Stats on the Older Rider

Message 347 of 831

Just read a report that has this to say:

A survey of motorcycle license holders aged 30 and over found that only 53% had ridden in the last year. The percentage fell with age, from 60% of license holders aged 30 to 39 to 41% of license holders aged 60 and over.

The crash involvement rate of license holders aged 30 and over is lower than that of younger license holders and it decreases with age. Reductions in the amount of riding and more experience (on average) as rider age increases may underlie this decrease.

Riders aged 30 and over were involved in relatively more rural crashes and more single vehicle crashes (even in the metropolitan area). They were also over-involved in crashes in medium and high speed zones, consistent with a pattern of open-road riding, rather than commuting.

This was for the year 2002.

I think this data tells us what we intuitively know. Most riders stop using their bikes for transportation as they get older (and richer and can afford a car?) and maybe because riding to work in the rain and the cold has begun to lose its appeal. As we age, we start to like our creature comforts.

And older riders were involved in more single vehicle crashes, and more rural accidents. This seems about right. Older people start to ride to enjoy the scenery rather than to show off with their riding buddies.

Why do you think fewer older riders join or belong to clubs?

posted by MartiInMexico

the statistic showing an increase in single vehicle accidents was truly appaling but certainly in keeping with what i have witnessed. a bike is not a car. it demands complete attention so turn off the stereo,give up the intercom system and the bluetooth and pay attention!!!! oh and then relearn to ride or admit you real want an rv and drive those.
as far as older riders not joining clubs the Harley Owners Group florida state rally looked like a geriatric ward with most riders being over 65 on bikes that had less then 3,000 miles per year average. put in another perspective the older riders had lost the skill sets needed to operate a 250cc bike and were on bikers of over 1 liter!!!!! myself i will always take my chances with sportbike riders since they at least pay attention to the task at hand rather then listening to a radio,talking on an intercom and making a cell phone call.
for me as an older "rider" i will ride with those groups that want to ride rather then profile on their two wheeled winnebagoes. my chances of survival are simply better. as an aside i sure would like to see the wreck rate of those godawful trike riders!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or as the wife calls them "two wheeled winnebago alzheimers riders"
jack