Interesting AP article on Motorcycle Deaths

Motorcyclist deaths drop, sour economy cited
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Apr 22, 4:32 AM (ET)

By JOAN LOWY



WASHINGTON (AP) - After a decade of steady increases, motorcyclist deaths nose-dived last year, possibly due to bikers watching their budgets in a sour economy.

The study, set for release Thursday, indicates a 16 percent drop in U.S. motorcycle fatalities through the first nine months of 2009 compared to the same period in the previous year. It projects at least a 10 percent decline in fatalities over the entire year, or about 530 fewer deaths.

The 5,290 motorcyclist deaths in 2008 was the highest ever.

The study - authored by safety consultant James Hedlund, a former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official - is drawn from preliminary fatality data from all 50 states, although data from some states was incomplete. The study was sponsored by the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state traffic safety agencies,

There is nothing in the data to indicate the cause of the sudden decline, but it is most likely due in part to a cutback in recreational driving by motorcyclists, Hedlund said in an interview.

"Much motorcycle riding is recreational, not transportation," Hedlund said. "What gets cut in bad economic times is money you spend on recreation, not money you spend on the necessities of life like getting back and forth."

According to the report, several state safety officials said they have seen a decline in motorcycle use and sales in their states.

States have issued about 7.5 million special motorcycle operator licenses, which require motorcycle safety training; There are about 3 million other bikers on the road who do not have special licenses, according to the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

Jeff Hennie, a foundation vice president, said the study is "great news," but he disagreed that motorcycle use overall is down.

While sales of large bikes are lagging, sales of smaller bikes and scooters - which qualify as motorcycles if they have an engine of at least 50 cubic centimeters - have burgeoned due to higher gas prices, Hennie said.

"Motorcycles are affordable, they get great gas mileage, and people are saying, 'Maybe I'll leave the F250 (a Ford pickup truck) in the driveway and take the motorcycle,'" Hennie said.

Other reasons cited in the study for the decline: Fewer beginning motorcyclists, an increase in priority given to state motorcycle safety programs, an increased awareness of motorcycles by other drivers and colder, wetter weather in some states during the riding season.

It doesn't appear helmet laws played a significant role in the decline. Hennie said there were 20 states last year with laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets, about the same as the previous year.

Motorcyclists also tend to be older now than in past decades. In 1980, the average age was 24. Today, motorcyclists are nearly as likely to be in their 40s as in their 20s, Hennie said.

The popularity of motorcycles has surged in the past decade, particularly among middle-aged men. More women are also riding motorcycles.

The economic recession has translated "into fewer leisure riders," said Vernon Betkey, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association, "and we suspect that the trend of inexperienced baby boomers buying bikes may have subsided."

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[AlabamaNomadRider]

I would think older riders has something to do with the decline. But, I would think with the bad economy and people wanting to save money on gas there would be more people riding these days. At any rate it is great news to hear. There are still far too many fatalities of motorcyclists.

[Sin City Stan]

Motorcyclist deaths drop, sour economy cited
Email this Story

Apr 22, 4:32 AM (ET)

By JOAN LOWY

It doesn't appear helmet laws played a significant role in the decline. Hennie said there were 20 states last year with laws requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets, about the same as the previous year.

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Intersting that somehow, someway they couldn't find some way to credit helmet use for the decline in deaths.

[jestephens]

Cheers, for also not blaming the sport itself. It's sad that anyone, biker or otherwise, would lose their life in an accident.

Whether two wheels or four, be Conscious of your surroundings, Cautious of those around you, and Courteous to those you meet. See you guys on the highway!

[Kawhead]

Not a scientific study here, but me and my friends noticed when gas prices were $4.00+ a gallon we seen more riders. The bad economy has knocked the fool out of our pleasure riding.

[kenb]

I did notice that they used the words "motorcyclist" and "biker" and the meanings were the same. Would have been kind of funny though, if they wrote:
"fewer beginning bikers" instead of "fewer beginning motorcyclists"
Your interpretations may vary.

[metalman]

I don't think that riding a motorcycle is necessarily less costly than driving a four wheel vehicle. There are many small cars that get slightly less fuel mileage than motorcycles. Also, the cost of maintenance of some motorcycles is higher than cars per mile (tires, valve adjustments, chains, shocks, etc.). Also, few people can justify having only a motorcycle, so they will need a four wheel vehicle as well.

[glwilson]

I don't recall ever seeing any stats on what I am about to mention, but it would be interesting to see which category of motorcycle accidents and deaths fall into.

It seems to me a lot of accidents around here are streetbikes; and I don't see quite as many this year so far.

Just wondering...

[cnc]

I see this a bit differently. The article talks only of motorcycle usage. It takes two to tango and often times as we all know an accident is caused by an inattentive car driver. Maybe there was a drop in car usage due to the economy, a percentage of these cars would be driven by the above category of driver.

Hey GW!!
Let me confirm your suspicions. Here's another AP article. This is one about military motorcycle deaths and they mention that infamous c word(crotch rocket). The article is from last year.



Off-duty military motorcycle deaths spur training:

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. --- Sgt. Adam Bosley was back from his third tour of duty in Iraq and waiting to head to Afghanistan when he bought a sleek, souped-up motorcycle capable of high-speed cornering and explosive acceleration.

Days after buying the machine in August, the 29-year-old Marine was dead after he lost control of the sport bike on a San Diego highway ramp, struck a guardrail and tumbled down a ravine.

"I always knew there was a possibility he might not come back from Iraq," his mother, Carla Wilson, said from her home in O'Neill, Neb. "That's why I'm feeling a lot of anger, that it was just a motorcycle wreck."

Alarmed by hundreds of motorcycle deaths by off-duty marines, soldiers and sailors over the last several years, the military is requiring riding classes, screening riders for risky behavior, and organizing racing events for a safe adrenaline rush.

The military lost 124 members to motorcycle accidents in the fiscal year ending Sept. 1, 2008. That number dropped to 72 in the most recent fiscal year.

Motorcycle deaths are also up nationally, as bike sales and registrations rise. Deaths last year increased for the 11th straight year from 2,116 in 1997 to an all-time high of 5,290, the National Highway Traffic Administration said.

The Army reported a 34 percent rise in motorcycle fatalities from 2007 to 2008, and the Marines and the Navy also reported significant increases.

"We don't have the luxury of losing people to preventable mishaps, that's why there's an urgent need to do something," said April K. Phillips, a Navy spokeswoman.

Military safety officials say nearly all of the fatal accidents occurred with riders on racing-style sport bikes. Speed, a lack of riding experience and inability to handle the high-performance motorcycles were factors in the vast majority of the crashes.

Just 20 minutes after buying a sport bike from a Boston-area dealership in May of 2008, a sailor was killed when he swerved in a sharp turn and struck a wall, the Navy said.

Last fall, a young Army soldier speeding about 100 mph died after losing control of his bike while trying to pass between a garbage truck and a van on an interstate highway near Savannah, Ga. The Army said he died four days after returning from deployment.

On Sept. 13, a 21-year-old servicewoman from Miramar Marine Corps Air Station was killed on a remote highway northeast of San Diego after her new Yamaha sport bike hit the ground on a curve, slid off the road and struck an embankment. The California Highway Patrol said she was speeding.

The so-called "crotch rockets" are known for quick acceleration, nimble handling and flashy colors. The rider is positioned aerodynamically, leaning over a powerful engine.

For young troops returning from deployment with disposable cash, the roughly $10,000 price tag presents a cheaper, appealing alternative to buying a car. Some motorcycle shops offer military discounts for parts, services and accessories.

Lonnie McKinnie, a 28-year-old gunnery sergeant at Camp Pendleton, said he bought his yellow-and-black Suzuki SXR-600 even though he had never ridden one before.

"I like the freedom on the road, you're not restricted the way you are in a car, you can cut through traffic and it's fuel efficient," McKinnie said.

It's little surprise the bikes appeal to adrenaline-seeking soldiers. What worries military brass is that young men and women underestimate their abilities to handle the machines and without training get hurt or killed.

"They live life at a higher pace than the average civilian. They jump out of perfectly safe airplanes and they enjoy it," said James Greer, a retired Army warrant officer who teaches safe riding courses at Camp Pendleton. "They survived combat and they come back and think they're invincible."

The military ramped up safety training last year by requiring members to take a sport bike riding course within three months of buying one. More than 10,000 riders have been trained over the last 1 years.

The course developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation allows those about to return from a long deployment to use computer simulators to practice riding in traffic, and other maneuvers.

All motorcycle riders in the military are required to take a basic riding class and must get helmets and other protective gear. As they advance in training, riders undergo "sensation seeking analyses" to assess the type of risky activities they engage in and what motivates them to ride motorcycles.

The psychological evaluation teaches them to become aware of their capabilities, manage risk and ride within their limits.

McKinnie, the gunnery sergeant, said he thought he knew how to handle a bike until he took a basic riding course and had trouble making figure 8 circles without slowing down.

"I thought I was a Jeff Gordon kind of racer, but I realized I'm really not," he said.

The Department of Defense prevailed upon motorcycle makers to change the way they market bikes in military newspapers. In one ad, Yamaha Motor Corp. paired images of an armored tank next to a sport bike with the message that both require special training.

The Marine Corps is reaching more skilled bikers by offering track days where they can ride full throttle on closed aircraft runways. Instructors offer tips and medics are prepared to offer first-aid.

"It's good therapy," Greer said. "When you're focused on getting through a curve, what else are you thinking about?"

About 100 students are enrolled in the sport bike course at Camp Pendleton per week, with more on a waiting list. Greer acknowledged more could be done to quickly enroll new buyers in a class.

In the case of Sgt. Bosley, they didn't reach him fast enough.

After his body was found, officers discovered a card in his wallet, his mother said. It showed he was supposed to start the safe riding course Aug. 31 nearly two weeks after his death.

[glwilson]

"Military safety officials say nearly all of the fatal accidents occurred with riders on racing-style sport bikes. Speed, a lack of riding experience and inability to handle the high-performance motorcycles were factors in the vast majority of the crashes."

I will take that statement as a partial confirmation of my thoughts that an overwhelming number of accidents are streetbikes.

Regarding "cnc's" thought of cages being a factor... I am sure to some degree that may have some affect, however not all bike accidents involve another vehicle.

As I mentioned, around here most of the accidents I read about are single-vehicle accidents, and appears to be a majority streetbikes. Of course there are always some involving a cruiser and a cage.

[Netnorske]

I know here in Washington that 60% of all motorcycle deaths are one vehicle (motorcycle) accidents in which the rider was doing something unsafe..... :-/. My son's best friend lost his life about 5 years ago doing a wheelie at 80mph when he hit a pedestrian crossing the street. The pedestrian came out from behind another vehicle in the other lane who stopped for him. They both were killed instantly.... :'(.