Valid point, but that risk also has to be balanced against convenience. I have a car and use it most of the time, but I also use the motorcycle when it's more convenient and I'm not travelling far. The risk is weighed against convenience and comfort. Sometimes it's simply too hot, too slow, or too impractical to take the motorcycle. There is also the question of individual risk profiles. For an experienced rider who is familiar with Thai roads, rides cautiously and defensively, never rides drunk, avoids riding at night, and wears decent protective gear, the risk profile is significantly different from that of the young lad weaving through traffic at speed, or the first-time tourist riding home drunk at 2am. There's a balance point. The risk is unquestionably higher than taking the car. Nevertheless, for some of us, the actual risk is considerably lower than the aggregate motorcycle stats suggest. So I don't think using a motorcycle to pop to the local 7-Eleven or Tops, head to the local astroturf pitch for a game, or visit the barber is inherently foolish. It's well within what I would consider an acceptable level of risk, certainly within my own personal risk tolerance. However, I would suggest that riding from On-Nut to Nonthaburi or Samut Prakan, or from Naklua to Jomtien, Cha-am to southern Hua Hin, or Mai Khao to Rawai, carries a level of exposure where taking the car or calling a taxi becomes the more sensible option.
