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carlosjobimtoday at 12:24 PM1 replyview on HN

Only if the rider is bad. If the rider is good, the opposite is true.


Replies

loegtoday at 4:02 PM

I disagree. A perfect rider is still safer at 20 mph than 60+. There are just unforeseen things that happen, like deer, and the same perfect rider has more time to handle those things at slower speed, and the consequences are less severe.

And this is borne out in the statistics -- there's no reason to believe motorcycle riders are any better or worse than cyclists at bike handling / driving skills, but the motorcyclists certainly die more on average. I suppose if you're an amazing motorcyclists but a shit bicyclist, stick to motorbikes, but that seems pretty far-fetched.

(Safety gear like armored jackets, pants, gloves, and boots -- available to motorcyclists but impractical for cyclists -- certainly helps at the margin. Nevertheless, the stats are worse for motorcycles. I'm not saying don't ride motorcycles -- I have in the past and will again. More speed just doesn't make you safer.)