Richard Green is a professor in the Sol Price School of Public Policy and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. This blog will feature commentary on the current state of housing, commercial real estate, mortgage finance, and urban development around the world. It may also at times have ruminations about graduate business education.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
The Problem with Motorcycles
Uncle Billy thinks I should ride a motorcycle to work. The problem is that according to the Insurance Institute, the fatality rate for motorcycles is 35 times that rate for automobiles. And while I have enough life insurance to get my kids through college, I would like to think that they would miss me.
You either want to ride a bike, or you don't. For the money, you can't touch the gas mileage with anything else. But, yes... you are sitting on top of 400-600 lbs of machinery, and not a safety device in sight. Other than your brain of course.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, Smart Cars and Scooters were included as alternatives (though I'd hate to hit a pebble with a scooter's tiny wheel, doing 65 on the 405). Interesting though that you homed in on just the motorcycles!
ReplyDeleteOk enough with the motorcycles: Now I can't get the image of Paul Volcker and Paul Krugman out of my head -- leather jackets, rolled up jeans and cigars, sitting astride their Indians and whistling as the townies walk by.
Nic eto see they care so much about you. I think motorcycles are quite dangerous.
ReplyDeleteMany many comments regarding scooters in a post on the calculated risk blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.haloscan.com/comments/calculatedrisk/8377348400375194342/