How many motorcyclists die waving every year?

Bigbadben · 12-16-2005, 11:14

Anyone know if anyone has collected any statistics -official or unofficial- on this?

Funny story. Two years ago I was riding through one of the busiest and most dangerous intersections in VT (interchange with Williston Road and I89 -which happens to be near my house). This young kid coming the other direction on a little rice rocket was furiously trying to get his bike into neutral so he could free up his clutch hand to wave to me. Looked like someone who had just gotten his first bike and was so excited that he was trying to wave to everyone else on a bike so he could be one of the biker crowd.

All I could think was that he was in the middle of traffic in the middle of a notorious interchange and that he really needed to forget the silly wave and worry about riding his bike. It got me wondering how many people die every year because they let go of their handlebars at the wrong time to wave to someone.

Ben

Markcuda · 12-16-2005, 11:25

I am pro biker and I would like to know how many bikers are killed every year from "NO" helmet?
You can still have a helmet on and still get killed.
I ride a 2003 Ultra Classic

fnfalman · 12-16-2005, 13:49

I wear a helmet 100% of the time, and I even waved at California Highway Patrol when I was in full lean coming up on Mulholland Highway from the Rock Store at the last turn before the View Point;f

You SoCal guys know what I'm talking about. This is a very sharp, decreasing radius corner that is not too hard to nail but it's a slow speed corner and it requires a lot of leaning over if you were to hit it faster than 30-MPH. I was in full lean position when Smokey came down the opposite direction. Flashed him the V sign and he eyeballed me but didn't do anything.

BikerRN · 12-16-2005, 16:03

#wav

***Texas T*** · 12-16-2005, 18:03

Why some folks shouldn't wave...

Bigbadben · 12-17-2005, 10:02

Yep, that's pretty much why I don't always wave.

A friend of mine teaches flying lessons. He says he always tries to hammer into his students' heads that when things get dicey remember to fly the airplane. Fiddling with your radio, gages, etc., is all nice, but it means nothing if no one is flying the airplane.

Two guys crashed a helicopter here a few years back when its engine quit. Later it was determined that they could have landed safely with no power (they crashed into a flat cornfield). But they were both distracted trying to restart the engine. Neither of them just flew the damn thing.

Ben

shark_za · 12-20-2005, 10:03

About 378.

But then again, 63% of all stats are made up on the fly.