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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday December 13 2017, @08:43AM   Printer-friendly
from the dark-side-of-the-moon dept.

Full moons and particularly "supermoons" have been linked to increased deaths of motorcyclists:

Distracted drivers, like those who text behind the wheel, are a danger to themselves and to others. Even a brief, momentary glance away from the road can result in life-threatening consequences.

Research published Dec. 11 in The BMJ [open, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.j5367] [DX] points toward another potential distraction for motorists: the full moon, gracing the sky with its brightness around 12 times a year, and the dazzling supermoon, which comes into focus around once a year.

The researchers found that on nights illuminated by a full moon, fatal motorcycle accidents increased by 5 percent compared to nights without a full moon. On evenings when the supermoon decorated the sky, this increased to 32 percent. The study included data from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

While this observational data cannot prove any firm conclusions, the researchers warn drivers of the risks of seemingly minor distractions, urging constant attention while driving at all times.


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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday December 13 2017, @09:23PM

    by frojack (1554) on Wednesday December 13 2017, @09:23PM (#609395) Journal

    A quick look at the paper reveals no data considered about the number of people out riding in various conditions, just the number of accidents. Yet the paper is packed with fluff about how dangerous motorcycles are and how distractions are a serious threat...

    Exactly. They didn't even check for the cause of accident before they started blaming cell phones.
    In fact I wonder if they even checked the weather to see if the moon was visible. I'm betting not.

    Junk Science. Yet you can bet it will be quoted for years to come.

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