Ive never been on a bike in my life and would probably fall off alot so i can only really view it from a drivers perspective but i think the majority of accidents involving cycles or motorbikes is mainly down to the fact somebody in a car didnt see them. Door pillars can hide entire motorbikes these days and if they're riding along on an overcast day dressed in grey they can sometimes be easy to miss. Mopeds not quite so much as you can hear them from a great distance. The fact you cant hear a cyclist plays more of a part in shared space or one way streets and mostly to pedestrians who dont hear them coming.

The main safety issue is no matter how good a rider you are, or how good the motorists are, the fact is that if you are on a bike and you have a crash you are less likely to survive than someone in a car regardless of who's at fault or how good you are, that is the fact. I still think if everyone on a bike had their lights on all the time or even a high vis vest, or even a high vis strip across their jacket on at all times it'd prevent at least half of the accidents because people would see them easily.

Edit: I will post these stats in the general forum as this post wasnt especially bike related.

Edited by jamie745 on 17/09/2011 at 23:08

May i ask though, and i ask as a non-biker, what makes people who are into bikes want to take to the road in the freezing cold and pouring ran on two wheels?

Just curious.

Inappropriate speed causes accidents, not speed alone. The risks of riding a motorcycle can be reduced though by becoming an advanced rider through the IAM and learning to plan your ride better and know your own and the bikes limitations to the full. On a bicycle you are harder to see than on a motorcycle and in turn harder to see than a car, as some car drivers tend to be looking for other cars alone. Having drove lorries, and still driving a car and riding a motorcycle and bicycle I see this all the time. Unlike a car you dont have the protective cage around you like a car driver has. When on two wheels you have to ride defensively,and progressively. Ride aggresively and you will come a cropper at some point. As for the wet and the cold, good kit, heated grips and a bike with a fairing helps a lot.

I commute to school every day, and need some advice on choosing between bicycle or motorcycle! I hate driving because I'm paranoid about having my car in an awful neighborhood(north philly), so I usually bike or take the bus(which takes forever). I just bought a 1981 XJ750 seca in pieces with title, and am building it up. My bicycle is worth about as much as my bike build will be, mybkexperience so I need to choose one or the other. I have an 8 month old daughter, so obviously I'm concerned about safety and money. My commute is about 3 miles windy street along a river and 2 miles city street lights. On the bicycle it's 3 miles city and 2 miles long stretch. I get cut off on my bicycle about everyday, and it's led me to believe that a motorcycle would be a bit safer, because even though getting cut off is a huge possibility, I don't have to worry about cars going past me 3 in away. It would also cut my commute in half, while still leaving me with a definite spot when I get to campus.

An excellent suggestion!

Hardly surprising, as it's your own.

What are you trying to say?

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