Motorcycle accident stories?

Question

ever been in or known someone close to you whos been in a fatal or near fatal motorcycle accident?... my boyfriend is getting a bike and im SO scared he will get into an accident... hes trying to tell me he will be fine and its not as risky as i think but i dont believe that. my cousin got killed a couple years ago on his bike and my brother was in a coma for two weeks and in recovery for a month after he got in a bike accident. anyone else against bikes like i am?

Answer 1

I think you will find few naysayers on here  about motorcycles.

EVERY one DIES SOMETIME.

If its a little early then we just start the party earlier.

Late, Party later of course.

Answer 2

I rode motorcycles 37 years when I had my first wreck. It is very possible to be safe for years. I don't buy into that motorcycles are dangerous  but we had a saying in the  sixties that is true to a point. there are two types of bikers, those that crash and those that are going to crash.

I do not feel anyone should get on a bike if they are afraid of it or afraid of crashing, nor should they get on a bike if they have no fear at all.

It does not matter how safe you are or what precations you take if you ride long enough and live long enouh eventually you will crash.

Here is what happened to me. Like I said at the time of my wreck I had never crashed. I was safe and still am. I was going home and was on a streatch of road where the speed limit went from 35 mph to 50mph. I do not know if I had started increasing my speed yet as the wreck happenned right at the 50mph sign.

I looked in the driveway of this supermarket to make sure no one was going to dart in front of me and I do know that if I had not increased my speed I was about to and all of a sudden this caddalic appeard like a magic show. There was no way I could stop, I hit my breaks, hit the car and was airborn. That is all I remember even thoug I was told I was cansous the whole time. Anyway I hit the hot Texas pavement face first. I broke my face all up but was lucky enough not to have restruction surgery. I spent 23 hours in the hospital and the hospital bill alone was $27,000.00.

I did recover and his insurance and mine paid and I feel I was treated fairly although I had to hire an attorney to be treated fairly and it took a year to get  compensated.

That was Jun 22,2006. I still ride everyday and will continue to ride until I cannot get on a bike or I die.

People get back in cars after bad wrecks so why not bikes? All I know is in the 39 years of riding an driving I had more wrecks in cars then bikes. I will always have a bike but have often gone without a car.

I just suggest if your  boyfriend is really set on getting one then he may get one even if you make him choose. I love my wife but if she ever told me to get rid of the bike or her, well it was nice knowing her.

I had only a skid lid for a helmet but that little skid lid saved my life. I am a firm believer in helmets even though I don't like them I do not ride without mine. That is just unwise in my opinion.

ER

Answer 3

Men will be men and he's gonna do what he wants to do. It is your job to support him in all he does.

I understand you are looking out for his safety but it is what it is. He's gonna ride so stop nagging and go buy him some safety gear and enroll him in a safety course.

Riders with nagging wives ride more often to get away from them for a while. You don't want to be the wife your man wants to get away from so chill out. If you stop him from riding, he'll resent you everytime he sees or hears a motorcycle.

Some people don't like the truth but it's what i'm telling you now.

Answer 4

Make sure he starts with proper training. Sign him up for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's beginning rider's course. You should take it with him. You will probably love it! I have taken dozens of people for their first bike ride and only 2 didn't like it. Almost 2/3 went out and got their own bike! The MSF class will teach you safe riding practices that will keep you safe on the road.

I have cleaned up dozens of motorcycle accidents. Contrary to the usually quoted statistics, almost all were the fault of the biker.

One almost totalled a brand new bike because he was riding too fast for the road he was on and lost control. His wallet allowed him to buy more bike than he could handle. He walked away with a few cuts and bruises.

Another one, in the exact same spot as the one I just mentioned, did the exact same thing. He didn't have a motorcycle license or any training at all and had just bought the bike. His wife was also on the bike. He had some moderate injuries. She died at the scene.

Another one, drunk at the time, ignored the stop sign at the end of a side street and roared out onto the main road. He was struck by a vehicle on the main road. He died at the scene.

Another drunk crossed the double yellow line and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. His left leg was smashed between the front bumper of the car and the side of the bike. I found his left boot several yards from where he landed. His foot was still in it.

I've seen many others but they were all minor.

I didn't tell you this to scare you but to show that all of these accidents were avoidable. If he doesn't ride like a jackass he will be okay. In 33 years of riding I've had a number of close calls, but proper defensive riding and awareness allowed me to see the situation and avoid it before getting hit. He can do the same. Its just a matter of being careful!

Answer 5

well here's one for you.... i just got my bike and i come tear *** up the drive way... front wheel loses traction and goes a diffrent way then the back tire, bike flattens out in a second, i slam into pavement, get right back up unhurt, and continued on.....

it's not as dangerous as you're thinking (most likely)

you know, even more accidents occur in the home then anywhere else.... you gonna cover your walls in foam, throw out the knives and trade in the lawn mower and hire someone to do the yard instead?

Answer 6

>4/3 of all motorcycle accidents are from CARS hitting motorcycles.

What? if that was even numerically possible (what does it take – every third accident involves two cars hitting a single bike?), if you have a safety agenda, for whatever motive, fine, don't try to back it up with totally fabricated (impossible) statistics. If you meant 3/4 you are simply wrong.

>bikernoj

That is NOT a highside, highsides have little to do with a rear brake.

Jamie, if you came here to find people who are ‘against bikes’ you came to the wrong place, instead of being anti-bike maybe you could be pro-training.

Answer 7

If you're looking for people against motorcycling, you are in the wrong place.

Motorcycles are NOT dangerous.  They only do what the rider tells them to do, so if the rider is dangerous, the bike will also be that way.

What happened to your cousin?  What was he doing when he died?  I'll put money on it being an error on his part and not an "accident" like you think.  EVERY story I have heard about riders dying or getting severely maimed while riding have been a result of operator error.

A friend of mine highsided on the freeway, but was wearing gear that saved his life.  He only ended up with a broken wrist, dislocated shoulder, a concussion and a little road rash.  His mistake was stomping his right foot on the brake like it was a car, locking up the rear wheel.

Another coworker no longer rides because he saw his friend die right in front of him.  The friend hit a car head on, the hood popped up, and decapitated him.  His mistake?  Riding a literbike with little or no experience at over 60mph on a downtown street, and didn't swerve.

Another coworker's brother-in-law recently had his leg amputated after a bad crash.  What did he do?  He got drunk, rode his Harley on the sidewalk and hit a fire hydrant!

It IS risky, and he needs to know that.  Take a look at the site someone else posted and make him understand the CONSEQUENCES of not doing things properly.  If he pays attention and makes his personal safety TOP priority above speed, thrills and his ego, then he should do fine.

If not, then he'll just be another stupid squid in the obituaries, and good riddance.

Answer 8

No sane person can argue that riding is not dangerous but so are Skydiving, Dragracing, Snowmobiling and a Hundred other things that people do. What is important is recognize the risks and minimize them the best You can. With riding that includes taking a MSF or similar course, wearing Protective gear even when is is Hot, Uncomfortable, or inconvenient and Number#1, DON'T RIDE LIKE an IDIOT!!!

Answer 9

yea I'm with u but give them a chance Ur just as likely to have a wreck on a motor cycle and a wreck in a car it doesn't really matter i got a dirt bike and Ive plenty of wrecks on mine !!!!!!

Answer 10

they are safer than cars.how long have they been riding?most of us get hurt bad in the first two years.i have six bikes so im the wrong one to talk to.

Answer 11

Show him this site:

http://home1.gte.net/res0ak9f/bike.htm

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Everybody on that site felt "I'll be alright"

Also check out motorcycle accidents on youtube.

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4/3 of all motorcycle accidents are from CARS hitting motorcycles. There's nothing that a SAFE rider can do to prevent them.

good Luck....

Answer 12

In 50 years to D-- many  But I would prob die without mine

Answer 13

Jamie, let him kill himself, and he will.

You stay the heck off until he lasts a few years.

We want you to come back here so we can grieve with you

Answer 14

I have been riding motorcycles for 15 years & have only been in 1 accident. As long as you pay attention & assume that nobody see's you then you will be fine.  Always expect the unexpected & you should have no problem. When I was married to my first wife she said that I could not have a motorcycle so I sold the only car we had & bought a motorcycle & made her walk. You need to be less of a worry wart & have some faith in him.