How much gasoline could riding a motorcycle save?

According to statistics from the Bureau of Transportation, in 2003, passenger cars averaged 22.3 miles per gallon and motorcycles averaged 50 miles per gallon. That means, at $3 a gallon, on average, a person riding a motorcycle 20,000 miles would spend $1,200 on gas, while a person driving a car would spend $2,690.

Just how dangerous is driving a motorcycle vs. a car?

There were 103,000 motorcycle accidents, including noncollision accidents, in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is less than one percent of the total 10.9 million total police-reported crashes in 2005 in the United States. In Indiana, out of 933 accidents involving motorcycles in 2005, 110 resulted in a motorcyclist fatality.

Mike “Wolfie” Davis, Madison County representative for American Bikers Aimed Towards Education, said the danger of driving a motorcycle comes mostly from the cars around the motorcyclist.

“That is our biggest danger right there,” Davis said. “They don’t understand how long it takes a motorcycle to stop. ... (Riding a motorcycle) can be more dangerous, yes, but as long as you’re aware of your surroundings, it’s not any different from riding in your car or flying in an airplane.”

Are many people starting to ride bikes, scooters or other vehicles instead of cars?

According to the National Bicycle Dealers Association Web site, the industry made $5.8 billion in 2006 in the United States, down from $6.1 billion in 2005.

Greg Wooten, owner of Bike Depot, said he has seen an increase in bicycle sales and, more noticeably, in bicycle repairs.

“A lot of people are bringing in bikes they bought years and years and years ago,” he said. “They’re getting back on them.”

Wooten said customers have told him gas prices are one factor in they’re getting back on the bike.

According to the NBDA, 5.2 percent of riders in the United States are using their bikes primarily for transportation — rather than recreation.