[Shumi_21]

The idea for this thread came to me as I was talking to a friend who is predominantly a car guy and is looking to get into riding. His biggest concern was safety, especially on our chaotic roads. While I agree that a car is the safer way to travel, a motorcycle also has some safety advantages. I will list them out vis-a-vis cars so that a "driver" can begin his/her journey as a "rider". It is common knowledge that in the event of a crash motorcycle riders usually come off worse (even with AGATT!) than car drivers. Riders avoid some problems, like being trapped in a burning or sinking car, but in general an accident that dents a car can put a motorcyclist in hospital. That being said,

I find motorcycles safe because one can better avoid accidents on them.

While driving, I feel safe because I have protection in event of a crash, but on a motorcycle I feel safe because I have more options to evade said crash.A careless individual can injure themselves more easily on a motorcycle is an undeniable fact. A motorcycle is less forgiving of rider error is also undisputable. However, competent riders are less likely to have accidents because they:


1. Have Better Vision.
A motorcycle rider is usually seated higher than a car driver, hence has a better view of the road ahead. A better view means you see danger earlier, and can avoid it better. Riders have no car body around them to create vision blind sports. Just turning their head gives a clear all round view. A bike can also move left or right in the lane for a better view, if a truck blocks your vision. A car driver in contrast must remain on the steering wheel side. A motorcycle rider’s field of vision is further and wider than that of a car.The ability to see more lets you avoid more. If a person in a car three cars ahead stops suddenly, as a rider, I see it earlier, and have more time to make adjustments, to avoid a crash.


2. Agility : Better Evasion
A motorcycle being smaller, has more places to go safely in case of emergency. For example, if a car ahead stops suddenly, the car behind will have lesser room to maneuver. However a bike can swerve to the side, or fit between two cars on a multi lane highway. It can go on the safety shoulder too as a last resort. A motorcycle has evasion options not available to a car. It can accelerate and brake better in a potentially hazardous situation. In nearly every situation, a motorcycle has more evasive choices because it is smaller and more agile compared to a car.


3. Sense of speed and concentration.
A motorcycle has a heightened sense of speed. Going at 100kph on a bike feels much more "real" and demands total concentration on the riders part because even an error caused by another road user will hurt the rider more adversely. By comparison, a driver is separated from the world by the car body, air-conditioning and comfort. (Careless) Drivers may be distracted from the road by:
Food and drinks
Talking on cell-phones
Talking to passengers
Disciplining children
Taking selfies
Adjusting make-up
Shaving
Ok maybe not shaving but I have seen all others happen personally. Again I'm not saying that all drivers are susceptible to such distractions, I'm just pointing out that one is less likely to do so while riding a motorcycle.

In conclusion, the “strength” of a motorcycle is its flexibility, not its invulnerability. A car will always have the safety advantage compared to a motorcycle, but it's not all doom and gloom for riders as we too have some safety options. Hope this helps the "drivers" out there to start their "riding" journey!!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

In conclusion, the “strength” of a motorcycle is its flexibility, not its invulnerability. A car will always have the safety advantage compared to a motorcycle, but it's not all doom and gloom for riders as we too have some safety options. Hope this helps the "drivers" out there to start their "riding" journey!!

Nice story, but it doesn’t work like that. Despite all the advantages you list motorcycles tend to be in more accidents. For obvious reasons, having an accident with a motorcycle very quickly leads to (grave) personal injury.

In just about any statistic you can pull of the net motorcyclist come of considerable worse then cars, when it comes to to road safety:

Here is an interesting link. At the bottom of it a lot of other references to bike versus car safety:

http://www.nerdgraph.com/motorcycles...s-road-safety/


Although you need to be very careful using one’s own experience to prove such statistics; I only ever rode a motorcycle during our Indian years. I never experienced an accident, luckily. But I can list a long name of bikers I know that ended up in hospital and two ended up dead. Whereas as far as I know none of my friends driving cars suffered from any personal injuries.

If you are part of the biking community at large for a while, you will know a lot of people/friends who have been in accidents and suffered from personal injuries due to an bike accidents. Remarkably, it rarely puts bikers off riding. They mend their wounds and get on their bike again.

Although there are likely to be differences in the statistics per country/area, the conclusion is always the same. Bikes are involved in considerable more accidents then cars and people suffer terribly.

Jeroen

[deep_bang]

Bikes are definitely less safe than cars no matter in what respect you compare.

In cars we all talk about how airbags are so important. There is nothing remotely close to an airbag with a bike. There is no seat belt - which is one of the most important life savers in a car.

So let's all agree that bikes are less safe.

However, does that mean I am going to stop riding... Nah!! Just need to be more careful and have more respect for the surroundings as they tend to be less forgiving in case a mishap occurs.

[SmartCat]

This is something I have been thinking about for some time. Based on the number of casualties, obviously everybody will conclude that two wheelers are unsafe when compared to cars. But I think this needs proper statistical investigation -

Data we have so far:





Source:
http://www.autocarpro.in/news-nation...talities-20257

The above data mixes up private cars accident casualties with commercial passenger vehicles (jeeps, taxis) accident casualties too I think.

Anyway, although cars are involved in 24% of the accidents, their contribution to the pie chart is only 17%. Now this only proves that -

If you are involved in an accident, you have a better probability of surviving in a passenger car. It does NOT prove that cars are statistically safer than two wheelers.

Because -

1) You need to consider the total number of two wheelers plying on the road, as compared to cars. Two wheeler sales are 10x that of car sales.
2) Total number of kms or hours covered by two wheelers on the road, when compared to cars.
3) Type of usage -> highway use or city use?
4) Average speed of a two wheeler when compared to cars.

CONCLUSION:

Unless you input the above variables, you cannot statistically prove that two wheelers are unsafe when compared to cars.

[Red Liner]

Theres a reason why motorcycles are called widow makers.

Motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than cars. Period. Unfortunately this is the case world over. There is nothing you can do to make a motorcycle safer than a car... Other than not riding it.

[pkrish]

I ride a motorcycle daily, and have been riding for about 8 years now. I agree with smartcat's opinion. And commenting on the agility of a bike as it's strength, I say it helps in some cases but creates bigger problems at other times. I've seen motorcyclists swerving to avoid bumping vehicles in front, and more often than not they got hit by some another vehicle from behind, got injured.

The bigger risk of riding a motorcycle I think is the risk of getting hit from behind/side by cars / autos or bigger vehicles, and how easily they can topple a motorcycle. [ On a different topic, I've come to believe that the rush hour / high traffic times in cities are safer for motorcycles due to lower speeds. Because when the traffic is sparse (for example at night), every vehicle big and small, start driving crazy like there's no tomorrow, swerving left and right - and if you are on a two wheeler at that time, along with driving responsibly, also pray to God silently.]

[Gansan]

I started riding Motorbikes casually when I was 17, and very regularly when I turned 23 and bought my own bike. I am 57 now. Even now I ride more than I drive. I have had a few spills over the years, a few minor injuries, nothing serious. Needless to say, I am a very careful rider. Also, luck plays a part. I am thankful.

Motorbikes are a very CONVENIENT mode of urban commute. And fun for an occassional highway jaunt. But I would not call them safe by any stretch of imagination. Not even with all the safety gear we can buy, on the highways. They will help on the track though. But the way MotoGP riders fall and walk off is deceptive. I understand falling down is also part of their training. In the highway one may get hit from behind by a car or slide under a truck. Then no amount of gear can save us.

[VW2010]

Cars provide the shell when an idiot rides it and provides way better safety for the mistakes that idiot makes.

An idiot on a bike even with high end gears will help his family get that insurance money quickly.

Point is car gives that extra safety even for those who are better of taking Ola or Uber. A motorcycle is unforgiving and no amount of electronic aids will prevent injury when you are not the cause of an incident/accident. A tanker hitting you from behind can either be a repair on trunk and engine bay vs extracting body from the rear of a bus.

[vibbs]

One point: A biker may have better visibility as compared to a person on a car, but he himself will be way less visible to other vehicles. For eg a truck. It has massive blind spots where a biker can get hidden much easier than a car.
Simply put, a car may have more blind spots, but a biker has much more chances to get into those blind spots.

[Sawyer]

I am surprised to see that there is need for an argument about a complete no brainer, unless by safety one is referring to that of other road users.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

.... A motorcycle has evasion options not available to a car. It can accelerate and brake better in a potentially hazardous situation. In nearly every situation, a motorcycle has more evasive choices because it is smaller and more agile compared to a car........strength” of a motorcycle is its flexibility ....

Originally Posted by pkrish

The bigger risk of riding a motorcycle I think is the risk of getting hit from behind/side by cars / autos or bigger vehicles...

Both quote flexibility as safety but it's precisely this that causes "hit from behind" or "crushed under" accidents as the bigger vehicle coming from behind is not able to maneuver. Riding and driving in lanes is most important and zig zag through traffic is biggest potential danger. Equally true for all types of traffic, including pedestrians, using the road.
I wish the thread topic and discussion was on how to be a safer rider techniques and procedures.

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I am surprised to see that there is need for an argument about a complete no brainer, unless by safety one is referring to that of other road users.

It is indeed a no brainer that cars are safer than motorcycles (mentioned this more than once in the original post!). However, there are some features of a motorcycle that can be used by the rider to increase his/her safety while riding. Even by doing so, the rider is always less safe than a driver.

This discussion is not intended as Motorcycle safety Vs Car Safety. It's more on the lines how the safety aspects of both differ, to help make the switch from "driving" to "riding" more seamless. Cheers!

[Sawyer]

Fair enough, but if, as you say, the rider is always less safe than a driver, why make the switch from driving to riding more seamless?! Why switch at all in the first place in a country with roads and driving culture like ours?

As suggested by someone, a thread on how to ride safely, if you must ride in the first place, would be more useful.

[GTO]

Guys, this topic is too obvious to warrant a discussion. Closing Thread.

For those interested in safe riding tips, here's the right thread.