Your Accident Stats

[chickenstrip]

C_dug has been talking about his accident statistics; 7 prangs in 8 years/100,000 miles. On first reflection, that doesn't seem great. That's almost one a year.

But doesn't that need some qualifying? He commutes in London for one thing, and that's surely going to raise the level of risk considerably. I've ridden in central London maybe 4 or 5 times myself, and frankly, it was a nightmare. So although I lived on the outskirts of the Smoke for many years, I always avoided riding in central London. It didn't help that finding parking was a royal PITA, and I'd get lost every time, as I didn't have time to watch the road signs due to trying to avoid all the idiots/lunatics.

So my accident stats are:

32 years riding, including learner period.
2 learner accidents (minor).
5 accidents after learner period (I think 2 were purely my own fault, one went 70/30 in my favour, one completely in my favour, and one where, if I'm honest, I hadn't learned my lesson and agreed with a van driver we'd stay away from insurance claims).

God knows what mileage I've covered in that time, but I did about 20,000 miles on my 750 turbo in 8 months, and I've put about 25,000 on my current bike in 15/16 months, just to give some idea (although there has been the odd year or two without bikes here and there).

In all that time, most of my riding miles have been for pleasure, rather than commuting.

Does that give a reasonable picture to assess how safe or otherwise I've been?

What about you?
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
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[andyscooter]

15 years on a bike

four offs

first was on a bend somone had defrosted a car with water it refroze i went round at ten mph and came off (not hurt)

second was dark and icey on a bend car in front braked suddenly
i did the same and came off car fucked off and left me (not hurt)

third car drove onto an island into the side of me (bad knee and shoulder)

forth car pulled out of carpark into me (broken leg )not back on a bike yet
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[P.addy]

On my 125 days on CBT I crashed my bike around 4 times, that's chucking down the road due to inexperience and wanting to go fast all the time.

Had 1 major one, their fault.

On my GS500 I also had a non fault.

Few bit and bobs since. Dropping in snow, crashing on track but in total I've been riding since 2007, cover an average of 20,000 a year total car/bike but car is typically ice/snow or this year...rain. so say around 120-140,000 miles. But that mileage is because I used to ride all day every day without a care in the world. I'm a little more reserved now and ride when I feel 100%.

[Irn-Bru]

6 years, 7 bikes, ~18,000 miles (16k will be on country roads, I barely commute on a bike), 0 accidents just loads of close calls mostly from other road users, people cutting blind corners will be at the top for me. Tyre popped on my old drz @ 70 thought that would be my 1st accident but wasn't some how. Off roaded my dad's kle 500 and went into a hedge after powering through a deep puddle but that doesn't count either since I kept it upright mostly
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[MC]

What counts as an accident? Does the rider and bike both have to go down?

Learning year: had a van reverse into me, bike went down, I didn't

Following year: 6 weeks after passing test(s) van did a u turn on me, hit the deck this time... hard

Then had a small drop on the courtesy bike, dropped it at about 2mph, bike went down but again I didn't.

Do they all count?
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[CieL]

10 years, 3 bikes, 2 offs and a few drops all in my 1st/2nd year.

1) Pedestrian randomly crossing a 3 lane road, appeared in front of me from behind a car on a another lane, I locked both wheels and instinctively turned the handlebar as I was about to hit her, lost the front and almost got run over by a car as I was sliding down the road. Got up just in time to see her continue her journey across the other 3 lanes and vanish.
2) A car turned over me as I was filtering and messed up my left ankle. Was not wearing boots at the time, lesson learned.


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Semper Paratus

[chickenstrip]

I'd say track spills and off-roading (deliberate; I never intentionally ride off-road ) don't count here. This is about road riding.
Snow and ice count, cos you made the choice to ride in those conditions. One of my learner spills was on ice.
Lets say learner accidents don't count, as you're a noob at the time, and I'm feeling generous

We'll assume that if you got knocked off whilst stationary (and yes, if you stayed upright with bike going down does count ), then yes, it counts, as we don't know the circumstances, and it is, I suppose, possible that it was at least partly your fault.

If you were manoeuvring the bike whilst not sitting on it, and just dropped it, doesn't count (I'd be adding x2 ).

I'd be interested to hear more from folk that commute a lot at peak times in city centres. I think they'll give a good yardstick of how safe you can be?
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
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[sidewinder]

4 yrs zero crashes...uncountable near misses

[chickenstrip]

[Dalemac]

As a learner I had 4 or 5 offs. 125's are death traps. Its as if they want to fall over constantly.

Since passing my test, only covered about 20k miles in 7 years. I don't tend to wander far from home!

During that period I had a GPZ500 for two years - no accidents or spills.

Had the Falco for 5 years - dropped it twice from virtually stationary. The first time we had some freak snow during the day and I had to ride back to my student accommodation. the rear spun round as i rode diasgonally downhill across the carpark. Needed a new footrest holder. In hindsight that was silly.

Second time was moving it from the back garden of the missus' parents. sat on the bike pushing it, lost footing and fell down into the neighbors alleyway, which is about a foot lower than theirs. No damage.

Apparently I am much more at risk as walking speed than road speeds!

One thing I love having on the road is space in front of me. I have seen far too many people get really close, and have to slam the brakes on. I don''t like doing that. With the power most bikes have, there is no need to get right up on the back of other vehicles.
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[JP7]

5 years, 3 bikes (4 counting a moped when I was 16), no crashes... yet.

In my 13 year car career on the other hand... crashed my first car into the back of a Rover three weeks after I passed my test. Took out another Rover a year later (I see this as an important community service). Then five years ago I had a Honda S2000 backwards off a roundabout into a road sign after the stupid thing spun out for no reason.

[chickenstrip]

How about a little background to your riding; a lot of peak time commuting? Pleasure riding on country roads? Motorways a lot? Weekends or quiet times during the week? In conjunction with the time you have been riding and the mileages you cover, tells us a lot more I think.

Time for a pleasure ride and bacon butties I think
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Musketeer]

Bike since 2007, about 40k miles (fair weather rider mainly), no collisions with other vehicles or immobile objects. A few corner droppages due to various circumstances i.e. black ice, overinflated tyres, standing water combined with inappropriate speed/running out of talent etc. Nothing major.

Car since 1998, about 200k+ miles, got rear ended once in 2008 by a stupid chav in his Peugeot 106 (he was driving like a dick, then I had to stop and he couldn't do the same in time)- he was obviously at fault and his insurance paid for repairs and my NCD not affected. It was my wife's car insured in my name as I only had a bike at the time. Otherwise 16 years of trouble free driving.
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[MC]

Think it mainly comes down to luck. Thinking about all the near misses, all the slides, anyone of them could easily be an accident really.

Sure if you commute through a city the risks are probably higher, with more hazards etc. but the speeds are generally lower (if your not c_dug ).
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[notbike]

Riding about 8 months, 2 bikes and a pizza scooter for work. Dumped the scooter at around 15mph in the wet on a bend, was totally fine. Plenty near misses but never been unlucky enough to come off properly.

[Tungtvann]

Almost 2 years now, perhaps 6000 miles ridden. Fell off once, very minor and was only going about 10-15 mph, my fault as I grabbed too much front brake as a car in front slammed it's brakes on as a traffic light changed colour.

I'm a leisure rider, mostly at weekends and mainly on country roads, through small towns, no commuting and not in busy towns.

[G]

18 years (feckin 'ell) on and off at points (don't ride much on the road at the moment) - around 60 on the road I think.
Loads more racing, 2 on trackdays, loads and loads off road.

[MC]

60? Averaging 3 a year?
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[Marmalade]

I had a first off at 16 with my A50P with freshly fitted micron.
Someone had unloaded a truck load of sand, on a bend on an unlit road and didn't think to use cones or lights.
I hit it and the bike flipped, few stitches for me, bike was a write off.

My second off, at 42, nearly 3 months ago, 30 miles from home after a 900 mile delivery to Luxembourg, the bike spun 180% on a water covered section of shit road and i ended up with broken shoulder blade and collar bone.

My average mileage up until the off has been 1000 miles a week, I've done a few 500 mile days since then but not a lot.
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[Vracktal]

9 years riding, 1 crash on road, eleventy gazillion crashes while offroading. Commuting 30 miles each way in London every day for the last two years.

The on road crash was a rear-ender, went to brake and discovered my seals had bled and the brakes were awash with fluid. Rammed into a stationary car at about 15mph, only cracked their bumper though so sorted it outside insurance.
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[G]

[-Matt-]

Riding 7 and a bit years on 4 bikes over about 50,000 miles.

One big accident in Bristol city centre, although I came away with just aches and bruises. Bike and gear didn't fare so well but it was sorted outside insurance so saved me the aggro of disputing and going through insurance thankfully.

Two drops [forgot the stand to put the stand down on both occasons]

And one rather impressive 270 degree spin setting off too fast in a wet carpark, which left me lying underneath my first ped in a big puddle bike didn't touch the floor luckily.

[Boris the spider]

Riding since July 1992.
Got full licence in March 1993.
Riding various bikes since then.
Had a 18month gap without a bike a few years ago.

Never had an off.



Few close calls.

CBR 600 fell off stand and landed on my leg. That's it .
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Yes I'm a pig....And yes... The working public do pay my wages. Tho I contribute to your benefits you lazy c##t. You do not pay my wages. So go fcuk yourself.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Works van for commutes and 11 years of riding bikes nearly every day.
Regular trips down the busy A6 into Stockport and huge amounts of single track B roads. Motorway miles are kept to a minimum.

Few little offs on the 125s including a 50mph lowside.
Slow spill on snow.
Took the CB250RS into some woods and binned it.
Taught daughter how to ride....she binned it.
Dropped all the bikes I've owned at some time.....for the usual reasons.
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[c_dug]

I feel like I should clarify my accidents if they're being used as a measuring stick.

From memory:

1: I was 16 riding a restricted TS50x down the A127 (70mph two lane dual carriage way) with my friend on his Yamaha Jog. A chavved out Corsa attempted to undertake us using a slip road, misjudged it badly and hit my friend at a silly speed (police estimated up to 90mph IIRC!). My friend took the brunt of the accident (he bent the top of the Corsa roof in enough with his back to write off the car). I got clipped the tiniest bit. Managed to land on my feet! Bike was a write off as apparently the clip bent the frame a little. Major A road - Social riding.

2. I reckon I was 19. Riding a GPZ500. I had a friend on the back and I asked him if we should see how low we could get on the next roundabout. The answer was too low! Medium size roundabout - Social riding.

3. Same GPZ500. Very thick sheet ice, can't have been more than walking speed. Full tank of fuel, I must have lost about 3 litres through the cap before I managed to get the bike upright again (No grip for the feet!) Minor residential road - Social riding.

4. NTV600. Ice again, or frost. Barely touched the back brake and the rear wheel overtook the front. Bloody crazy lady pedestrian started shouting at me from the other side of the road for riding a motorcycle, while I was still laying in the road Main residential road - Commuting.

5. ZZR600. Cut up by a corsa on the entry to a roundabout. Several witnesses (including two police cars parked at the side of the road!) Driver was fined for illegal tinted windows at the scene. Medium sized roundabout - Commuting.

6. Diversion crash #1. Last November. Sort of hit and run, driver cut across the front of me from lane 2 to try and make it onto a slip road. Lost the front end very hard on the brakes. Broke my wrist in several places. MIB claim ongoing. Major A road - Commuting.

7. Diversion crash #2. Maybe June this year, a few months back anyway. Complacency on my part, filtering too fast for the conditions. Van pulled out of a junction on my left trying to turn right. Locked the front wheel. All fine, no damage to his van. Little damage to my bike. He lent me a couple of tools from the back of the van to get me going again. Shook hands. Said sorry. All's well. Main residential road - Commuting.

I thought there might have been another with the NTV but now I think of it I reckon I'm just thinking of it being stolen.

For mileage, I think I've averaged about 12,000 miles a year since I was 16 (24 now), obviously more miles some years, less others. I've always commuted by bike. Never less than 10 miles each way. Maximum commute 45 miles each way. Current commute 22.5 miles each way right through the middle of London.

Two out of 7 accidents were my own stupidity, only the 7th do I really kick myself about (The GPZ roundabout incident I was young and brash, the divvy filtering incident, well, I am old enough to know better!)
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