Advocacy & Safety - Bicycle accident rate compared with horse and motorcycle?

I recently read (in a horse magazine) that serious accidents are 3-1/2 times as common with horses as with motorcycles. Does anyone know stats comparing bicycle accident rates with horse and/or motorcycle? I know people who claim both horses and motorcycles are safer than bicycles but no one has anyone facts to back this up.

What kind of horse accidents are you talking about? Transportational use of horse and buggy, or pleasure riding? Or do the stats include competitive horse sports, like eventing? Because you're going to see way more injuries/fatalities in high level cross country jumping, or steeplechase, or flat racing, than you will in the other disciplines.

Anecdotally, I can tell you it's way easier to seriously injure yourself on a horse vs a bike. They're bigger, they have minds of their own, and it's a long way down when you fall off.

What kind of horse accidents are you talking about? Transportational use of horse and buggy, or pleasure riding? Or do the stats include competitive horse sports, like eventing? Because you're going to see way more injuries/fatalities in high level cross country jumping, or steeplechase, or flat racing, than you will in the other disciplines.

Anecdotally, I can tell you it's way easier to seriously injure yourself on a horse vs a bike. They're bigger, they have minds of their own, and it's a long way down when you fall off.

Totally agree about the horses. I know 4 people who were seriously injured on horses including my sister and neice. But the level did come in, for the neice I can explain it. She does 3 day eventing and actually has one of the few tats that older stodgey types like me at least understand. She started with teh outline of 4 stars. 4 stars is the highest level of eventing. Last time I saw her 3 were filled in. It may be 4 by now. But she recently broke her leg riding.

All 3 of these are really activities where statistics are of very limited use. There are huge differences in kinds of horse riding. In both bicycle and motorcycle riding there are a significant number of jerks who ride in ways that increase the danger several times. For horseback riding statistics based on type of riding might be available. For bicycle riding these can be figured out for some things like wrong way riding, but not for others.

Bottom line if the statistics include things you do not do they are not accurate for your future risk. Their only valid use is for insurance, the insurance company does not care which riders are more apt to get hurt, just that they have the right numbers for the entire group.

The statistics I have seen and anecdotes I have heard consistently support my strongly held belief that motorcycling is far more dangerous than bicycling.

Been riding bicycles for transport for 40 years, motorcycles for 25. The main diiferences between the two is that MC's have a full set of lights & signals, the ability to accelerate out of trouble, and you can ride with or above the flow of traffic. Leather & a full face helmet are standard wear- something that is impractical on a bicycle.

Hard to compare in any meaningful way the safety of the 3. Haven't fallen off a horse, but I've crashed the other 2. Equal number of broken bones & emergency room visits. I personally feel much safer on a MC.

Totally agree about the horses. I know 4 people who were seriously injured on horses including my sister and neice. But the level did come in, for the neice I can explain it. She does 3 day eventing and actually has one of the few tats that older stodgey types like me at least understand. She started with teh outline of 4 stars. 4 stars is the highest level of eventing. Last time I saw her 3 were filled in. It may be 4 by now. But she recently broke her leg riding.

All 3 of these are really activities where statistics are of very limited use. There are huge differences in kinds of horse riding. In both bicycle and motorcycle riding there are a significant number of jerks who ride in ways that increase the danger several times. For horseback riding statistics based on type of riding might be available. For bicycle riding these can be figured out for some things like wrong way riding, but not for others.

Bottom line if the statistics include things you do not do they are not accurate for your future risk. Their only valid use is for insurance, the insurance company does not care which riders are more apt to get hurt, just that they have the right numbers for the entire group.

You make good points. However I would say that the statistics for motorcycle are as affected by a large influx of beginners than a significant number of jerks. One can be earnestly trying to do the right thing and still be a danger to oneself, failing to maintain requisite awareness or direct it properly. This beginner phenomenon is evident in the statistics for both cycling and motorcycling, imo. For bicycling, a good chunk of injuries and deaths involve children under 16, which obscures the statistical picture for adults. Equestrian stats are probably about as polluted with child injuries as cycling stats.

Robert

Statistically and realistically are two different things. Statistics for all three (horses, bicycles, and motorcycles) are taking into consideration things like alcohol use, competetion, etc. But realistically, if you are reasonably trained, don't drink and ride, do not participate in competetive events, (or pretend you are on public roads) and learn to manage the real risks you take, you are a lot less likely to be injured or killed. The drunk, careless, idiots are the ones that skew the statistics. But this is also true for cars.

Az

I'm sure you could easily find death (not accident) numbers for all of these, but without participation numbers I'm not sure that they're useful.

My 2 cents (rated from most dangerous to least)
- horses
- motorcycles
- bicycles

The first two are probably pretty close, and they're both due to inexperience. Most motorcycle wrecks are new riders, and most horse accidents are new or unskilled riders. But yes, uncontrollable things happen with both.

I know horse riders, but have never ridden. I've probably spent equal time on public roads on motorcycles and bicycles. I personally feel the "accelerate out of trouble" is just a line riders tell each other and makes about as much sense as the "loud pipes save lives" tripe.

Per vehicle mile motorcycles are ~6x more fatal than cars, bikes are ~2x. I don't know about horses.

Per vehicle mile motorcycles are ~6x more fatal than cars, bikes are ~2x. I don't know about horses.

How do you get per vehicle mile numbers when noone tracks bicycle miles traveled?

........ I personally feel the "accelerate out of trouble" is just a line riders tell each other and makes about as much sense as the "loud pipes save lives" tripe.

This is where I'll disagree. I've saved myself quite a few times by hitting the throttle & getting in the clear. I was stopped at a red light when the pickup behind me decided not to stop. Full throttle, snap the clutch & I'm ahead of him. Manuverablity is a virtue- the MC's power gives you another dimension to move in.

Did I mention that motorcycles also have rear view mirrors that work? Ironically enough, I'm putting my Suzuki up for sale. Just don't have the occasion to ride it much anymore.