances, compared to 33% of car accidents.
The Motorcyclist, the Lawyer, and the Insurance Company
The legal point of view is very controversial in the case of motorcycle accidents. Most of the time the insurance company tries to blame the motorcyclist to avoid the insurance claim, even though the accident occurs due to the failure of other vehicle drivers. In a blink of an eye, someone’s life is in jeopardy cause of other people’s failure, and for escaping the truth they want to demonize the motorcyclist as reckless riders. Motorcycle riders must carry minimum amounts of liability insurance coverage. So, if they are a crash that a car or truck driver causes, they should be able to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Good lawyers play a vital role in this and claim the demurrage in favor of the victim. Some good Law Offices will make sure to protect the rights of the motorcyclist.
The Safety issue
All disputes among lawyers, Insurance company and motorcyclists about accidents can be avoided if we increase certain safety issues of the motorcyclist. There are some rules and regulations for riding motorcycles. It may be different among countries but all are on the same page at one point, we have to save lives from sudden deaths and injuries. To stay safe on the motorcycle we must take some precautions. The increasing wearing rate of helmets is a good sign for all of us. It is the 1st start-up.
Constant training to improve our skills, wearing safety gear all the time, and always being vigilant on the road can reduce our chances of being in an accident. Most motorcycle accidents are preventable, and there are some basic motorcycle safety tips that we must follow to stay safe on our motorcycle.
Training
If we decide to own a motorcycle, we will need to go through a beginner's riding course that will teach us how to react to road conditions and avoid accidents. Correct body posture and how to use our motorcycle will make a big difference in rider safety.
As the saying goes, "Properly trained riders are safer riders." That means we have to invest in training to develop our skills. Defensive maneuvers that give us the skills to balance our motorcycle when braking, swerving, steering, and taking corners do not come naturally to most riders. Constant practice and taking advanced courses will improve our mental and physical skills for street riding.
Get the Gears all the time
It does not matter how we dress when driving a car, but it is absolutely important to have on our full motorcycle gear when riding. Without it, our skin will be grazed off like soft cheese when we go down and we have a high chance of a serious head injury, setting us up for a very long and painful recovery.
Riding gear includes chaps, pants, sturdy boots, a full leather jacket, and gloves, as well as a DOT-approved helmet. Getting road rash really sucks but having a head injury because we did not wear a proper helmet is very much worse.
We can get breathable gear from motorcycle shops that allow air circulation so we don't feel sticky.
Responsible Riding
Responsible riders obey traffic laws, know their skill limits, and they do not take risks. Always anticipate what other drivers are going to do and be constantly aware of the environment and the road condition.
Motorcycles do not register with other drivers easily, and many accidents are caused when the motorcyclist is in the driver's blind spot. Stay visible by having highly reflective gear, and also consider installing a headlight modulator to draw other drivers' attention is important.
Focused all the time
Motorcycling requires a lot of mental concentration, and a slight slip of attentiveness can be very costly. It includes taking alcohol or drugs when riding, which can severely impair our judgment. However, if we are going to drink, under medication, or tired we should not ride.
Preparing Ride
We should not neglect to maintain and check our motorbike before every ride. In short, we should check the following;
Look for signs of tread wear, bulges, or low pressure that could cause a tire to blow out.
Check that all the lights and signal indicators are working.
Brakes, clutch, and throttle should be working properly.
Check for oil or gas leaks under the motorbike.
Clean and adjust mirrors for clear viewing.
The possibility of AI-backed Motorcycle saves us all
Now comes the most important part, does technology reach the point of developing an AI-backed motorcycle to ease us all and keep everybody’s right? Some major improvement has already been done. many companies are trying to develop AI-backed motorcycles. BMW modified an R 1200 GS to operate without a rider. A new step to modify our way of looking at riding motorcycles. The Youtube link is below.
If the motorcycles of the future are like this it will significantly reduce the death rate caused by motorcycle accidents. Not only that, but with advanced technology, new riders may feel more comfortable hopping on a motorbike.
And that’s the main reason these technologies are being developed, as a new generation of riders is taking the handlebars, and to keep riding alive, motorcycle manufacturers have to build safer and innovative designed motorcycles. Maybe at that time super safe motorcycles will be a gorgeous ride for those who dare and for those who enjoy freedom.
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