Читать книгу Proficient Motorcycling - David L. Hough - Страница 19

It isn’t a popular subject to discuss at motorcycle rallies or biker bars, but apparently too many motorcyclists have a serious problem with alcohol. There seems to be a direct link between alcohol and fatal motorcycle crashes. In the Hurt report, 41 percent of riders who didn’t survive the crash had some alcohol or drug involvement. That trend continues today.

We’re not talking about an innocently sober rider getting whacked by a drunk driver; we’re talking about a motorcyclist riding while under the influence and crashing the bike into something. Since blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) is something that can be measured after a fatal crash, we have more and better statistics that point out the seriousness of riding under the influence. The Insurance Information Institute reports the following for drivers and riders by blood alcohol concentration and vehicle type, for years 2000 through 2004:

Those numbers are embarrassing proof that motorcyclists abuse alcohol more than other road users do. In round numbers, roughly half of all motorcycle fatalities involve a rider under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Somewhere around 10 percent of motorcyclists involved in crashes had been drinking, but drinking riders represent over 40 percent of all motorcycle fatalities. According to NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts for 2004, in fatal crashes, a higher percentage of motorcycle operators had BAC levels of 0.08 g/dL or higher than did any other type of driver.

One big reason why a motorcycle crash turns out to be fatal is speed. The greater the speed, the more traumatic the injuries when the crash happens. Apparently, riders who have alcohol in the brain are much more likely to ride faster than they would while sober. What’s the message in all this? Well, the bottom line is that if you allow yourself to ride a motorcycle after drinking, even after just a few beers, you’re really hanging it out.