| Motorcycles and Twowheelers: Bike insurance and security - "Tips in Preventing Motorcycle Injuries" Friday, 21 November, 2008 | Home | Suggest a Link |
Royal Enfield Motorcycles - To India and Back
Safety in riding motorcycles in order to prevent injuries is a very critical issue especially during the peak of motorcycle season. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons are very much concerned about this issue, since there are almost always a lot of motorcycle accidents happening, at least one every few days. Most injuries noted from the people brought into the Level One Trauma Units range from serious musculoskeletal injuries, open fractures and head traumas from motorcycle accidents.
The increasing accidents are linked to the increased number of motorcycles on the road. Records show that since 1997, motorcycles sales increased more than 90%. Last 2001, motorcycles represented only 2.2 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States and accounted for 0.34 percent of vehicle miles traveled. However, crashes involving motorcycles accounted for 7.6 percent of total traffic fatalities on America's roadways. As recently reported by the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2002 there were 42,815 fatalities from motorcycle accidents. What’s alarming is this is the highest level of fatality report since 1990.
While some accidents cause injuries or lifetime paralysis, some result in fatalities. Thus, these incidents should be a constant reminder for motorcyclists to protect themselves.
According to Maureen Finnegan, MD, professor at the University of Texas and orthopaedic surgeon at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, most motorcycle injuries involve the extremities and the spinal cord. The majority of fatalities are results of head injuries. Thus, she said that the most important tip for motorcycle safety is to wear a helmet. Wearing helmets are estimated to be 29 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries for motorcyclists. Another thing is the wearing of proper clothing when riding and of course, really learning how to ride a motorcycle and handle certain situations throughout the ride.
Here are other helpful tips in preventing motorcycle injuries:
These days, simply being careful while out and about with your bike and using safety gear is not the only protection you need! Motorcycles have a far higher rate of accidents per unit distance than cars. This is due to the exposed rider and the fact that many automobile drivers fail to see these smaller vehicles in the traffic stream.
Also, as the law and lawsuit trials become more and more "complicated," you might even end up paying for the guy who was talking on his cell phone while driving, failed to see you and pushed you in the ditch. Of
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To most riders, motorcycle helmets do not fit into their dream accessory. They feel helmets are restrictive and unnecessary and do not add to their aesthetic appeal. But it is important to know why you need to wear a helmet while riding a bike and what it does for you.
Motorcycle helmets act as a protection device for your head. Nearly all motor crashes in which riders do not wear helmets, result in major head injuries. To drive this point further, according to a survey done in the state of California, in 900 crashes, there were 980 head and neck injuries.
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This is the truth about motorcycle security chains the major manufacturers don't want you to know. In recent testing it was found that the top 5 chains all failed within 63 seconds with the Irwin Record 42" bolt croppers. One in particular lasted a mere 3 seconds!
I have 2 motorcycles. One is a NTV 600 Revere, the other a SLR 650. The NTV is 15 years old and the SLR is 8 years old. I insure both bikes third party, fire and theft for £154.00. I think this is a very reasonable price that I am quite happy to pay.
I am frustrated with the cost of petrol, though. Both bikes will return 50 to 55 mpg, which compared to a car and some sports bikes is better than average, but I travel approximately 15,000 miles per year which costs around £1300 each year in fuel. This
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Pocket bikes are miniature motorcycles -- powered, for the most part, by oil- and gas-burning engines similar to those used in chain saws, weed whackers or other small motorized tools -- and they look just like the real thing.
The snazziest models cost thousands and are made in Italy, but the ones that are selling by the container load run from $200 to $500. They come from China, among other places, and are getting snapped up by eager teenagers and, in some cases, not-so-teenagers.
At Broadtek LLC, a South San Francisco firm
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