Whats riskier? Highway or in-town riding...

[Ian522]

I was pondering this yesterday as I was out riding. Ive been riding for almost a year and I am still hesitant to get on the freeway sometimes. Ill force myself to do it anyway, but I find myself wanting to get off a few exits later.

The way I look at it, in busy town traffic you are more likely to get into a incident because of the crowded streets, distracted drivers, and erratic movements of vehicles coming out of driveways, side streets, etc. However, you are only moving at around 20-30mph. Enough for you to get hurt if you took a spill, but in most instances it would'nt be extremely serious or life theatening. (although I know anything is possible.)

On highways the risk of an incident are lessened, BUT the high rate of speed you are traveling at means that if something does happen, you have a excellent chance of serious harm coming your way.

I dunno, I just have a terrible fear of cruising on the highway and having some idiot change lanes into me and send me hurdling into oblivion at 70mph. Maybe its silly, but its a fear that I cant seem to shake off. The highways in north jersey are pretty intense and not for the faint of heart, even in your cage sometimes.

Am I overreacting? Anyone else feel this way too? Thoughts, comments, flames, etc...

[noodlenoggin]

City driving, hands down. On the freeway, there's so many less places for someone to just appear and blindside you. If you're moving with traffic, you can be aware of all the cars around you and be pretty secure. At freeway speeds the bike is more stable.

In town? Driveways everywhere, traffic lights and signs for drivers to not see, sidewalks with kids, animals and objects hurtling at you from all sides -- drivers paying more attention to the business signs, girls on the sidewalk, cell phone, what lane they're in (or not in), where they want to go, and etc and etc and etc... And at 20 the bike is way more wobbly and easy to knock over, and if you go down you're so much more likely to get run over by the Frito-Lay truck (or whatever) behind you.

Other than being windier, the freeway is so much better in so many ways.


Here, have this...it's $0.02...

[roscowgo]

I'm personally more comfy in town dealing with stoplights and traffic. I dont Like either one all that much.

I never have been a go real fast kinda person. Having to go 85 to not get turned into a puddle rosco just doesnt sit well with me.

Noodles right though. Freeway is safer.

[gsJack]

Saying you have been riding for almost a year without mentioning milage doesn't define much. A year could be 10 miles or 10,000 miles. I think you should ride where you are comfortable, being apprehensive causes one to tense up and become more vulnerable. I hit the freeways after about a week of riding. Developing good road sense is most important in riding as it is in driving, gotta out think the other guy.

Perhaps it is the higher speeds that get you more concerned than the other drivers out there. Maybe getting used to higher speeds on less travelled secondary roads would be helpful before tackling freeway traffic.

[Sev]

Town riding scares me more.

[Ian522]

Saying you have been riding for almost a year without mentioning milage doesn't define much. A year could be 10 miles or 10,000 miles. I think you should ride where you are comfortable, being apprehensive causes one to tense up and become more vulnerable. I hit the freeways after about a week of riding. Developing good road sense is most important in riding as it is in driving, gotta out think the other guy.

Perhaps it is the higher speeds that get you more concerned than the other drivers out there. Maybe getting used to higher speeds on less travelled secondary roads would be helpful before tackling freeway traffic.

I guess in that 10 months its a total of somewhere between 600-800 miles give or take. 99% of which have been around town or on secondary roads. Ill admit the wind blast isnt pleasant, but ive had the bike up to highway speeds plenty of times on secondary roads like you mentioned and I am comfotable with the speed. Its just when the other cars are right next to you on the freeway when I start to get nervous.

I guess I just need to slowly ease into it. Maybe constantly avoiding the highway hasnt been the best choice during the learning process.

[jonnythan]

No one has mentioned objects.

On the freeway, everyone is moving at roughly the same speed in the same direction and there's basically nothing to run into if you get dumped. There's normally grass or a concrete guardrail to stop you.

In town, if you drop off the bike, you're probably running right into some fixed object. A street light, parked car, mail box, oncoming traffic, etc.

I believe that non-interstate riding is much more dangerous, both for potential for getting dumped/hit and potential for injury once falling off.

[KarateChick]

My opinion, without a doubt - in-town city riding is much scarier. Especially the drivers in this city.

[dr_bar]

Considering you can die in a cage doing 5mph if the circumstances go against you, 30mph in the city on a bike isn't any better. I think highway driving, whether it's a freeway or a secondary highway, is safer, (as well as more enjoyable,) than dodging bullets in the city...

[ANDS!]

However, you are only moving at around 20-30mph.

Not in this city. The posted speed limits are "suggestions" for the majority of drivers here. Id go with street driving; because even though theres more speed, the streets have way too many spots where things can (and do) go wrong.