Baby Boomer + Motorcycle = An Increasingly Dangerous Mix

Turn 40 and hop on a motorcycle? You're not alone but that still doesn't make it a good idea.

Boomers on bikes is trendy (2/3rds of motorcyclists are baby boomers), cliche (refer to the latest Tim Allen movie on this very subject),and as it turns out dangerous.

The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)determined that the number of motorcyclists 45 and older killed in crashes nearly quadrupled from 2001 to 2005. "Crashes among this age group increased more than 60 percent during that time, compared with a 6 percent drop in the number of crashes for younger motorcycle riders." While the data they reviewed was for Michigan, there is no reason not to believe it is not representative of the country as a whole.

The aging of the motorcycling population in Michigan may be contributing to the increase in motorcycle fatalities,” said UMTRI researcher Lidia Kostyniuk. “As people age, their bodies become more fragile and their chances of dying as a result of a crash increase. This may well explain the increase in overall motorcycle fatalities that occurred in Michigan in 2005—a 54 percent increase from the year before.”

It's interesting that middle age, the very time that mortality is becoming a serious issue for individuals, is the same age group that is seeing the big increases in motorcycle riding--one of the biggest threats to mortality.

If you are 45 and want to do something exciting involving transportation, get a convertible. You'll live longer.