Cutoff by a jamoke on his way to get coffee..... 25MPH on a surface road...

 

Freeway is far safer as you have said, even if splitting lanes. I have had a handful or wrecks, but never one on the freeway. Always someone turning left in front of me or riding far beyond my own abilities.

 

Not counting dirt bikes I have had 4 significant accidents. 2 with a brain bucket on, 2 without. On the 2 where I was wearing a helmet, my helmet had no visible marks (although some who know me swear I still somehow suffered brain damage). I did a paper in college on motorcycle safety. I can't remember the exact figures (I obtained my information from the IDOT) but I seem to recall that something like 75% of all accidents involving MCs happened within 20 minutes of your home. That would be dead on in my case as 3 of the 4 fell into those parameters. If those figures were right, and I have no reason to believe the were not, then your wife would be better off wearing a helmet on the short hops around town.

 

Had one accident, I hit a deer on a country road about 3/4 of a mile from my house. I've been riding 25 years, most of the close calls I've had were in a city or town, never had a close call on the interstate. BTW I ride about 10000 miles/year, maybe 100 of that is on the interstate.

 

hit a german Sheppard when I was 15 with a trail bike - rode it again 2 days later with a full cast on my leg (it was just to hold stitches - not broken)! I clipped a fox with my wife on back with our FLH, she didn't even notice so I didn't say anything until we got home. Other than the local wildlife it's way worse around towns and cities - prefer highways and quiet country roads.

 

A couple of years ago I was rear ended by another bike while I was at a stop sign. This was in South Carolina where you don't have to wear a helmet.
I went up in the air, did a 360 and landed hard on the side of the road. Nothing bad happened to me other than big bruises here and there, my bike had 3K in damage.

One thing that caught my attention was a big crack in my helmet ! that could had been my head and cracks in the head are not fun.

 

I was rear ended in 1982 at the end of my street (residential road) by a woman doing her makeup.
Bike was totaled , I was hurt pretty badly.
I was then rear ended in 2006 while stopped at a light on my Buell Lightning by a 18 year old girl driving while texting and going 40 MPH when she hit me.
Bike was totaled and I walked out of the hospital that evening with bruises and scrapes.
Both times with a helmet on , first one shattered a full face , and the second time the helmet never touched the ground.
Always wear leather jacket , gloves , boots , at least denim pants , usually leather chaps.
All my close calls have been on roads with 40 MPH speeds or less.
I still feel more nervous on the highway though.
Mick

 

I voted Country road but - could have also voted Freeway

 

Tell your woman the facts, most accidents involving other vehicles occur when one of them (usually the car) is making a turn into the path of the other. The only turns that happen on a Freeway are cars merging on and off the freeway. All the traffic is moving in the same directions. Now it is just a matter of staying out of the others blind spots which is easily done.

 

Riding on a county highway, car pulled out in front me, I swerved around him, got clipped just enough to knock me over and send my sliding into the ditch.

Passenger broke her collarbone and has a swollen foot for life. I got a messed up thumb and pulled the muscles in my leg that was stuck under the bike while sliding down the road.