Motorcyclists Deaths’ Rise by More Than 6 Percent

[Gator]

WASHINGTON â€" The number of motorcyclist deaths jumped in 2007, accounting for nearly one in eight motor vehicle deaths, government safety officials said on Thursday.

Deaths of people in cars and trucks, on bicycles or on foot dropped by nearly 2,000 last year, pushing the overall death rate to a historic low. But deaths of motorcyclists surged 6.6 percent, to 5,154; 2007 was the 10th straight year of increase.

Experts say the trend is most likely to continue, as high gasoline prices will encourage some travelers to use their bikes more often, getting 50 miles for the $4 gallon of gasoline instead of 20 in their cars.

“We have seen the total motorcycle participation in vehicle miles traveled go up,” said Mary E. Peters, the secretary of transportation and a longtime Harley-Davidson rider.

“We might see more people moving to that mode of transportation,” Ms. Peters said. “We might see that data skew.”

Motorcycle ridership appears to be rising even as the total miles for all vehicles drops.

Total deaths in motor vehicle crashes in 2007 declined to 41,059, a drop of 3.9 percent compared with 2006. Deaths in cars fell 7.8 percent, and in light trucks 2.7 percent. Even alcohol-related deaths fell....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15fatal.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1218802443-bpyFgA6KbMRXRYGjvnXNow

They are contributing this to people riding more often but I think it has more to do with the power available in new bikes and anyone, even a first time rider, can walk into a bike shop and ride away with a gsx1100.

I think a progressive licensing system would bring the death toll down quite quickly.

In Aus/NZ/Japan/UK

you can ride on a learners permit up to 250cc's but you can not ride at night, with a passenger or on the freeway.

When you pass a practical test you progress to Restricted; your still on the 250 for 2 years then you pass another test and you get your full.

By the time someone gets up on a litter bike (legally) they will have been riding for three + years.



Be careful out there I would hate to see you as a 2008 statistic. 

[RavnMonster]

Why do I want the government dictating what size motorcycle I am allowed to ride? I am a grown adult and if i want to kill my self on a 1200cc bike its my business.

My S4R is my first bike. Yes its a bit much for a first bike but I like to think I have a decent amount of common sense. I dont go pulling wheelies and doing stupid crap on the freeway. I havent had any incidents (knock on wood) yet.

The same thing with helmet laws and seatbelt laws. I'd wear a helmet if it were the law or not. But if you dont want to wear one, that is up to you. If you are an adult its up to you. Under 18 would be a different story. The more the government butts into your life the more rights you lose.

Now I have no issue with requiring a strict licensing policy where you need to take a course, But don't tell me I cant buy the bike I want because you want to save me.

[stateprez]

I was wondering about this the other day.  With the number of scooters on the road today, the number would have to go up significantly....I'm assuming that they're classifying scooters in with motorcycles.

[wbeck257]

Screw the government telling me what I can and can't ride.

Let them do that and soon enough you'll loose your bike too.
Cause its got more than enough power.

Everyone will be riding Monster 400's.

[Gator]

I was wondering about this the other day.  With the number of scooters on the road today, the number would have to go up significantly....I'm assuming that they're classifying scooters in with motorcycles.

Depend on the state but most state do not consider a scooter a motorcycle.

Why do I want the government dictating what size motorcycle I am allowed to ride? I am a grown adult and if i want to kill my self on a 1200cc bike its my business.

My S4R is my first bike. Yes its a bit much for a first bike but I like to think I have a decent amount of common sense. I dont go pulling wheelies and doing stupid crap on the freeway. I havent had any incidents (knock on wood) yet.

The same thing with helmet laws and seatbelt laws. I'd wear a helmet if it were the law or not. But if you dont want to wear one, that is up to you. If you are an adult its up to you. Under 18 would be a different story. The more the government butts into your life the more rights you lose.

Now I have no issue with requiring a strict licensing policy where you need to take a course, But don't tell me I cant buy the bike I want because you want to save me.

You can buy any bike you want but you can not use it on public roads until you have the experience to do so safely. There are things you can do to speed up the process (like take a couple of courses)  but someone should have a little riding experience  before riding a 177 kg 130 motorcycle.
You may have common sense, but common sense is not all that common.
I don't care too much about squids taking off a limb or two in a wreck but I don't want them taking out one of mine on their way down or driving up the cost of insurance because mommy bought them a turbo Hybusa as their first bike and they have never ridden anything they didn't have to peddle.

Seat belt and helmet laws are in place to save people who are too foolish to save themselves; a gradual license saves other peoples lives.

I have been riding since I was 12 and I have seen some real stupid shit happen due to inexperience, lack of skill, and too much power. 

[Slide Panda]

I was wondering about this the other day.  With the number of scooters on the road today, the number would have to go up significantly....I'm assuming that they're classifying scooters in with motorcycles.

For statistical purposes like this, 2 or 3 wheels  will be in the same category.  So you get statistics painted with a broad brush

From FHWA
"Motorcycles -- All two or three-wheeled motorized vehicles. Typical vehicles in this category have saddle type seats and are steered by handlebars rather than steering wheels. This category includes motorcycles, motor scooters, mopeds, motor-powered bicycles, and three-wheel motorcycles."
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/vehclass.htm

So that statistic covers *everything*  real bikes, scoots, mopeds even. 

And it's been hashed out here a few times... people people riding bikes or scoots now will mean more accidents.  It's simple math. 

There's been plenty of discussion as well about if the stats are skewing because there's more rookies and ud/under educated riders hitting the roads now.  I'm not just talking about the would-be boy racer on his gsxcbrRR11bty, but also the growing masses of scooter pilots I see how have no clue and doing some *really* dumb shit...

[stateprez]

but also the growing masses of scooter pilots I see how have no clue and doing some *really* dumb shit...

Dumb shit like riding 10-15 mph below the speed of traffic while wearing a t-shirt, flip flops and a skull cap.

I am really curious about the gear logic here:  Technically, it's not a motorcycle, so you shouldn't have to wear "motorcycle" gear.

[Slide Panda]

Dumb shit like riding 10-15 mph below the speed of traffic while wearing a t-shirt, flip flops and a skull cap.

I am really curious about the gear logic here:  Technically, it's not a motorcycle, so you shouldn't have to wear "motorcycle" gear.

That... saw one riding on a pedestrian walk way then pop into the traffic, from the side walk, that was making a turn to go across a very busy bridge here.  Riding a vespa 2-up on a busy parkway...

And yes, the distinct lack of protective apparel too.  In my state (VA) anything over 50 cc is treated like a motor cycle when it comes to the helmet law.  Under 50 and you don't need didly to operate one.  No license, insurance.. I don't think you even need a proper moto helmet. 

Who's logic?  The scoot pilots? 

[stateprez]

Who's logic?  The scoot pilots? 

Yeah.  It's less than 100 cc's so it must be safer, right? <sarcasm>

[VisceralReaction]

Speaking of which:
My sister in law was in a motorcycle accident in Boise Idaho last Sunday.
She was learning to ride a bike. Wasn't taught very well, front wheel came up and she couldn't/didn't know how to stop it.
off the road and over the bank of the river onto the boulders along the river, with the bike ending up on top of her.
Idaho doesn't have a helmet law.........so the helmet was in the car instead of on her head.
Now; one fractured skull, a ruptured ear drum, and cerebral fluid leaking out her ear. Nice huh?
Lack of common sense? maybe. Would a helmet law have prevented this? Maybe.
So now she has to have 2 months of physical therapy and speech therapy to recover and will not regain her hearing in the ruptured ear.
I have to say, learn on a small bike, alot easier to control. A helmet law most likely would have protected her.
I do have a problem with the government telling me what I can and cannot do but unfortunately there are too many idiots that NEED protecting.
case in point. Now we all get to pay for my sister in law's rehab via the VA hospital.

[GLantern]

Dumb shit like riding 10-15 mph below the speed of traffic while wearing a t-shirt, flip flops and a skull cap.

I am really curious about the gear logic here:  Technically, it's not a motorcycle, so you shouldn't have to wear "motorcycle" gear.

That is the mentality my mom's friend picked up a scooter and started riding wearing just the helmet which i promptly scolded her on.  She now has a nice joe rocket leather jacket with gloves and riding boots.  There just isnt enough information being given to all of these people buying scooters.  All it takes though is one person to tell them hey falling at 50mph on pavement on a scooter or motorcycle hurts exactly the same.  Spread the good word!

I personally dont want the Gov. telling me what i can and can not ride.  Especially considering my first bike was a 1982 920cc yamaha virago.  Now this is by no means a powerful bike, it redlined in 5th gear going about 85mph due to really low gearing.  Just because a bike has a large displacement doesnt always mean there is a ton of power being put out.  But if it had been up to the goverment i would have had to start on a 250 even though i had been riding dirtbikes since i was 13!  No way in hell!

I'm not dealing with a stricter system because there are too many idiots out there.  Reminds me of a recent paintball article about how a women wanted all paintball guns registered because her son was hurt by one.  However she turned out to be playing in someones backyard and was not being safe and ensuring the guns were not loaded.  They also had a game keep playing while they were taking a break.  Either way we end up paying for other peoples mistakes and i'm sick of it.

A better solution in my mind instead of constant restrictions on CCs for 2 years would be something along the lines of an MSF course is required for a permit that would allow you to ride in the day only, unless maybe commuting to work or if at night with another rider within a 1/4mile or so.  Then say a second more advanced course is needed for an actual full license that could be taken within 6months.  I could flesh this out more but thats my quick idea.

[sbrguy]

Speaking of which:
My sister in law was in a motorcycle accident in Boise Idaho last Sunday.
She was learning to ride a bike. Wasn't taught very well, front wheel came up and she couldn't/didn't know how to stop it.
off the road and over the bank of the river onto the boulders along the river, with the bike ending up on top of her.
Idaho doesn't have a helmet law.........so the helmet was in the car instead of on her head.
Now; one fractured skull, a ruptured ear drum, and cerebral fluid leaking out her ear. Nice huh?
Lack of common sense? maybe. Would a helmet law have prevented this? Maybe.
So now she has to have 2 months of physical therapy and speech therapy to recover and will not regain her hearing in the ruptured ear.
I have to say, learn on a small bike, alot easier to control. A helmet law most likely would have protected her.
I do have a problem with the government telling me what I can and cannot do but unfortunately there are too many idiots that NEED protecting.
case in point. Now we all get to pay for my sister in law's rehab via the VA hospital.

no we all don't pay for her rehab, her insurance does, the insurance company makes boat loads of money off people every year that don't make claims, if anything you make insurance pay at time to keep them honest as they shyould be...

if insurance wasn't a good business it wouldn't be around but they make tons of money so i don't want to hear about how insurance companies are hurting they aren't, insureance would go up every year even if nobody ever made a claim bc they are there to make money not "help you"

sadly your sister in law made a mistake by not wearing a helmet, she was a new rider and should have been wearing one, but that is a lesson she has now learned on her own.  maybe a helmet would have done nothing to help, but that we will never know for sure, all we know for sure is what happened without wearing one.  hopefully she can learn from this incident and will recover in time.

I agree the law should not be telling us what to wear and what bikes to ride.

what needs to happen is to have better rider training and hoepfully just more responsible riders out there that spread the word to their friends and such (not in a condescending way) about proper gear, proper training, riding safer, and "gasp" provide a better role model for new and prospective riders to emulate.

if you want to start out over your head and possibly mess yourself up you can and should be allowed to make your own decision no matter how stupid as long as you are over the age of 18..., the good thing is that luckily your sister in law did not kill or injure anyone else besides herself, which is a good thing and i'm sure she would never want to injure someone else liek that.

what i do think needs to happen is that driving license tests should be tougher and retests mandatory every couple of years.  i think the fact that we give a 4000lb weapon to anyone after a simple test is crazy.  a car is a great tool but as everyone knows in the thousands and thousands of accidents that happen every year it can change people's lives forever and not in a positive way.


i dont' think that restricting riding to day only is a good thing, afterall day=more cars on the road, i ahve found that riding later at night usually is somewhat safer bc there are less cars on the road, yes the tradeoff is that cars are harder to see but there are dfeinitely less on the road later at night, like i'm on the 101 at 12am there is me and about 6 other cars on the highway, its much safer than during the day.

[GLantern]

what i do think needs to happen is that driving license tests should be tougher and retests mandatory every couple of years.  i think the fact that we give a 4000lb weapon to anyone after a simple test is crazy.

+1 Absomake the beast with two backsinglutely

[russelson]

I don't think we need stricter licensing.  Its just going to put restrictions on those of us who are responsible.  According to the AMA, 40% of motorcycle fatalities are by people without an endorsement, or without a license at all! http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/positions/ridered.asp  Plus, I don't see how you can structure a restriction to be at all effective.  The size of the bike doesn't dictate judgment, nor does it add a layer of protection for people who are destined to roll the throttle all the way open on a 25 mpg city street.  So everyone is limited to 250cc -- we all know there are plenty of ways to kill yourself on a Ninja 250 (or ANY 250 for that matter) with poor judgment. 

Motorcycle riding is risky.  Period.  Just like everything in life.  Its just a matter of how much risk you are willing to personally accept.  I know my limits and bought a Monster 696 as a first bike two days after completing a MSF course.  I have never felt like the bike was getting away from me or that I was a risk to others on the road.  I don't need a paternalistic government protecting me.

[RndHoleSqPeg]

“We are the only industrialized country in the world where there is an organized effort to weaken or repeal motorcycle helmet laws,” Mr. Rader said. “That definitely is a factor in the increasing deaths.”

At the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which is financed by the manufacturers, Tim Buche, the president, said a person killed on a motorcycle was 2.5 times more likely to be under the influence of alcohol than a person killed in a car and three times more likely not to have a proper license.

“There’s risks in everything in life, but the risks can be addressed,” Mr. Buche said, by training, licensing, riding sober and wearing protective gear.

Last year I started to work on a paper to research how much the each of the different factors explain the number of fatalities. I ended up getting side tracked, but just looking at helmet laws in a simple mean comparison between states with and without helmet laws there is a significant difference in fatality rates. Helmet law states have ~56% the fatality rates of states without helmet laws.

I really don't understand the tough stance against helmet laws by some of the members here, but personally I think insurance companies should be the way to fight the lack of helmet use.