Motorcycle deaths continue to edge up

[GunMD]

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Article published Sep 29, 2006

Sep 28, 2006

Motorcycle deaths continue to edge up

By LISE FISHER

Sun staff writer

Whether it's recent soaring gasoline prices or a love for the open road, more and more Americans have become "easy riders" and are hitting the highways on motorcycles.

But with increased motorcycle sales have come a steadily rising number of motorcycle rider fatalities, both nationwide and in Florida.

Last year's fatalities for motorcyclists in Florida was the highest figure reported in 30 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The number of motorcycle crashes and injuries also has consistently risen in the state over the past five years. In 2005, 7,282 motorcyclists were injured in 8,147 crashes, compared to 4,474 injured in 5,073 accidents in 2000.

The rate of fatalities per 100,000 registered motorcycles increased from 55.30 in 1997 to 69.68 in 2004, the last year those figures are available, according to the NHTSA.

Those numbers, local officers said, should encourage anyone using motorcycles to get proper training and wear protective gear, even when its not required by law.

'Tremendous effect'

Alachua County Sheriff's Lt. Ryan Cox, head of the agency's traffic safety bureau, rides a motorcycle at work and off-duty. On the road, he wears a helmet, gloves, pants and boots to stay safe.

In 2000, the Florida law requiring all motorcycle riders in the state to wear helmets was eliminated. Now motorcyclists under 21 or older riders who don't have at least $10,000 of medical insurance are the only ones mandated to have a helmet.

That change has had a "tremendous effect" on motorcycle fatalities and injuries, Cox said.

Cox said he's among the first-responders arriving at motorcycle crashes.

"I'm the first one there. I'm the one who's involved with a bloody mess. I've seen accidents where there didn't have to be a fatality," Cox said.

Nationwide, about 65 percent of those killed in motorcycle crashes were not wearing a helmet in states that do not have universal helmet laws, according to the NHTSA.

Death by the numbers

More than 4,500 motorcycle riders died in crashes in the United States last year, the eighth straight year the number of motorcycle fatalities nationwide has increased, NHTSA data released last month showed.

Fatalities among motorcycle riders increased in every age group, with the largest increase in the 50-and-older age group, the NHTSA also reported.

In Florida, 469 motorcycle riders were killed last year in crashes.

Seven motorcycle fatalities have occurred in Alachua County from 2001 through 2005, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. During the same five-year period, 335 people were injured in the county.

In May, an off-duty Gainesville police officer riding a motorcycle died when he hit a piece of channel iron in a lane on Interstate 75. Officer Otto E. Williams Jr., 37, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08, the limit for establishing a case for driving under the influence in Florida. Williams, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was thrown from his motorcycle.

Factors in crashes

Florida's climate, changes in what safety equipment motorcyclists must wear, training and a lack of experience among some motorcyclists, visibility issues and in some cases aggressive driving are all factors behind the soaring number of motorcycle fatalities, North Florida officers said.

The state's sunny, warm weather means more motorcyclists on the road throughout the year, contributing to a higher number of motorcycle accidents, said Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Mike Burroughs. Among those are riders who are not registered Florida motorists but who are enjoying the state's climate. Including them in the state's traffic crash statistics skews some of the data, he noted.

Although most motorcyclists in northern Florida operate their vehicles safely, Burroughs said officers in some parts of the state are having problems with motorcyclists who ride sports or speed bikes.

"They are causing havoc on congested roadways by basically performing stunt driving and racing and other aggressive driving," Burroughs said. In Central and South Florida, law enforcement agencies have started special motorcycle enforcement squads to better police this kind of driving.

Inexperience factor

Cox said some motorcycle riders aren't used to or trained to drive more powerful motorcycles or the larger, cruiser motorcycles that are popular. That inexperience can lead to accidents.

"I think that, after taking a motorcyclist operators course, that they need to start with smaller motorcycles and work their way up to big, high-powered motorcycles," Cox said. "The problem is that right now, large, twin-cylinder, Harley-Davidson type motorcycles are the rage. The people who are buying them just never came up through the experience ranks."

However, more often it's visibility, not motorcycle driver error or aggressive driving, that's the main issue behind motorcycle fatalities in Florida, Burroughs said. Other motorists fail to spot a motorcyclist because of blind spots and, suddenly, it's too late. And, because motorcyclists are exposed and their vehicles are smaller than cars or trucks, they're often the loser in vehicle crashes.

"Hence the reason we stress the need for motorcycle operators to voluntarily wear every piece of protective equipment that they can afford," Burroughs said. "We're not trying to punish you by having you wear the protective equipment. We just know it's an issue that's not going to be resolved. We have to learn to share the road."

Lise Fisher can be reached at 374-5092 or [email protected].

Let 'er rip, ya'll.

 

[Wyosteve]

I wonder if the statistcs include the hordes of scooters that are now on the road. It may not as they are not registered vehicles. If they are included, then one could expect accidents and fatalities to rise. If they are not, then these statistics are truly a bit disturbing.

 

[Ignacio]

Talk about a leading subject line!

If the statistic were deaths of people choosing to wear helmets vs. deaths of people choosing to not wear them....then you could probably make a case. I don't subscribe to the crap about helmets being a public health issue. Protective gear is about personal choice.

Regardless, I don't think the jump is coming from that issue. I read that the two biggest factors suspected by experts as contributing to the higher rate is cell phone use and secondly a higher proportion of boomers buying bikes and not being as trained. A formal study on the former is in the works IIRC.

Similar point for the scooter crowd, but probably a smaller proportion. Less training.

 

[black mamba]

This whole issue has been beat to death too many times. Those in " opposing camps " are never going to buy the arguments of the other party......never have and never will. Hashing it out on this forum ( or any other forum ) again is an exercise in futility. I'll continue to ride encased in every piece of armor I can get my hands on and everybody else can do what they want.

 

[twowheelnut]

More riders on the road = more boom-booms. Simple math, really. And, Iggy, I can't believe you said that having been the star of a PSA and all... tsk, tsk, tsk.

:bleh:

 

[Ignacio]

And, Iggy, I can't believe you said that having been the star of a PSA and all... tsk, tsk, tsk.
:bleh:

Hey, I'm hugely pro helmet. I can't imagine motorcycling without one. Besides feeling naked the wind noise competes with the voices in my head.

BUT, I just can't stand it when Big Brother and Nanny Safety tell me I have to wear one. PSA's are OK if they're not overly funded by taxpayers.

If I splat without gear on I have this little card that gives medical people the option of scooping me up with a snow shovel for my stupidity. I think it would be a much better world if we expected personal accountability and weeded out a few of the dumber ones than keep lowering the common denominator.

It's my way to sticking it to The Man.....if if I am The Man sometimes.

(P.S. This is definitely motorcycle related politics isn't it?)

 

[GunMD]

One thing I found pretty comical...

The state's sunny, warm weather means more motorcyclists on the road throughout the year, contributing to a higher number of motorcycle accidents, said Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Mike Burroughs.

Uhhh...more than WHAT? More than other states? More than sometime in the past when Florida didn't have sunny, warm weather? Hmmm

:blink:

 

[James Burleigh]

In May, an off-duty Gainesville police officer riding a motorcycle died when he hit a piece of channel iron in a lane on Interstate 75. Officer Otto E. Williams Jr., 37, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08, the limit for establishing a case for driving under the influence in Florida. Williams, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was thrown from his motorcycle.

The cop wasn't wearing a helmet AND drunk? He gets a Darwin Award (postumous).

Also, is there anyone who's ever been in a MC accident who was not "thrown from his motorcycle"? Well, I once accelerated from stop, just ever so slightly, on a slick parking garage where there was water, and my bike (not the FJR--Thank you, God!) just went out from under me, so I wound up straddling it till I stepped off it. I was reminded of the guy who survived the Titanic and testified that the ship sank under him and he stepped off at the last minute into the water: "I did not leave the Titanic," he said. "The Titanic left me." :lol:

But seriously, folks.... This is troubling stuff. I like what David Hough asks in his Motorcycling Excellence: When we look at an accident we should try to find out the circumstances around it, including the rider's training, whether he's licensed, his experience, whether he was drinking, if he was doing something stupid, etc. We all see every day riders doing really stupid things. I'm sorry to say I take comfort in imagining that those are the fellahs getting in all the accidents, while remembering at the same time anyone can get bitten.

For me the bottom line is risk management--managing the risk to a level I feel the joy, convenience, cost-savings all justify the risk (I don't like to use the word "danger"--scorpions are dangerous; motorcycles are risku.

Anyway, I try to do everything I can to lower my risk (risk factors) of having an accident. I know that riders who do certain things are "under-represented" in accident statistics. These include: take a class, get a license, don't drink (and decrease by half your chance of dying), be more conservative in the evening rush hour (see my article at: https://jb-mc-articles.blogspot.com/2006/05...e-accident.html ), wear protective gear, wear bright colors, etc.

As the photo caption below a rider in t-shirt, shorts, sandals, and helmet said in one of my safety books: "How a rider dresses is an indication of that person's perception of the risks involved." It astonishes me when I see people without a helmet or wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but if we all viewed the world the same, I guess we'd all be riding FJRs!

JB

 

[Derek]

just had a fatality this afternoon few blocks from my store. the story i got from someone listening to his scanner was that the rider was coming down the curved hill at about 160kph. it's a 70 zone dropping to 50 at the accident site. he hit a large truck at a controlled intesection and burst in to flames.

i ride that stretch at least once a day. even at 70kph if i catch a yellow or red while i'm leaned over it gets interesting. so, i'm thinking it's probably not a local. i hope it's not, or that i don't know him if it was.

if he was really going that fast on that stretch, then all i can say is, thank god he didn't take anyone else out with him.

i can't really hold stupidity against someone cause they can't help it. wrecklessness i can.

derek

 

[nusman68]

That report just about says it all; riders who don't wear a helmet are gonna 'pay the hard way' in a get off, every time. They'll never change, though; if they do survive a helmetless crash, they wear it like a badge of honor. WTF? I can't worry about them; I do feel sorry, though, for their family members they leave behind or burden with their life-altering brain injury--all because they refuse to wear some foam & fiberglass..pathetic...yeah, they 'showed the man' alright. But of course they'll argue that you could still get killed wearing a helmet...well, no **** Sherlock.

It would be interesting to see a sociology/anthropology PhD do a long term study to confirm what seems to be the obvious to me....

First, accepting the common denominator (for all motorcyclists) that riding a motorcycle is a 'risk taking' behavior...fine... done. Then:

1) Most (not all) HD riders do not wear a helmet. :blink:

2) Some of #1 also engage in other forms of health-related 'risk taking' behavior, i.e. drinking/smoking/gorging themselves with wings at Hooters/gorging chicks with big Hooters. B)

3) Some in #2 will have at least (1) tattoo.

4) Most sport bike/high HP bike enthusiasts do wear a helmet. h34r:

5) Most in #4 break the speed limit on a regular basis.

6) Some scooter riders do not wear a helmet.

7) Those in #6 that do wear a helmet, invariably wear a bubble-boy helmet :dribble: (open-face with the attached bubble in front) because, hey, 'it's not really a motorcycle, honey!'

8) Those that fit into #7 many times wear a bow-tie and have at least (1) Franklin Mint Limited Edition Star-Trek collectors plate, featuring Mr. Spock.

9) Those that fit into the #8 category are all virgins; (masturbation doesn't count - sorry...but live long and prosper! And take down that Farrah Fawcett poster fer Crissakes!

10) On a scooter? You're not at Hooters!

11) Most BMW riders are tall...that's it, 'nuff said.

12) Most of #11 own at least (3) articles of riding apparel in blaze orange/neon yellow/fluorescent green. :lol:

13) Some in #12 like to hang out at the local BMW shop sipping gourmet coffee from really small porcelain cups, attending an impromptu 'I want to feel good about my 4-figure service invoice' self-help group. :dntknw:

14) Most FJR riders have a disproportionately high-level of common sense, intelligence, are mechanically inclined, go on bike trips 'for the ride' and only try to impress themselves. Unless, of course, they could be engaging in #2....or wasting time posting fleeting thoughts on an owners group website...

 

[James Burleigh]

Great post! I'd even say brilliant! Thanks for a chuckle and some wisdom. :clapping:

 

[Warchild]

13) Some in #12 like to hang out at the local BMW shop sipping gourmet coffee from really small porcelain cups, attending an impromptu 'I want to feel good about my 4-figure service invoice' self-help group.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[C&C]

Give a statistician a group of data. Then tell him what you want it to say or represent. He can probably create a report that will say anything you want: pro/con, increase/decrease, yes/no, etc. Numbers are very objective until you insert explanatory text, then they can get very nebulous very quickly.

 

[NC_Yank]

"6. Some scooter riders do not wear a helmet. sad.gif"

Should add that most of nbr 6 are there because they were formerly nbr 2, and subsequently got caught doing same.

Liqour cycle. (pronounced licker sikle for those in the south).

NC

 

[twowheelnut]

(P.S. This is definitely motorcycle related politics isn't it?)

S'okay, we'll let it slide. :lol: