2010 Crash Statistics  Interpretation – Annual Review

Refer to spread sheet opposite

In 2010 there were 14 crashes where 10 riders walked away unharmed (Rating 1), two riders suffered minor injuries such as broken ribs, bruising or concussion (Rating 2) and another  two riders suffered more substantial injuries (Rating 3) such as broken limbs and internal injuries. 

If you add up the official ride distances for the year, the Club provided 26,941 km worth of entertainment, right on the long term average (back to 2005) of 27,104 km. If you multiply the ride distances by number of people on each ride you get a measure of how many kilometres people were at risk. Let’s call this figure Club Kilometres (people x km). From the table we see that in 2010 the Club Kilometres totalled 345,675. This was roughly 66,000 down on the previous year, but up on the long term average of 314,325 [people.km]. 2009 was the last year of the 10 year drought ie dry roads, perfect riding conditions, whereas 2010 was the wettest in 10 years, and judging by the bucketing rain outside the window, the 100 mm overnight and the  height of the creek, 2011 is going to be wet too.

If we relate the number of kilometres and the total number of crashes we see that there is a crash, of any description, every 24,691 km. The long term average is 22,100 km so we improved by 10% on the long term average.

If we consider only the crashes where people were hurt, Ratings 2, 3 and 4, then the Club travelled 86,419 [people.km] between in injuries in 2010. The long term average is 122,930, so 2010 was a relatively poor year. The good thing is that there have been no serious (Rating 3) accidents since February 2010.Whether this is as a result of the controversial and graphic March Magazine front cover depicting the various accident scenes, or a change in personnel riding, or revised safety procedures eg collection of ICE numbers, a none too subtle reminder of the consequences before the start of the ride, or an aging/more experienced riding group, plain dumb luck, or a combination of all these factors, we’ll never know.

New riders (defined as on their first, second or third ride, or in their first three months riding with the Club) continue to make up half of the overall crash figures: 7 out of 14 in 2010, 8 out of 16 last year (2009).

Membership numbers peak in June of each year, the end of the Club financial year. In 2010 the membership increased to 84, up six on 2009, in turn up 10 on 2008. Membership has been increasing since a low of 64 in 2007. 2011 is at 83 already, so likely to meet 2010 figure or a smidge higher again.

The Club appears to be providing desirable services which is pleasing in these tough economic and politically correct times. Sports bike sales are dramatically down, but overall bike sales are stable. There is a large swing to dual purpose machines, away from hypersports models, possibly as a result of the continued crackdown by the police on speed. More and more roads are dropping to 80 km/h – Black Spur, Reefton Spur for instance – making it harder and harder to “have fun” near Melbourne. Hence, the move away from Sports Bikes.

The ever more efficient and present use of laser speed detecting devices is  having an interesting and direct effect on our ride participation rates. It seems that any one time a member has been suspended, whether for 1 month or 18 months, and usually multiple people simultaneously, up to four at one time by my reckoning. Riders just “disappear”. But hasn’t it always been so?

 

Ben Warden