From Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones, to Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, there has always been a certain culture, image or mystique surrounding motorcycles. Ask any motorcycle rider what they love about riding and you will get answers like: I love the wind in my face, there's nothing like the feeling of freedom on the open road, it's the best way to see the country, the power and sense of speed is exhilarating, it's fun and it's an adrenaline rush. Some may even say, "It's the risk and danger of it."
Whether riding a tricked out Harley, a classic Indian or just a daily commuter, there is just something about cruising down the highway or zipping through town on a motorcycle. In today's economy of high gas prices, they can offer an affordable alternative when filling up at the pump. But there is also another side to motorcycles: accidents.
There is a saying among motorcyclists: "If you ride long enough, it's not if you're going to have an accident, it's when". And when those accidents happen they are far more likely to cause severe injury or death. Statistics show that on a per-mile driven basis, there are 35 times more deaths among motorcycle riders than automobile drivers. In Emergency Rooms, a dark term for motorcycles is donor cycles. That's a pretty alarming and the statistics bear closer examination, so let's break it down.
56% of motorcycle deaths involve collisions with other vehicles
78% of those deaths are from head-on collisions with automobiles or trucks
25% of motorcycle deaths involve hitting a fixed object
75% of motorcycle accidents involve the rider not properly negotiating a curve