There’s no good reason for them to be on the road. Consider the following:

  • They’re extremely loud and cause noise pollution

  • They’re very dangerous on the road and have high accident rates

  • They’re bad for the environment and cause air pollution

  • They’re extremely inefficient as they can only carry 1-2 people max

  • They can’t carry cargo

  • They’re dangerous for pedestrians

  • They’re very demanding to operate

  • They’re virtually useless in the winter when there’s snow, ice, and hail

  • The people who tend to drive them tend to be assholes who don’t respect road laws

People complain about cars all the time, and while our car dependency is definitely a big issue that we need to address, cars still have a lot utility. Motorcycles on the other hand? Not really. I think getting rid of them once and for all is good way to immediately make our roads safer, simplify traffic, and open up a pathway to move away from cars.

  • Chozo@fedia.io
    2·
    9 months ago

    Downvoting not because it’s an unpopular opinion, but because your arguments are largely incorrect.

  • GreenMouse@piefed.socialEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    I don’t know, most of these points also apply to cars, if not more so to cars, and this “motorcyclists are assholes” is complete nonsense. It’s not an unpopular opinion, it’s just a terrible, flawed, biased opinion.

  • Peasley@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Motorcycles get much better mileage than gas cars. Most cars on the road carry only a single person during Rush Hour. Motorcycles create much less pollution and traffic in those situations. A typical motorcycle tends to get double the fuel economy of a typical gas car. A gas car only comes out ahead if you carpool with more than 2 people, which almost nobody does.

    As a pedestrian, getting hit by a motorcycle going 30 km/h is much less lethal than being hit by a car going 30 km/h. the amount of kinetic energy is a fraction of that of a car

    At least in my area, motorcyclists are on average safer drivers than BMWs or Teslas, probably even safer than average. At least they bother to signal most of the time.

    You have some points but some of your arguments are totally untrue.

    • over_clox@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      Also, OP’s point #1 is not true for all motorcycles, many actually have nice mufflers and well balanced engines that keep them rather quiet.

    • snoons@lemmy.caEnglish
      01·
      9 months ago

      Motorcycles get much better mileage than gas cars.

      While true, they also burn hotter which creates worse pollution.

  • MudMan@fedia.io
    1·
    9 months ago

    I just had a vision of a European city where all motorcycles are instantly replaced by cars and I think I need a shower.

  • Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    1·
    9 months ago

    Very easy to electrify, and the accident rate seems to be due to poor driver education and all the dumb fucks rolling around in their cars (equally with shitty driver education)

  • Mearuu@kbin.melroy.org
    1·
    9 months ago

    Motorcycles drive the economy in some countries.

    They cause less traffic.

    They cost less to own and operate.

    The pollute less.

    Almost every other claim you make is true for cars not motorcycles. Look, I get it, a lot of people hate motorcycles for some reason or another, but at least have your reasons to be based on facts and not opinions.

    The people who tend to drive them tend to be assholes who don’t respect road laws

    Ahh there it is. You generalize people and don’t like bikers specifically. That’s equivalent to me saying I don’t like people who drive cars because they get in the way of me operating my motorcycle. That’s such a selfish way to think.

    Congrats on a truly shit opinion. I suppose it belongs here.

    • Gorilladrums@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      Motorcycles drive the economy in some countries

      I’m specifically talking about the US.

      The pollute less.

      Fuel efficiency =/= less pollution

      https://www.wired.com/2008/06/motorcycles-pol/

      You generalize people and don’t like bikers specifically.

      This point could be made for pickup trucks or guns or Lemmy. The people who use these tools are a big component to how they’re applied in the world as well as how they’re perceived by society.

      That’s equivalent to me saying I don’t like people who drive cars because they get in the way of me operating my motorcycle.

      No it isn’t, that’s a false equivalency. I’m not against motorcycles because they personally inconvenience me, but because I see them as a nuisance to society. There are literal studies out there that show that motorcyclists are much more prone to risky behavior that end up resulting in dangerous situations. Here’s an example study:

      https://openpublichealthjournal.com/VOLUME/17/ELOCATOR/e18749445281252/FULLTEXT/

      • masterspace@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        9 months ago

        First you need to find a study that shows that society on the whole finds risky behaviours to be nuisances, which, here’s a hint, they don’t, because they’re not all you.