Continued From Page 3
NEVER ANGER YOUR NURSE–A bigshot business man CEO had to spend a couple of days in the hospital.
He was a royal pain to the nurses because he bossed them around just like he did his employees.None of the hospital staff wantedto have anything to do with him.The head nurse was the only one who could stand up to him.She walked into his room and announced, “I have to take your temperature.”
After complaining for several minutes, he finally settled down, crossed his arms and opened his mouth.
“No, I’m sorry, the nurse stated, “but for this reading, I can’t use an oral thermometer.”
This started another round of complaining, but eventually he rolled over and bared his behind.
After feeling the nurse insert the thermometer, he heard herannounce,”I have to get something. Now you stay JUST LIKE THAT until I get back!”
She leaves the door to his room open on her way out.He curses under his breath as he hears people walking past his door, laughing. After almost an hour, the man’s doctor comes into the room.
“What’s going on here?” asked the doctor.Angrily, the man answers, “What’s the matter, Doc?Haven’t you ever seen someone having their temperature taken before?”
After a pause, the doctor replies,”Yes, but never with a daffodil!!”
–from Bob T.
STROKER’S ETHIC letter Vol 1; Issue 1– The current alert from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stating an alarming 50% increase in fatal motorcycle accidents since 1997 is a lie. Many of you may already be aware of that. What troubles me is, why we do not have a louder voice proclaiming this to be a false statement.
First I saw the alert on the Internet. Then I saw it in the News Papers, then Television. Now, I see it being printed in Motorcycle Publications. I have yet to see anyone else stating it is not true.
NHTSA is basing their statement on statistics showing increased deaths per Vehicle Mile Traveled (VMT). The problem being, the source for the VMT is not accurate and statistically invalid. It is an estimate based on counting less than one percent of all vehicle traffic.
NHTSA gleans the VMT data from the (FHWA) Federal Highway Administrations VM-1 table. State DOT’s are required to collect and submit this data to the FHWA. The collection methods are not regulated and State DOT’s are not even required to submit motorcycle classifications. The primary reason this information is submitted is for calculating federal highway monies to the State governments. In collecting traffic counts the State DOT’s are mostly concerned with road wear and traffic patterns. The data does not need to be highly accurate. The estimates can be made on as little as 0.2 percent of total traffic. This data was never intended to be used in determining public safety nor making decisions that effect live and death on public roads.
The VM-1 table says that in the year 2001 each motorcyclist in the United States traveled only 1,800 miles. I conducted a survey that showed less then 5 percent of motorcyclist ride under 2,000 miles per year. 72 percent traveled more than 5,000 miles per year, including 25 percent traveling over 10,000 miles per year. .
Why are the State estimates for motorcycle travel so inaccurate?
Less than one percent of total road traffic is counted. Motorcycles make up only 2 percent of that total traffic, making the sampling rate for motorcycles statistically meaningless.
Road sensors have a difficult time detecting motorcycles.
Vehicle classifications (car, truck, motorcycle, etc.) are calculated from road counter hits using mathematical algorithms based on axle spacing. State DOT’s are not required to use a specific algorithm. State DOT’s are primarily interested in heavy truck traffic as they are responsible for most of the wear on the roadways. Algorithms are tuned to detect heavy truck traffic, motorcycle counts are the lowest priority.
State DOT’s are not required to submit motorcycle classifications.
Motorcyclist tend to follow the road less traveled. The scenic and twisty back roads that traffic counters are never placed on.
I have charted data from the latest NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts publication dated December 2002 and attached copies for you to use.
If you look at actual recorded data like, number of accidents, number of deaths, and number of registered motorcycles. You will see that the deaths per accident as remained nearly flat for the period that NHTSA claims a dramatic rise. The number of motorcycle injury accidents have lowered. The number of deaths compared with the number of registered motorcycles has had a widening gap since 1986. There are no alarming trends in motorcycle death rates. Motorcycle injury accident rates have been lower every year since 1997, a period in which 6 states have removed their mandatory helmet laws. Indicating that fewer motorcyclist are injured in accidents if they do not wear a helmet.
You will notice the only data that does not correlate is the VMT. From 1998 to 2001 the number of motorcycles on the road increased by more than 1 million (25% increase). Yet, NHTSA says 3/4 billion fewer miles were traveled. Using this false data and comparing the number of deaths per Vehicle Mile Traveled it shows the huge increase that NHTSA is alerting about.
When I asked the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) how over one million additional motorcycles could yeild 3/4 billion fewer miles traveled their response was “The 1800 mile/mc figure for 2001 is an anomaly which will be revised in the 2002 version to bring it more in line with the NHTS.”
The NHTS (National Household Travel Survey) is a survey given through a joint effort between FHWA and the BTS (Bureau of Transportation Statistics). For the current survey out of 53,235 responses exactly 77 answered the motorcycle VMT question. A sample size of 77 out of the nearly 5 million motorcyclist in this country. This is the data that the Federal Highway Administration will use to determine the next publication of motorcycle VMT.
NHTSA knows this is a false manipulation of the data. When numerous recorded data sources show a decrease and one estimated source shows an increase you do not use the estimated data to make false statements.
Why did they chose to release the alert anyway? Notice the time period. 1997 was the year the federal motorcycle helmet law was removed. You can be sure NHTSA will use this false alert that is being broadcast and published everywhere to push for new federal and state helmet legislation.
We need to call NHTSA on this false statement and we need to do it loudly and quickly.
FTW,
Stroker
This is the premier issue of ETHIC. The mailing list of nearly 500 MRO’s from accross the nation was painstakingly gathered by hand. If you do not wish to receive future copies simply return this with a note to remove you from the list. If you know of anyone that would be interested in receiving it, have them send their email address to be added.
In future issues I will disclose new sources of proof that helmets cause injury and how NHTSA is illegally lobbing State, Federal, and International Governments through their covert department the MSF. This year they introduced $10,000 grants (bribes) through the MSF to anyone that will push their agenda. Encouraging MRO’s to accept this bribe money and attacking us from within our own ranks.
BIKERNET RELIGIOUS MOMENT– Moe: “My wife got me to believe in religion.
Joe: “Really?
Moe: “Yeah. Until I married her I didn’t believe in hell.
–from Rev CarlR
IT’S BACK TO THE GARAGE–We’re completing the Beach Ride, Bikernet, Custom Chrome Goliath project bike, so it’s back to the garage. Watch for reports and techs on Bikernet and in American Rider. It should be cool.
If I can stay awake long enough we’ll also post a short tech on the construction of our 1928 Shovelhead exhaust system built by Strokers in Dallas, formerly Easyriders.
We’ve been contacted by ABC news. They want to jump into the motorcycle game. It’s interesting how bikers have been bitch slapped for years. Suddenly we’re hot property. We’ll see what happens next.
Ride Forever,
–Bandit
