I recently attended the MA Rider Education Program Instructors update for 2008. I was surrounded by all types of bikers and all types of Instructors. We started talking about rising insurance rates, and saw data that backed up our suspicions; bikers are running up the rates for motorcycle insurance.
I'm not gonna get into the crash statistics on how many motorcycle fatalities were self taught riders - another time...think about this though:
Church lets out on Sunday and the people can't wait to get to their cars and head to brunch. As the congregation empties onto the sidewalk, 2 sportbikes fly past in wheelies, followed by a large cruiser with no baffles in the pipes - all of which are running 25 mph over the posted 30 zone. To many of us (and a percentage of that congregation) this is no big deal. Bikers being bikers. To a different percentage of that congregation, this is an outrage and there should be stiffer laws and penalties.
When cars crash it is commonplace news, except in cases of fatality or police chase. When a motorcycle crashes, it's all over the news - TV and print, and Politicians and Police and Insurance all weigh in with opinions and everyone is there to judge the poor SOB who crashed, generally NOT being given the benefit of the doubt, most of the time (sadly) not deserving it. One statistic that was eye-opening was that the Motorcyclist is at fault an overwhelming majority of the time - not the Granny pulling out in front of us!. Some that did not shock me are: Speed was generally a factor, alcohol was present in the majority of crashes, and not wearing protective gear was a contributor in most injuries.
I'm not here to preach, I'm simply asking everyone to look in the mirror. Every time a motorcycle crashes, our insurance goes up. Every time someone gets popped for DUI, our rates go up. Every time a biker dies on the road, our rates go up. Every time a Biker gets a ticket for a wheelie, our rates go up. We are hurting ourselves by adding to an already poor public perception. There are a lot of organizations out there trying to fight for motorcyclist rights, lets help them instead of hampering their efforts - ride smart, develop your skills, and be a positive for all of us.
Tags: Decisions Insurance
