[Peter Parts]

Stats like that are a good start and as many have commented, the real wisdom comes when you "drill down" by asking questions about risk in terms of exposure and so on. It makes no sense for any of us seasoned bikers to apply those raw stats to ourselves uncritically.

I think it is fair to bring one's own personal questions to the data: (1) as I unlock the garage, am I facing a risk (probability x cost) in excess of my benefits and (2) how can I fudge the probabilities... as I strap on my helmet?

For sure, we all know some of the answers to (2) and that's what matters most.

Here's one of my favorite stats, although a few years old - from the insurance industry who are pretty good with such stats. Mortality is pretty awful for new riders. These days there are a whole lot of incompetent, physically borderline older riders buying bikes; that makes "the ugly truth" so awful but this shouldn't make the older older stat in this paragraph any different. But at 5 yrs experience, the curve asymptotes to the same as car drivers and stays there. The same!

I hope many find that comforting.

PS: it means you have to learn something during those 5 yrs of riding, not just get older.