From: spike66 (spike66@attbi.com)
Date: Tue Jul 16 2002 - 23:59:18 MDT
Amara Graps wrote:
>> Amara Graps, out
>> riding a bicycle! Oy vey, such a mind, out doing such things! How is an
>> evil twin to sleep, knowing his evil twin is doing such risky behaviors?
>
>
> Motorcycles are riskier than bicycles. You win in the risk category,
> my evil twin. :-) Amara
One of us has to be the good twin. I nominate you.
The motorcycle vs bicycle risk debate is very complicated. If we
restrict risk to looking only at risk of death, then it depends on how
you count it. As a function of distance, bicycles are about twice as risky
as motorcycles per mile. As a function of time in participation,
motorcycles
are about twice as risky as bicycles per hour or riding.
So if you want to ride all day, the safety minded person takes a
bicycle. If you need to ride to Sacramento from here, the safety
minded person rides a motorcycle.
Even those figures are subject to debate. Reference the Hurt Report,
published by Dr. Hugh Harrison Hurt II, the father of a good friend
of mine and fellow motorcyclist, Dr. Hugh Harrison Hurt III. Dont
have a URL.
If risk includes risk of injury, the picture gets even murkier. Either
way, my concern for you, my evil/good twin, is not injury sustained
while riding the bicycle, but rather that in your touring you will wander
into the wrong neighborhood, where there are those who would do
you harm.
This being said, I have suggested before in this forum that there
should be a universal GPS map or database to clue people where
to stay out of. This would be a much more effective safety device
than a helmet.
Of course it is not clear what you would do if this database advised
you to stay clear of your own neighborhood. The political correctness
crowd wouldn't like it a bit. But there is a very useful tool that could
be thus created.
spike
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