Very little current research has been (or is being) done on motorcycle crash statistics. The definitive, historical work was performed by Professor Harry Hurt back in the late seventies, see related link.
Many people claim that his study is out of date.....but I disagree. The number of factors that have changed since 1980 (changes in rider population, automotive engineering, bike features etc) have had little impact on the most serious contributing factors which are:
Rider training (or lack thereof!)
Alcohol use
Inattentive drivers/riders
Oklahoma State University is said to be in the midst of commissioning an updated replacement for the Hurt report, but its results will be several years in the making. (Hurt took 4 or 5 years to accumulate his data based on "being there" data collected at over 900 accident scenes and from 3600 police reports.
Bottom line: biking IS dangerous...but it CAN BE SAFE. You just need to do a few basic things: Train seriously with a certified program (like Canada's "Gearing Up"), wear appropriate safety gear, drink booze some other day!
over 60% of motorcycle fatalities are due to head trauma.
Those of us against mandated helmet laws would contend that these people would only be quadriplegic if they had worn helmets, rather than dead. That would place a terrible burden on their families and be a horrible way to finish your life.
Helmets also restrict visions and hearing. Many fatalities are also blamed on helmets hooking objects and breaking the necks of riders.
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