All things considered, the track may be just as dangerous as the street

[Silverbird]

I gave up on track riding after a big crash in '08 and I'm one that feels safer on the street. I mean, technically most ride with about 50% in reserve on the street (or should ) and very little in reserve on the track. That leaves very little room for error and even though you have run-off room, an akward fall at twice the speed is just as bad as a "some" street scenerio crashes.

On the street you have mindless, cell phone talking cagers but on the track you have novice and ameteur riders (and your ubiquitous hotshot) working on their own bikes that can spring a leak at any given moment. Those same riders will ride erratically, scare easily and make stupid decisions that can get you in trouble real quick at triple digit speed.

When I ride on the street I scan for sand and dirt like a hawk, pretend I'm invisible (and don't blame cars when they don't see me, I just wave as to say 'sorry') ride within my limits and be just cocky enough to swerve to avoid someone that pulls out in front of me. To me, I just feel like I'm at less of a risk on the street because track riding is so much more extreme. Go ahead flame away

[Rogue]

I have no imperical data to support any of that.  

I did know two friends that I used to ride with in the street for a few years.  Both of them never crashed during their commute to work and our mountain road riding.  Yet both of them crashed at the track--twice in one year.  The last crash one of them had was enough for him not to be able to ride for six months.

You may have a good point.

[tomek]

Track is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay safer when you ride at 98-100 % , I personally don`t seen any point considering how expensive that is to putz around at 50 % ( at the track ) . Other then riding close to your limit it is apple and orange , not really comparable .

Beginner groups are usually closely monitored and relatively safe , same for advanced riders who generally speaking know what they are doing and bikes are well prepared .

Intermediate can be cluster fuck , if you look at percentages of crashes , this group is overrepresented in your typical track-day .  

Having said that you`ll learn more during one day on the track then in 100 Iron Butt certificate this or that rides .    

[veefer800canuck]

Well they each have different dangers.

Cars and curbs and lampposts on the street, trucks and buses, debris, etc.

BUT, you're usually riding with a BIG performance reserve, and nowhere near your limits.

On the track, everyone is going the same direction, and there aren't any cages or red light runners, but of course, the pace can be near maximum at times, and you are sharing the track with strangers of varying skill levels. Someone lowsides and takes you out, or torpedoes you from behind on the brakes, it's not your fault, but you're still going down, and probably at twice the speed as on the street.

[Blunder]

Go ahead flame away

OK.

I see Birkenstocks, camomile tea and a Volvo or Subaru in your future.

So there.

[ray916mn]

It all depends on how you ride in each situation.

On a track there is no excuse for not trying to ride at the absolute limit of your skills and the capabilities of your bike. Riding at the limit is risky.

On the street even if you ride with ample reserve, the potential for hitting a deer or having a car pull out in front of you or a drunk driver take you out is the risk.

No matter what, riding at the same pace, the track is always safer. If you ride at the limit on the track and with lots of reserve on the street, the track can definitely be riskier per mile traveled than the street.

[DogBoy]

Apple vs. Orange as tomek (kind of) said.

[atadaskew]

OK.

I see Birkenstocks, camomile tea and a Volvo or Subaru in your future.

So there.

You won't get t-boned by a Subaru on the track.
And then have the driver claim you slid sideways into the front of her car..
 

[Mr Sunshine]

I don't care what you say....the box is 2mins away at the track.  On the street...not so much.

[volleykinginnc]

I think you have to look at the totality of the risk.  In other words someone who has been at the track probably rides better on the street.  Thus if you combine the risk of both it is probably less than the sum of one.....

nevermind that made no sense at all.

[garry]

I think the "track is safer" idea is aimed at the people that try to ride a track pace on the street. Take your need for high speed lean angle to the track where sight lines and runoff are way less of an issue. Get your ya-yas out on the track and ride more conservatively on the street.

I treat track days like a high speed street ride. Crashing is not an option, so I ride with plenty in reserve (and probably don't learn as much as a result). Since the track is predictable, I'll ride more aggressively than I would on the street, but I'm nowhere near 100%. It's very rare for me to feel butterflies in the stomach from entering a corner faster than I'm totally comfortable with.  Mostly I work on being smooth and consistent while getting comfortable with a bit more lean angle and/or speed than I would normally see on the street. I find it prevents panicking when I do enter a corner a little too fast on the street. I just look at the exit, stay on the gas, and trust the bike because I've done it at the track before.

[darkstarmoto]

Being a track rider and having friends who are CR's (control riders) I'd like to chime in on the "riding at the limit of your abilities" comments. If you're doing it that way maybe you should consider kicking down a class. The idea is to ride with-in your capabilities and to learn how to grow them. You're out there to learn to be smoother which then translates into faster (generally). The only way to get smoother is to be in complete control and teach yourself how to control your bike better thus allowing more speed to be carried safely.

If you go out on the track and ride like a freaking terror then come into the paddock breathing all heavy and freaked out like you just danced with the devil and won...you're an ass. Those are the guys that end up torpedoing someone or run horrible lines and cause others to have to drastically compensate which throws them out of their comfort zone.

Now as for being safer or more dangerous...IF I want to go well above most posted speed limits in America, I'll do it on the track. A controlled track situation is the ONLY place to do that safely with minimal possibility of outside influences sending you on an ambulance ride.

Riding on the street is as dangerous as you let it be. Risk management plays an important role, the more you manage the safer you are. If you weave in and out of traffic...don't signal...aren't alert to your surroundings, eventually you'll be "that guy" taking a ride to the hospital. Yes there are factors beyond our control in a street environment but if you're using your head, thinking about your escape scenario's and riding with-in your abilities you should have a long enjoyable riding career.

[Liquidsilver]

Street riding, track riding, off-road riding - all have unique risks.   I see lots more wrecked bikes at track days that street rides, so I see the point of the OP.  
 
On enduros, I usually fall at least a half-dozen times, usually with no bad injuries.
 
Riding motorcycles is not a completely safe activity.   I DO think some riders are more prone to crashes than others, too.

[Giaka]

Obviously the track is a safer place for people who cant control themselves on the street. Other than that neither is a "safe' activity.

[black hills]

I would imagine "per mile ridden" the track has less fatalities than the street?

[Kneescrubber]

I do both and feel infinitely safer on the track. I've been to the ER 3 times while riding a bike. None were on the track.

[Tyrroneous]

For a given speed, the track is definitely safer than the street due to clean surface, no on coming traffic, no obstructions, no stray dogs, no stupid deer, etc.

For surviving a crash at a given speed, the track is definitely safer than the street due to obstruction free run-off, no on-coming traffic, etc.

For quick emergency care, the track is safer than the street unless you crash right in front of the ER.  

Even though I ride much closer to my limits on the track, I have always felt safer riding on the track because I can put almost all of my attention into my riding technique instead of having to spread my attention across so many more inputs like traffic or wondering if there is going to be sand in the corner or concern about someone swerving into my lane PLUS my riding technique.

[scottzilla]

Depends on what you mean by "The track".
If you are sport riding on the street and pushing it to the point you no longer feel comfortable pushing even more (Even though you think you can go faster) than a track day is safer than the street.  Sorry, it just is.
Racing?  Bullshit.  That shit is dangerous!!

[Dan K]

I think the "track is safer" idea is aimed at the people that try to ride a track pace on the street. Take your need for high speed lean angle to the track where sight lines and runoff are way less of an issue. Get your ya-yas out on the track and ride more conservatively on the street.

I treat track days like a high speed street ride. Crashing is not an option, so I ride with plenty in reserve (and probably don't learn as much as a result). Since the track is predictable, I'll ride more aggressively than I would on the street, but I'm nowhere near 100%. It's very rare for me to feel butterflies in the stomach from entering a corner faster than I'm totally comfortable with.  Mostly I work on being smooth and consistent while getting comfortable with a bit more lean angle and/or speed than I would normally see on the street. I find it prevents panicking when I do enter a corner a little too fast on the street. I just look at the exit, stay on the gas, and trust the bike because I've done it at the track before.

Well said.  Take it seriously, get better at a safe pace.  I'm in no hurry to be the fastest guy out there.  Just want to enjoy the ride at a speed that requires all of my attention at once, and gets my speed needs met, as I get closer and closer, little by little, to my limits.  

- Dan

[Silverbird]

Well of course the street is safer if you ride on the track as a street pace The point is, people don't. not even beginners.  They are both a calculated risk and if you ride safe and slightly above the speed limit on the street vs as hard as you can go on the track...hour per hour your chances are better to fall off on the track than on the street.   Now what happens after you fall off, you could hit a tree or skin a hole in your leathers, pick your poison.

My point is that riding hard on the track is not a great deal safer riding by yourself and the deer up in the mountains.