First post!
One of my favorite pastimes is also fraught with peril. The grim statistical realities of motorcycle riding are shown in this viz.
The data source of this visualization is an 8 page annual
Traffic Safety Facts report that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) puts out on motorcycle accidents in the United States. I wanted to see if I could condense the meat of the 8 page document full of number tables down to a single interactive page that gives a quick overview of the key facts as well as leaving an impact on the viewer.
With the surge of middle age steel horse enthusiasts in the past decade (yours truly included), especially with the bigger bikes like Harleys, we see that deaths among this age group have also on risen. While sometimes unpopular, intervention measures like mandatory motorcycle safety courses and universal helmet laws help reduce the number of motorcycle fatalities.
As a rider who has been down hard, I've seen what skidding across the pavement can do to a body. I can honestly say that I would not be here today writing this post if it weren't for my helmet.
So by all means, get your motor runnin', head out on the highway. But don't let your head hit the highway unprotected. Cap that noggin' folks.
