I've been searching through the threads here and elsewhere on the topic of the risks of motorcycling. I find a huge number of discussions about wearing helmets or not, but I am hoping that someone here can send me to a source for information about risk of injury/death (ROID) even assuming helmet use.

The whole topic is loaded with emotion and strong feelings, so I'm thinking some objective numbers might cut through my confusion. What I'd really like is some data on the risks of riding compared to risks of other activities and conditions. For example, I love to snow ski. If I found good information that the ROID for cruising was about the same as for skiing, then I'm there, and a bike is in my near future! I probably won't get off so easy as that, but you get the point.

 

I only wear a helmet if I'm going bar hoppin. Just too risky when I'm hammered.

 

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Your kidding ! Right!

 

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Something tells me we don't get the point...[sm=lame.gif]

 

I think I understand what he's asking asking for, and it's not the usual thing that leads to the usual threads.
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I know I've seen the data he's asking for recently. It was something like deaths per 10,000 people comparing things like hang-gliding, sky-diving, motocross riding, motorcycle road riding, versus finger-less chaps ( OK, I made that last part up ).
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I think it was an insurance group press release or something. Try searching there. I'm going out on the bike as soon as the grandkids leave, but I'll see if I can find it. But once their mom picks them up, I gotta shut the 'puter off.

 

The reason your search of this forum's threads came up dry is because a) we're more interested in riding H-D motorcycles than assessing the risks thereof\\; and b) we're past the risk assessment stage and most of us have presumably accepted the risks without regard to their statistical magnitude in comparison to other activities.&nbsp\\; Search the web for studies and statistics to your heart's content.&nbsp\\; Come on back when you decide to take up riding and take up an interest in H-D motorcycles (both of which I hope you eventually do).

 

I gotta say, though, that you'll be safer thinking about the guy facing you with the left-turn signal on than you will be thinking about what safety equipment you may or may not be wearing.

 

Go to the NHSTA's website and run a search, you'll find all kinds of info. But good luck finding any real stats about being more likely to die with or without a helmet. You can find all kinds of stats, but they all say different things. For example more motorcyclists have died without helmets in Florida after the helmet law was repealed then they did when there was a helmet law. But doesn't that kind of stand to reason because before you had to wear a helmet and now you don't. I've read other stats like the amount of motorcyclists deaths going up in Florida, but they don't mention that each year there are more registered motorcycles in the state of Florida. If you find some data that isn't one sided let us know.&nbsp\\;