Ask any adult what they think about riding a motorcycle and you’re likely to get one of two answers—very cool or totally nuts. For those folks that are dedicated “bikers,” no amount of scary stats on accidents, brain injuries, or deaths will convince them to give up their Harleys or Hondas; others are convinced that even a parked motorcycle is lethal. This is a machine that inspires intense feelings, good, bad, and ugly.Today, more people than ever before are riding motorcycles, some estimates put the number at about seven million which includes both drivers and passengers. Despite the enduring popular stereotype of a young, brawny dude covered in tattoos and wearing a bandana for a helmet, the fact is that both men and women of all ages are bikers. It’s evident this mode of transportation works for a lot of Americans.

But there are some good reasons for a cautious approach to motorcycles.

Motorcycle-related deaths increased every single year between 1997 and 2008, a 150% increase. Motorcycle crashes killed 5,290 people in 2008.

Young people are not the only ones dying in motorcycle crashes. In 2008, more than half the people killed in motorcycle crashes were 40 or older, up from 33% in 1998.

While only 9% of riders killed in motorcycle crashes in 2008 were women, almost all passengers (89%) killed in motorcycle crashes were women.

It is estimated that the economic burden of injuries and deaths from motorcycle related crashes in one year totaled $12 billion.

A study of 105 motorcyclists hospitalized at a major trauma center determined that 63% of their care was paid for by public funds, with Medicaid accounting for over half of all charges.

Perhaps it’s the last factoids about costs that drives the volatile sentiments against motorcycles but certainly the type of injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents are also frightening. The following information comes from a report issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Most incapacitating and fatal injuries were sustained when the initial point of impact (IPI) was the front of the motorcycle.

Lower-extremity injuries were the most common injuries sustained

by motorcyclists treated in level I and II trauma centers, followed by upper-extremity and head injuries. While lower-extremity injuries were more frequent, head, chest, and abdominal injuries tended to be more severe.

Injured motorcyclists sustain more leg injuries than any other type of

lower-extremity injury, with bone fractures being more common than soft-tissue injuries.

Some injuries associated primarily with motorcycle accidents include:

Biker’s Arm-a condition in which the nerves in the upper arm are damaged as a result of the biker hitting the ground. Depending on the severity, motorcyclist may lose some or all movement in the affected limb.

Head Injury or Brain Trauma-the most often cited reason for passing universal helmet laws, this type of injury can result in any number of ugly effects including seizures, paralysis, loss of memory and change in brain function. Though some of these symptoms can be temporary others may last a lifetime and cause permanent disability.

Spinal cord injuries-among the most serious of injuries this type of trauma can result in partial or complete paralysis, depending on location of the lesion, that lasts a lifetime.

As to the common causes of motorcycle accidents, in single-vehicle crashes the primary, contributing factor is driver error that results in a slide-out and fall typically from losing control and overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or undercornering. Alcohol is also a culprit in more than half of all fatal accidents. In motorcycle accidents that involve another vehicle, more than two-thirds of the collisions were caused by a motorist violating the motorcycle’s right of way. It’s as if the bike and rider were “invisible.” Most riders will tell you their single greatest apprehension on the road is not being “seen” by drivers behind the wheel of a car.

The list of reasons to be fearful about motorcycles is sobering. Nonetheless, the popularity of motorcycles is growing which prompts the obvious question, what are the joys of riding? In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the author Robert Persig noted, “You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.” Here’s what many “in the scene” would say on behalf of motorcycles:

Freedom!-this is the first word you’re likely to hear from a motorcyclist when it comes to why ride; for many riders, the destination is secondary to the journey.

Feeling of the ride-nothing compares to the skill, alertness and dexterity required to navigate a motorcycle; it’s a thrill to be fully engaged and in harmony with the machine.

Fuel savings-bikes can get more than double the mileage of a car on a gallon of gas. With gas prices on the rise, motorcycles have come into the mainstream of American motoring consciousness.

Parking-may not seem like much but what could be more joyful than being able to pull into a parking space where SUV’s dare not go?

Connection-motorcyclists share a bond, they are part of a larger community whose members acknowledge each other on the road.

Individuality-bikers tend to show their personality through how they dress to ride and customize their cycles.

Lower carbon impact-a biker might not say he or she is an environmentalist but the fact remains that motorcycles are an efficient means of transportation

Finally, a lot of motorcyclists might not say it out loud but let’s face it there is something very cool about being a rider. No matter what you do, how you look, or what establishment you walk into, eyes turn in your direction when you carry a helmet under your arm. It is seriously hip.