Accident in Springfield

[G.Irish]

your own preparation and actions are only a small component of the equation.

Actually its a LARGE component of the equation. 45% of fatal motorcycle accidents are single vehicle accidents as a result of handlebar actuator malfunction. Of the about 8 to 11 motorcycle accidents I know about first hand or "friend of a friend" all but maybe 2 of them were single vehicle accidents as a result of overaggressive riding.

Some interesting facts from the 2001 NHTSA report "Fatal Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crashes"

* Helmet use among fatally injured motorcyclists below 50 percent
* More motorcyclist fatalities are occurring on rural roads
* High blood alcohol levels are a major problem among motorcycle operators
* Half of the fatalities are related to negotiating a curve prior to the crash
* Undivided roadways account for a majority of the fatalities
* Almost two thirds of the fatalities were associated with speeding as an operator contributing factor in the crash
* Collision with a fixed object is a significant factor in over half of the fatalities
* Braking and steering maneuvers possibly contribute for almost 25 percent of the fatalities
* Almost one third of the fatally injured operators did not have a proper license

The full report is here (PDF): <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/809-360.pdf">http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle- ... 09-360.pdf</a><!-- m -->