February 26, 2007

Motorcycle Deaths Rise

No One Seems to Know Why Motorcycle Deaths Are UP

    Sadly, a Google News search for "Motorcycle" is all about riders being killed, and the number of deaths being up once again. Next month is Daytona bike wee, and two years ago, Daytona had an unusual number of deadly accidents.

    Looking through the accidents, you see the same old things. A rider going off the road at Buttonwillow without a helmet. A rider hitting the side of a car crossing his path. A rider losing it on a curve.

    I can guarantee you that, if the same thing were happening to automobile drivers, there would be a national inquiry. However, with motorcyclists, no one seems to have collected the information. No one is even suggesting any answers.

    I think we should start by collecting the data, and comparing it to other years.

    The suspect list is obvious: 1) Faster small cars darting in and out of traffic, and cutting motorcycles off; 2) Older riders with slower reflexes and lesser vision; 3) Faster motorcycles; 4) Possibly more new riders.

    Riding gear is better. Brakes continue to improve, particularly with electronic assistance. Are we getting complacent as a group?

    If the riding community doesn't figure it out, we are unlikely to be very happy with the solution that the legislators come up with.

    Certainly when your life is on the line, this is the most important topic in motorcycling.

Topic Tags: accident, brakes, cut off, death, motorcycle, riding gear, traffic

by Michael Padway

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