Here is a reason why motorcycles are barred from most cities

[bigdamo]

bigdamo, I think you're missing the point that ZMC is trying to make. The way that I at least interpret it is not that "it's impossible to get hurt on a motorcycle if you're properly trained with a lot of experience" but rather that quoting statistics about motorcycle accidents is NOT an argument for the banning of motorcycles. The original post and the title of this thread is: "Here is a reason why motorcycles are barred from most cities". THIS is what is being called propaganda- citing a totally ambiguous and arbitrary statistic without offering any substantiated background or context for that statistic. Important information would be: how long had those people been riding, what were they riding, who was ultimately at fault, was the other person in a car, were they licensed, as well as the sample size as was stated in earlier comments. It's a completely bogus argument to say that since there are a lot of motorcycle accidents, they should ban motorcycles. Drugs are illegal in most countries but that doesn't stop the drug related deaths and violence. The solution is, as Lao Jia Hou indicated in a previous response, proper training, licensing, and regulation rather than driving the sport/hobby/form of transportation under ground. You are fortunate enough to be able to use your car in the winter to travel, many in China are not.

The point is not that you don't have to be killed on a motorcycle if you're actually a good driver. Of course it's easier for you to get killed on a motorcycle than in a car since you're more exposed. However good and well trained motorcyclists are inherently more cautious because of that risk. There is a large amount of moral hazard inherent in driving a car, which is what makes them more dangerous. Cars take more risks since they're probably more safe. Back home, if you've taken a motorcycle safety course, your car insurance actually goes down about 10% on top of your motorcycle insurance going down, simply because the insurance companies are aware that this makes you a better driver.

I just recently finished a 1,700km trip down the coast from Beijing to Qingdao and I was appalled at the state of the 4+ wheeled drivers out there; it made me grateful that I live in Beijing. There is absolutely no sense of how to deal with motorcyclists on the road. I can't tell you how many times I was pushed out of my lane or had oncoming traffic passing in my lane or cars making left turns out of intersections when I was driving. Maybe the problem is a complete lack of education for drivers on both sides of the situation. I often found myself wishing I had packed some ball bearings to keep in pocket to teach lessons the old fashioned Hell's Angel way... I can also tell you that I found far more accidents with cars involved over those 7 days of driving than motorcycles (including even the e-bikes or small motorcycles/scooters), even from a percentage perspective.

Bucko i said "Here is a reason why motorcycles are barred from most cities" not "this is the reason why motorcycles are barred from most cities"

Do you think the Chinese government are going to do a full blown analyst of motorcycle statistics I doubt it.Even if they did you and I will not have access to it.

Where did I say they should ban Motorcycles?

I read here that other people think they should ban cafe racers I think that is pretty hypocritical.What my bikes Ok but those high powered cafe racers are not.Plenty of roads up here you could use one just not at 200kph+ on the toll roads.

No doubt proper training and applying that training in proper context certainly minimizes the risks. Just that I see some people do the training and they now think they know everything.

The people up here have do alot of training to get there car license doesn't look to me there an expert driver.Same goes for some motorcyclists back home after alot of training yeah they can ride better but some think that after all that training there now an expert and push the limits sometimes with disastrous results.That's a fact.

Another bloke I know was a motorcycle postie(postman) he had to do a four day motorcycle training course once every 18 months and a 5 day course before he started so he was extremely well trained.He had been a postie for 3 years riding to work one day on his motorcycle riding up between the cars and trucks to the traffic lights he clipped or the car clipped his handlebars(he is dead so he couldn't tell the police what actually happened)tumbled off his bike under a b double truck back wheels truck ran over his chest and head didn't die straight away but 10 minutes latter.All the training didn't save him.

Ive seen plenty of motorcyclists lose there license for speeding most are well trained even though they get a discount on insurance or discount on license fees if they have no traffic infringements in the last 5 years.

By the way I don't have a car.

It would be better to have a motorcycle aware program for car drivers and other road users implemented but that is not going to happen here.