12-04-2014, 09:16 AM
If I read your post correctly (and Cormanus's), no one in Australia carries personal medical or liability insurance?
Sorry about your nephew, and glad he is back doing what he loves, but truth is everything has risks Ptero, everything.... walking, running, bicycling, swimming, bathing, driving your car, playing sports, walking down the steps in your house...there is no life without risk. Is being in a motorcycle accident any worse on an individual than a chute not opening while skydiving, than falling off a precipice while out hiking? Or falling down a flight of steps at home?
Did you know your odds of being killed as a pedestrian are twice as high as being killed in a motorcycle accident? ( at least in this country)
1 in 49,601 for pedestrians vs 1 in 99,568 for motorcycle riders (safer to ride than to walk? statistics would say yes)
http://danger.mongabay.com/injury_death.htm
I can only remember the accidents of Randy and Matt on this forum. Both were treated and went home (thank goodness). There may be some residual pain and complications, but as long as those complications don't result in death later, that's treated and gone home..it certainly isn't death. I t-boned a car in 1968 when a lady turned left in front of me. Broken nose, right hand, right foot, 7 broken teeth. Totaled motorcycle. I was wearing an open face helmet. Saved my life as I went over the car and landed on my head on the asphalt on the other side. Was unconscious for 45 minutes. Spent some time in hospital but was treated and went home. I didn't die. I have been around motorcycles and motorcyclists since 1965, spent 17 years in the industry at the golden age of motorcycling (1972-1989). Know many that were in accidents....too many. Some of them died right away. The others were hospitalized for a time and came home. I know of not one that went to the hospital, lived, and became a drain on society for the rest of their life. Not one. You'd think if it was as prevalent as people make it out to be, that in 49 years I would have heard of ONE!
*edit... while eating dinner I did remember ONE, that would have been a drain on society had he lived. Friend named Delbert. Delbert rode a Kawasaki. Was 22 years old I think. He was a diabetic and while riding one day passed out, ran off the road and crashed. Single vehicle crash. Ironically Delbert was ATG geared up, full face helmet, armored top, armored pants, boots gloves, but in a freak happenstance broke his spine in the accident. He was treated and came home, but was paralyzed from the chest down. He would have been on disability the rest of his life but couldn't handle not being able to walk. He took his own life a year later. Nice kid. Brings tears to my eyes even now thinking about it. RIP Delbert.
Now you know why I don't like to get in these gear discussions lol. I believe in gear, even if I don't wear it 100% of the time. Choices and consequences you know?
Sorry about your nephew, and glad he is back doing what he loves, but truth is everything has risks Ptero, everything.... walking, running, bicycling, swimming, bathing, driving your car, playing sports, walking down the steps in your house...there is no life without risk. Is being in a motorcycle accident any worse on an individual than a chute not opening while skydiving, than falling off a precipice while out hiking? Or falling down a flight of steps at home?
Did you know your odds of being killed as a pedestrian are twice as high as being killed in a motorcycle accident? ( at least in this country)
1 in 49,601 for pedestrians vs 1 in 99,568 for motorcycle riders (safer to ride than to walk? statistics would say yes)
http://danger.mongabay.com/injury_death.htm
I can only remember the accidents of Randy and Matt on this forum. Both were treated and went home (thank goodness). There may be some residual pain and complications, but as long as those complications don't result in death later, that's treated and gone home..it certainly isn't death. I t-boned a car in 1968 when a lady turned left in front of me. Broken nose, right hand, right foot, 7 broken teeth. Totaled motorcycle. I was wearing an open face helmet. Saved my life as I went over the car and landed on my head on the asphalt on the other side. Was unconscious for 45 minutes. Spent some time in hospital but was treated and went home. I didn't die. I have been around motorcycles and motorcyclists since 1965, spent 17 years in the industry at the golden age of motorcycling (1972-1989). Know many that were in accidents....too many. Some of them died right away. The others were hospitalized for a time and came home. I know of not one that went to the hospital, lived, and became a drain on society for the rest of their life. Not one. You'd think if it was as prevalent as people make it out to be, that in 49 years I would have heard of ONE!
*edit... while eating dinner I did remember ONE, that would have been a drain on society had he lived. Friend named Delbert. Delbert rode a Kawasaki. Was 22 years old I think. He was a diabetic and while riding one day passed out, ran off the road and crashed. Single vehicle crash. Ironically Delbert was ATG geared up, full face helmet, armored top, armored pants, boots gloves, but in a freak happenstance broke his spine in the accident. He was treated and came home, but was paralyzed from the chest down. He would have been on disability the rest of his life but couldn't handle not being able to walk. He took his own life a year later. Nice kid. Brings tears to my eyes even now thinking about it. RIP Delbert.
Now you know why I don't like to get in these gear discussions lol. I believe in gear, even if I don't wear it 100% of the time. Choices and consequences you know?