And what, pray tell, is inaccurate about “That’s why heavier vehicles are - everything else being equalish - safer than lighter vehicles.”
The rest of your post I really don’t have an issue with. Well, apart from the patronising tone with which you explain that complex phenomena are (d’uh) complex, and the attempt to split hairs to show what an uber l337 physicist you are. AFAIK, crumple zones and air bags are notably absent from motorcycles, and I have no idea how an example involving two 50 year old cars is supposed to add to anything to this discussion.
Nate Hornby got outrageously lucky. I’m happy for him, he seems like a nice guy, but trying to extend his outrageous luck to a general case is a fools game. Anecdote != data, and population level stats don’t lie. Motorcycles are crapton of fun but dangerous as a form of transport. For lots of reasons, one of which is that they’re going to be on the wrong end of momentum transfer in practically any collision.
