Needless loss of life -- motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to experience a deadly accident on the road than those in passenger cars. Over 4,000 motorcyclists a year die in accidents.
They don't need to be banned at all. Scares the hell out of me whenever I see someone riding their kids around on one though. Not because I automatically distrust the driver, it's just, it's a kid going pretty fast down the road with absolutely nothing around them to protect them if there's an accident. I wouldn't let my kids ride on one when it was within my power to stop it, so hopefully they don't get the urge once they're old enough that I can't. I'm less pessimistic about off-road dirt biking though. Still dangerous, but in general there will be less speed involved and you won't be on a paved surface to tear half your body apart as you slide across it. Me, I've always stuck to four-wheelers after I got a 6 inch diameter burn on my leg from the muffler when I fell over on my friend's dirt bike after sliding through some mud as a kid. That was probably 20 years ago and there's still a bit of a scar. My friend's mom put something called Bag Balm on it, which seemed real similar to Vaseline. After she was done, I read the label and found it was also something you rub on a cow's utters. My friends picked on me pretty hard about that for a couple weeks afterwards.
They are also totally unnecessary. And, where the accident doesn't lead to fatality, there are far more significant injuries which put strain on the families and healthcare systems. According to motorcycleaccident.org, the problem is getting worse, not better: "Motorcycle use is growing disproportionately to fatality growth. For instance, in 1997 there were 3,826,373 motorcycles registered in the U.S. and 2,116 motorcycle fatalities. In 2005, there were 6,227,146 motorcycles registered in the U.S. and 4,810 motorcycle fatalities. So, between 1997 and 2005, registrations grew 63 percent while fatalities more than doubled."\ Do I think they should be banned? No. It's a matter of self-ownership and responsibility, just as it should be with guns, drugs, and other behaviors that we may not like but which are not actual crimes unless and until there is a victim.
Ban Motorcycles? I thought this was a joke. You dont like scooters? Stay the hell off mine. You can add about 66% to my chances. I don't wear a helmet
i think that having a job should be banned - workplace accidents are a needless loss of life - plus no one needs to have a job anyway - we can just tax all of the rich at 99%, and force the rest of the population to live in zoos where they'll be cared for from cradle to grave since they're too reckless to look after themselves - this is the only way to ensure that no one needlessly dies so we're obligated to do it. On a side note, I dare you to walk up to one of the Hells Angels at a biker bar and tell him you think he needs his bike banned because he's not capable of making responsible decisions by himself - I double dog dare you
Oh good heavens!!! Isn't it our right to take risks? This banning what we do is nothing but social engineering aimed at government control of the populace.
There's more of a case for banning cars than banning motorcycles, since motorcycles don't tend to fatally kill innocent pedestrians like cars, trucks, etc do. - - - Updated - - - If "safety" is the highest standard that people should strive to achieve, then life in solitary confinement is paradise on earth. No fear of being harmed by other prison inmates, never have to work, all your food, sustenance and medical care provided to you by the taxpayer from cradle to grave. Spending life in solitary should be every progressive's American dream.
Definitely, motorcycling is a very self -- destructive behavior like drugs. - - - Updated - - - Why do you take risky behaviors?
I even had a friend killed on one of those. He was racing in Mexico. Took two weeks to get his body back.
Because i have the freedom to do so and the reward of riding helmet free trumps the consequences of what "might" happen.
My condolences -- very sad. - - - Updated - - - That is your (horrible) choice. I also take unnecessary risks and also can not live without them -- my horrible choice.
there's nothing like riding a bike. The openess, the freedom. You experience more on your ride than when you're on 4 wheels But, with selfies, instagram, texting, apps and talking, drivers of cars pay even less attention than before. Your HID lights on high still don't get their attention and your open exhaust doesn't drown out their bumping bass. I never ever go with the flow or worse, putt in the right lane. That is just asking to be whacked by an inattentive or elderly driver. The bigger question should be if v twins should be banned and only big displacement inline 4's or triples be allowed. You can pay attention and be defensive but there are always occasions where you need to go from 70mph to 90mph in a blink or, 30mph to 60mph those lumping and heavy v twins just aren't agile or quick
Sure motorcyclists are well more dangerous [statistically ...] than the terrorists of the Islamic State ...
If the question is to ban motorcycles because they are a safety issue... then why stop there? ...mandatory insurance is proof that all high speed vehicles are unsafe.
Jokes a part, if we have to ban all what's dangerous for people, we should first of all ban politics ... [this was political satire].
Because people who want to ban things aren't interested in the object being banned. It will come back and bite them in the (*)(*)(*), but they don't really think it through.
It's not like they're trying to die, in most cases, they're just engaging in a more dangerous activity than most people regularly do. I've seen the aftermath a few times. The lucky ones went straight to the coroners. The most recent I saw died over a month later with an incredible amount of resources dedicated to trying to save him. That said, people have a right to live as they want so long as they're not harming others, so the only "restriction" I'd put is some kind of tax on motorcycles if it is found that they cost the healthcare system significantly more. And maybe put some of that money towards making sure people understand that they're dangerous so they can make their own decision.
Most Christians and Muslims believe that the penalty for suicide is eternal. I am Jewish. - - - Updated - - - But drugs are illegal.
