I could probably list a MILLION reasons why this is true, but you already know what they are.
I have a very short commute to my office. If I have no traffic disturbances, I can make it in 8 minutes door-to-door. Of course, it takes me 20 minutes to get ready and warm up the bike, but who’s counting?
In that 8 minutes I deal with a multitude of potential near-death obstacles; BMW driver on phone running red lights, bicycle rider blowing through intersection, street sweeper muddying up the asphalt, road construction closing the lane off, and MUNI tracks that like to suck tires up in them. I wish I were exaggerating, but in complete honesty, this is putting my short jaunt to work mildly.
Granted, this is a bustling city and I’m more likely to encounter issues because of that fact, but you can imagine that I’ve got to be on my toes at all times. I’m adept at figuring out who’s going to slam on their brakes in front of me, or make an illegal u-turn and cutting me off for that coveted parking space on the other side of the street. My point is, I’m aware. Aware of the crappy drivers that lurking in every corner around me.
I pretty much avoid driving a car at all costs, but when I do, the same behavior carries over. I didn’t have to read this article to know that I was a better driver than Mr. Schmo-bag, but the math girl that I am, I sure do like a good solid statistic to prove it.
I am at least 23% better.
Louda Goes Vroom 
Motorcyclist Do It Better, on & off the bike 😉
Love the posts! Do you think motorcycle licensing processes prepare you enough for dealing with these “potential near-death obstacles”?
Keep Safe!
Possibly, @bikeaware, but at the end of the day, it’s experience and bike confidence that really helps me. (That also means having made mistakes and even near-incidents, too.) I ride within my limits and own bikes that meet my level of riding ability. All that said, I think there’s potential in regulating new riders and their bike choices; like not selling a Panigale to a less experienced rider. Perhaps the regulations occur within the motorcycling community itself?
Thanks for your comment!