Here are few statistics for you from the Department of Transport (UK) if considering getting a motorbike:
Around 45 percent of all motorcycle fatalities involve no other vehicle.
Over 13 percent of non fatal motorcycle accidents involve property damage but no injury.
Half of all the fatalities are related to negotiating a curve prior to the crash.
Over 80 percent of the fatalities occur off roadway.
Almost two thirds of the fatalities were associated with speeding.
Almost 60 percent of motorcyclist fatalities occur at night.
Over half of the fatalities involved a collision with a fixed object.
I have been in a bad motorcycle crash (which was a car drivers fault), and I can tell you - its no fun. I won't get on one now at all and there is no way I would let my daughter have one when she is old enough. They really are too dangerous and lure you into a false sense of invincibility. You get the idea you can manoeuver around any problems or vehicles which get in your way. Just not true.
As a car driver, one of the things which winds me up the most are when you are in slow moving traffic and a motorcycle cuts around you and into the gap infront making you slam your brakes on. They are oblivious to this as their journey is obviously more important than anyone elses and they need to get there those few seconds quicker. Grrrr.
On the subject of bicycles, in my experience around half of cyclists ride well. The other half are complete idiots who think they should have priority in every situation. They have no problem riding between the cars and the pavement where they obviously can't be seen, then complain if they get cut up. There was me thinking undertaking was illegal. In my opinion the whole 'environment' issue doesn't apply either as the queues of traffic they cause behind them in towns and cities causes much more polution than if they were in a car doing a suitable speed for the road.
I will stop my rambling now before I get road rage.
