accident statistics: car vs motorcycle vs bicycle per mile travelled?

I am wondering if riding a bicycle is safer than riding a motorcycle,
per mile traveled. Has anyone come across a reliable statistics on
this?

I was considering to sell my car and to buy a motorcycle to save on
gas on longer trips. Then I came across a statistics saying that a
motorcyclist is 15 (or smth like that) times more likely to get killed
than a car driver, per mile traveled. So I figured the gas is not
worth it. But then I figured, perhaps me riding my bicycle to work
could be statistically even more dangerous (not that I care).

In article ,
" writes:
I am wondering if riding a bicycle is safer than riding a motorcycle,
per mile traveled. Has anyone come across a reliable statistics on
this?

If ya want stats, just do some considered & thought-out
Google'ing for a start.

World Health Organization has an whole bunch of interesting
stats.

I've found that when I do my own leg-work in terms of
research, I come away with a /purer/ sense of accomplishment.

That said, I'm not above asking direction from experts in
the respective field.

That said that said, I've found it's best to be able to show
those experts that I've already attempted some leg-work on
my own, but would still gratefully appreciate clarification
and further information.

I'm just trying to gently, politely and tactfully suggest
that truly analytical & investigative people do not initially
rely upon the kindness of strangers for answers.

Please bear with me. Y'see, you're asking a loaded question,
a question that when pursued leads to a quest. I just luvs
a good quest.

I also usually (although, honestly, not always) know when
not to kibbitz.

Yer on yer own. Enjoy it. Embrace it.

Maybe for starters, Google on World Health Organization (WHO).

Heck, just throw pertinent keywords at Google and see whatever
it coughs-up.

And please don't forget about hardcopy at your local library.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Jun 6, 10:20 pm, "
wrote:
I am wondering if riding a bicycle is safer than riding a motorcycle,
per mile traveled. Has anyone come across a reliable statistics on
this?

I was considering to sell my car and to buy a motorcycle to save on
gas on longer trips. Then I came across a statistics saying that a
motorcyclist is 15 (or smth like that) times more likely to get killed
than a car driver, per mile traveled. So I figured the gas is not
worth it. But then I figured, perhaps me riding my bicycle to work
could be statistically even more dangerous (not that I care).

Unfortunately good statistics on bicycle usage are rather hard to
find. Although getting a bit dated, the discussion at:
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/risks.htm
is still a good summary. In general most studies seem to indicate
that cycling is a bit more dangerous than car driving *per mile* and a
bit less dangerous when figured *per hour*. Motorcycling is far more
dangerous by either measure. [One confounding factor is that the
people who take up motorcycling are more likely to be risk-takers and
might have a higher rate of accidents than average in other vehicles
as well.]

On Jun 7, 1:20 am, "
wrote:
I am wondering if riding a bicycle is safer than riding a motorcycle,
per mile traveled. Has anyone come across a reliable statistics on
this?

I was considering to sell my car and to buy a motorcycle to save on
gas on longer trips. Then I came across a statistics saying that a
motorcyclist is 15 (or smth like that) times more likely to get killed
than a car driver, per mile traveled. So I figured the gas is not
worth it. But then I figured, perhaps me riding my bicycle to work
could be statistically even more dangerous (not that I care).

I've got some data on file. I can dig for more, I suppose, but I'm in
the middle of a big, time-consuming welding project.

The first thing I found was in a discussion paper from the Australian
Transportation Safety Board, titled "Cross Modal Safety
Comparisons." (Australia seems to generate more data than America,
for whatever reason - but the societies aren't extremely different.)

Here are the numbers for motorcyclists, bicyclists, car occupants, and
pedestrians:

Fatalities per billion km: MC = 25.38 / B = 4.24 / C=
1.05 / P = 16.12

Fatalities per million passenger hours: MC = 8.84 / B= 0.42 / C =
0.37 / P= 0.68

Some points to consider:

A friend of mine who's a noted expert on transportation safety
statistics has pointed out to me that motorcycle data is heavily
influenced by beginning motorcyclists. IOW, if you survive your first
two years, you're going to be much safer than the grand average for
motorcyclists. Young men on crotch rockets are among those who
elevate the statistics.

Car and motorcycle data benefits from the fact that much car travel is
on hyper-safe limited access roads. (I once computed that bicycling
in America was no more dangerous per mile than riding in cars driven
on country roads.) If your commute drive is on city streets, your car
or motorcycle numbers are worse.

Both of those points illustrate that average data may or may not
precisely reflect your personal situation. But it's usually futile to
try to find data that does. You simply have to exercise some
judgment.

Also, don't fall into the trap of thinking "Wow! Travel mode A is
four times as dangerous as B! I'll never travel my mode A again!"
It's entirely possible for one mode to be much more dangerous than
another, but for both modes to be safe enough. (Analogy: Washing
steak knives is more dangerous than washing plastic cups; but nobody
throws away all their steak knives just because of that!)

Finally: Look at those bicycling numbers again. Compare with the
pedestrian numbers. And think how huge a million hours, and a billion
km, are.

Bicycling is NOT very dangerous. It does us no good to pretend it is.

- Frank Krygowski

On Jun 7, 12:20*am, "
wrote:
I am wondering if riding a bicycle is safer than riding a motorcycle,
per mile traveled. Has anyone come across a reliable statistics on
this?

I was considering to sell my car and to buy a motorcycle to save on
gas on longer trips. Then I came across a statistics saying that a
motorcyclist is 15 (or smth like that) times more likely to get killed
than a car driver, per mile traveled. So I figured the gas is not
worth it. But then I figured, perhaps me riding my bicycle to work
could be statistically even more dangerous (not that I care).

It depends. Check the down tube for a decal that says, "ACME Novelty
Exploding Bicycle". If the bike has this decal, yes--you've gotten
yourself into a pickle.

On Jun 7, 1:20*am, "
wrote:
I am wondering if riding a bicycle is safer than riding a motorcycle,
per mile traveled. Has anyone come across a reliable statistics on
this?

I was considering to sell my car and to buy a motorcycle to save on
gas on longer trips. Then I came across a statistics saying that a
motorcyclist is 15 (or smth like that) times more likely to get killed
than a car driver, per mile traveled. So I figured the gas is not
worth it. But then I figured, perhaps me riding my bicycle to work
could be statistically even more dangerous (not that I care).

I wouldn't put a lot of faith in the stats that you find. I suggest
that the risks associated with bike riding are directly related to
where and when you ride.

I would not consider riding on the road during rush hour where I
live... in fact I ride on the roads here as little as possible. Most
of my riding is done on trails, where the thought of personal injury
never even enters my mind. I realize that not everyone is fortunate
enough to have a good trail system nearby for their pleasure, but am
thankful that I do.

I have noticed that when I do ride on the roads some vehicles take
great care to ensure that they do not move one inch to the left of the
middle of their lane, whether there's room there or not. There's
something about having a 1 1/2 ton machine drive by you 18" from your
left elbow that gives me the heebeegeebees.

Peter H

On Jun 8, 1:32 am, "Zen Cohen" wrote:

I imagine it's much more dangerous riding on busy streets. This is where I
usually ride and despite bike lanes on most roads I travel, I've had many
close calls that could easily have resulted in serious injury/death, the
most recent where a speeding car didn't see me, suddenly braked and veered
at the last second, clipping my rear wheel. I've gotten pretty fed up with
it and just ride less now.

It sounds like you just described a "right hook," and right hooks by
motorists are just one of the common car-bike crash types that are
made worse by bike lanes.

When you're approaching a place where a motorist behind you is likely
to turn right, it's better to be further out in the roadway. That way
they're much less likely to right hook you.

- Frank Krygowski

On Jun 8, 8:11 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

It sounds like you just described a "right hook,"

Read it again.

On Jun 8, 2:21 pm, wrote:
On Jun 8, 8:11 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

It sounds like you just described a "right hook,"

Read it again.

I read it again. It still sounds like a right hook to me.

Zen Cohen might want to explain the situation a little more clearly.
Which way did the car "veer" and why? I was envisioning a quick right
turn in front of the cyclist.

- Frank Krygowski

On 2008-06-08, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Jun 8, 2:21 pm, wrote:
On Jun 8, 8:11 am, Frank Krygowski wrote:

It sounds like you just described a "right hook,"

Read it again.

I read it again. It still sounds like a right hook to me.

Zen Cohen might want to explain the situation a little more clearly.
Which way did the car "veer" and why? I was envisioning a quick right
turn in front of the cyclist.

I saw it as a straight-up rear-end collision, averted only at the last
second.

--

Kristian Zoerhoff