"Risk Homeostasis'

[Iowa Guy]

I read an interesting article in Smithsonian Magazine this month: Presence of Mind: Buckle Up. And Behave

 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Presence-of-Mind-Buckle-Up-And-Behave.html

 

The article ostensible deals with the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the three-point seat belt but then goes on to discuss the human behavior of risk taking.

 

"Now researchers are positing a risk compensation corollary: humans don't merely tolerate risk they seek it; each of us has an innate tolerance level of risk, and in any given situation we will act to reduce - or increase - the perceived risk, depending on that level."

 

As I read the article I was thinking of several implications. As more safety equipment is added to cars does it make the roads more dangerous for bikers? Do bikers who wear helmets and other safety equipment ride less safely because they compensate for the improved odds of survival? If so, does that mean that we are safer if we wear less safety equipment and carried no personal liability or physical damage insurance?

 

Interesting

 

Iowa Guy

[rod]

Thanks for that. It was an interesting read. The article mirrors my observations. Rod

[Condor]

As I read the article I was thinking of several implications. As more safety equipment is added to cars does it make the roads more dangerous for bikers? Do bikers who wear helmets and other safety equipment ride less safely because they compensate for the improved odds of survival? If so, does that mean that we are safer if we wear less safety equipment and carried no personal liability or physical damage insurance?

 

Interesting

 

Iowa Guy

 

Makes sense to me. I wonder if a 'sport bike' rider, in ATGATT mode, would ride the same way if they were just wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals????

[Monty]

I raced motocross for several years, and wearing "full" protective gear CAN sometimes give you the impression of being bulletproof, and make you take chances you normally wouldn't.

 

 

I didn't always wear a seatbelt, until I started working Emergency Services. Picking up bodies from roads, fields and ditches that probably would have survived if they had had the seatbelt on, instead of being ejected, changes your perspective. I ALWAYS wear one now.