To be terrified of my brother riding a motorcycle?

[Firstbornunicorn]

My brother announced at Christmas dinner yesterday that he has bought himself a motorcycle and completed his CBT.

For background - my brother lives in a town near my parents' house and cannot drive. He has to walk to work every day, so I can see why a motorcycle would hold some appeal.

However, I hate them. A friend of mine was killed a few years back when his motorcycle collided with a tractor. In addition to this, my brother is kind of the cocky type. He would never believe something like that could happen to him. He's also a bit of a risk taker and does stupid things sometimes, just to see what will happen.

It terrifies me that he might end up being another statistic on our roads. I did tell him that motorcycle riders make up 19% of road fatalities, despite only accounting for 1% of road traffic.

I know it's his choice, and he's a young man in his 20s, so I can't tell him what to do. But I can't settle the growing anxiety that something bad may happen to him on the road.

I'm thinking of offering to pay for driving lessons. I don't have a lot of spare money, and have a baby on the way, but driving a car is demonstrably safer than riding a bike.

AIBU?

I also think the underpowered bikes are a danger in themselves. You sometimes need some power to get yourself out of a dangerous situation that a car driver has put you in.

I remember reading that horseriding is about the same level of danger.
You sound like a lovely caring sister OP but there's nothing you can do really is there, if he's a grown man.
FWIW I know a couple of people injured but not killed on motorbikes and this made them give them up, so not always worse case scenario even if there was an accident.
to all on here who have lost loved ones

Yanbu...i hate them..

Horse riding being dangerous doesn’t make motorcycling any safer.

Having looked at his route to work, it is 4 minutes by car. I'm going to hope that he will get sick of the faff of getting out his helmet, leathers, etc, for a cold ride to work, when he could just jump into a car and throw his kit on the back seat.
The bike needs to pass the MOT and he needs to get insurance before he can get on the road. I'm guessing the insurance won't be cheap for a young man without a driving license.

If he has already got the bike & done the CBT, you are unlikely to talk him out of it. Better to talk safety;
Make sure he gets a decent helmet, jacket, gloves and boots at minimum. Preferably trousers as well. These should all fit well, and be worn every time he rides, even if it's 5 minutes down the road.
Bike should be checked before riding - he should check brakes and lights are functional as a minimum.
Talk to him about doing some additional riding training, the CBT is only basic training. Many local county councils run courses.
My brother rides, and has recently done his full licence. Proper gear saved his life a couple of years ago (car drivers fault), and he has taken the extra courses run by his county council following that incident to learn how to ride more safely & defensively.

@AwkwardPaws27 I think you're right. My dad used to ride and has given him a helmet and leathers (they are identical in size and shape so these ought to fit him well), but I'll talk to him about good boots and gloves.
Interesting about additional training - he hasn't expressed any interest in doing the full bike test. I'll ask him to check what's available nearby.

How old is the helmet? The padding can perish reducing the protection, and they are improving them all the time, so I'd be wary of an old one. I'd recommend buying the best quality one he can afford.

Yanbu.
I have two friends deceased due to motorcycle accidents. Neither of them driver their bikes like twats and all wore protective gear.
If you are any kind of biker and have an accident with a car you are more at risk of serious injury.
And it doesn't matter how carefully you bike, car drivers only have to have one momentary lapse of concentration

@AwkwardPaws27 I'm not sure, but I know it's not too old, as dad bought it for an Easter run a few years ago.

@IJustLostTheGame so sorry about your lovely friends.
My friend who died on his bike also wasn't to blame. It is hard not to worry.

@Firstbornunicorn I hope your brother enjoys his bike safely

My DF was knocked off his today. I fucking hate the things.

@Prinstress I hope he is ok. You must have been so worried.

The thing is, even if my brother could drive, I think he would still keep the motorcycle. My DH reckons he's decided bikes are cool, and although I love my brother, he's the most stubborn person in the world sometimes. The fact that my head nearly exploded when he said he'd bought the bike probably makes him more determined than ever to ride it every day!

I've had bikes twice, from 1980-1986, and 2007-2013. The first time I had my leg broken by a taxi who simply assumed I would stop. The second time a twat pulled out of stationary traffic to drive on the wrong side of the road so he could make a right turn. The bruises hurt, but not as much as the look on DD's face.

Very few bikers die from overcooking it, it's the twats.