Preventing motorcycle fatalities

As motorcycle ridership grows throughout America, so do related safety concerns – and motorcycle fatalities. Across the country, transit departments and safety organizations are introducing new ways to keep drivers traveling on all wheels safe.

High on the list of safety concerns for motorcyclists is the issue of driving under the influence. Anti- drunk driving programs are often geared to vehicle drivers, yet appropriate outreach is needed for motorcyclists as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that “the percentage of intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes is greater than the percentage of intoxicated drivers on our roads.”

The statistics speak for themselves. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motorcyclists are part of a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to drunk driving fatalities. Among motorcyclists killed in fatal crashes in 2010, twenty-eight percent had a blood alcohol content level of .08% or higher. Almost half of the alcohol-impaired motorcyclists killed yearly are age 40 or older; and drivers between the ages of 40-44 have the highest percentage of fatalities with BAC levels of .08% or above.

In an effort to address the fact that motorcycle-related fatalities have soared by 55% since 2000, motorcycle safety programs throughout the country aim to educate motorcyclists and car drivers alike about the impact of safe habits.

In California, home of the most registered motorcycles in the country, a state grant now permits Riverside, CA -area police to target motorists driving illegally or unsafely, as well as those who appear to be under the influence, in a special enforcement operation. The targeted operation is staged in areas where motorcycle-related crashes and fatalities have taken place.

California is a fitting state to reconsider motorcycle safety, though it’s not the only one to do so. As The Press Enterprise reports, more motorcycles than vehicles were registered from 2001 to 2010 in the state. From 2006 to 2008, reports the newspaper, deaths involving motorcycle riders rose sharply; and early estimates for 2011 fatalities suggest a rise throughout the state. In fact, California is home to more registered private and commercial motorcycles in the U.S than any other state in the country, according to 2010 statistics. (Differing sources report between 743,000 and 808,000 registered bikes.)

Yet other areas throughout the country feel the need for speed too. Florida boasts approximately 594,000 registered motorcycles; Texas, 428,000; and Pennsylvania, 411,000. In comparison, the birthplace of Harley-Davidson, the state of Wisconsin, is home to 322,000.

Various states are pioneering new motorcycle safety initiatives as well. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s “Gear Up Ride Smart” motorcycle safety campaign premiered in March. A joint effort between state police and awareness organizations, the “Gear Up Ride Smart” program aims to inform Illinois riders about appropriate safety gear, licensing procedures and the perils of driving while under the influence. It’s a necessary campaign: According to the state’s transit department, three percent of Illinois’ registered vehicles are motorcycles, yet motorcycle deaths result in over fifteen percent of all vehicle fatalities. Illinois had approximately 350,000 registered motorcycles as of 2010.

In Minnesota, which had approximately 255,000 registered motorcycles as of 2010, the Department of Public Safety’s Motorcycle Safety Center division is providing training courses in response to the 50 motorcycle rider fatalities reported last year. That figure was up twenty-six percent from 2011.

Yet these often-grave statistics harbor hope, too. In California, an increase in safety initiatives and public awareness programs like these has been linked to decreased motorcyclist fatalities.