[lp0_on_fire]

Many people think that "because I'm on a motorcycle" or "because I'm on a bike" or "because I'm a pedestrian" they're magically granted some special protection from morons on the road and the laws of physics. Sure, "the law" says you might have the "right of way" but does that really matter when some idiot in a 2 ton truck runs you over because he was looking at his phone?

I was a rider until I got in an accident (in the car) last year. Someone not paying attention blew a stop sign at nearly 50 mph and t-boned me. My car was totaled but luckily I walked away with only a bruised ego. Had I been on the motorcycle I'd be a smear on the road today. There are too many idiots and reckless people on the road to make it worth it to me any more.

[taylodl]

My father always said you can be dead right. Meaning you may have been right and the other driver was being unlawful, but you're still the one who's dead.

[wizofaus]

By that argument you should never cross a road as a pedestrian...

FWIW I do agree, the safety aspect is by far the biggest downside of motorcycles/bikes. But there's plenty that can be done to make both a lot safer, and examples of countries that have pulled it off successfully. And once you have a significant fraction of people no longer using cars, roads tend to become safer for everyone.

[lp0_on_fire]

Obviously one has to cross the road as a pedestrian sometimes but if I'm being honest in many places around where I live in the US I go out of my way to not. Stroads plus the lack of sidewalks, guarded crosswalks and blind corners make it so that it's dumb to cross in many places.

Even guarded crosswalks are hit or miss (no pun intended). The lights are all timed for vehicles and most drivers around here think stop lights are more of a suggestion than a rule. I've lost count the number of times I've almost been hit crossing the street by a person trying to turn left before the light changes.

Having grown up in a much smaller town where we walked/rode our bikes everywhere it's jarring.

[wizofaus]

Everything you describe is exactly why I would never care to live in a city designed for cars over people, of whom some will use cars from time to time.

[notch898a]

If you remove hooligans, drunks, new riders, and new-to-that-bike riders, motorcycle accidents states look probably an order of magnitude better.