I consider myself a rational person, someone who is swayed by solid data and persuasive arguments, yet every afternoon after my work is done, I jump on my three-cylinder Triumph motorcycle and take an exhilarating ride along country roads, city streets and freeways. The statistics suggest that this is a very bad idea.
Based on vehicle miles traveled, motorcyclists are 37 times more likely to die in a collision than the occupants of passenger vehicles, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Those are sobering numbers. Even air-bagged vehicles pose a significant risk. Around 39,000 Americans die each year in car and light-truck crashes.
