Florida statistics re motorcycle accidents

[downtown_donna]

Thought this was interesting - here is the link to the Orlando Sentinel article. I do not know how long articles are left on the web so here is also the text.

Biker deaths debunk myths - Orlando Sentinel : State News Biker deaths debunk myths - Orlando Sentinel : State News


Records show riders at fault 70% of the time 8 of the 15 Volusia County fatalities in 2006 occurred in March during Bike Week. Of those 8, 1 was 23 years old. The rest were 44 to 65.
Henry Pierson Curtis, Sentinel Staff Writer

April 29, 2007

76% of Orange County fatalities in 2006 involved sport bikes.

Only 1 in 10 of the riders who died was older than 45.

In Orange County, most who died were on sport bikes, uninsured, younger than 45 and the only vehicle involved.

In Volusia County, according to FHP figures, most who died were on cruisers, uninsured, older than 45 and collided with another vehicle.

The lore suggests most of those who die in motorcycle crashes are young riders with a need for outrageous speed on high-performance sport bikes.

But preliminary figures of motorcycling deaths in Florida's largest urban areas last year show that sport bikers account for a little more than half of the fatalities. The other half come from the growing number of aging "renaissance riders" who take to the road on their cruisers, often without proper training.

And contrary to the notion that careless automobile drivers cause most accidents involving motorcycles, last year's deadly crashes were caused by the bikers themselves more than two-thirds of the time.

The state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will release comprehensive statewide data in June, but the Sentinel was able to review the data from Central Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Palm Beach and Tampa. An analysis of the 119 fatal crashes investigated by FHP in those areas shows:

64 of the dead were sport-bike riders; 55 rode some other form of motorcycle.

Eight in 10 riders who died did not have insurance.

70 percent were at fault.

41 percent were not wearing helmets; Florida has no mandatory helmet law for riders older than 21.

A quarter of them did not have a license to drive a motorcycle in Florida.

At least one in five was drunk or under the influence of drugs, according to autopsy reports after the crashes.

The crash data have prompted at least one Florida lawmaker to raise questions about how the state regulates its deadliest form of transportation. Florida and Washington remain the only states in which motorcyclists can legally ride without insurance. Safety advocates say the exemption supports motorcycle sales by freeing riders from paying $1,000 a year or more for coverage.

Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, who sits on the Senate Transportation Committee, unsuccessfully proposed a bill this year that would require have required motorcyclists who ride without helmets to carry at least $50,000 in health-insurance coverage. He said the state needs to work with insurers to keep policies from being prohibitively expensive for motorcyclists.

"It's clear motorcycles are more risky, and if you get hurt it's going to cost more, and a large part will be paid by the public," Constantine said. "I think I'm looking out for their best interests as well as the state of Florida."

The 119 deaths investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol in those urban areas do not include fatal crashes investigated by local police departments and sheriff's offices. They represent a tiny proportion of the state's nearly 600,000 riders. Motorcycling deaths have increased steadily in Florida since 2000, when the mandatory helmet law was repealed for riders older than 21. Overall, motorcyclists are 34 times more likely to die and eight times more likely to be injured in crashes than passenger-car occupants, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The increasing number of biker deaths did not surprise Doc Reichenbach, president of the Florida chapter of American Bikers Aiming Toward Education, or ABATE. He said riding today is much different and more dangerous than 20 to 30 years ago. There's more traffic, more construction, more distraction and threats of every kind.

"New riders have no clue," Reichenbach said of challenges as basic as confronting grooved pavement or cars drifting across lanes. "Educating all the public is the thing -- not just us, but car drivers, truck drivers and any other vehicles on the road. We're doing everything we can, and we're still dying."

Biker tastes vary by age

Although sport bikes make up about a quarter of motorcycles sales nationwide, they accounted for 54 percent of the Florida deaths the Sentinel examined. Capable of reaching speeds of almost 200 mph, they are wildly popular with young riders but leave many motorists shaking their heads in dismay when they pass in a dangerous blur on highways.

Characteristics of Florida motorcyclists vary widely by age.

Riders in Reichenbach's over-40 age bracket overwhelmingly choose cruisers -- comfortable road bikes in the 1,000 cc engine range, such as Harley-Davidson, BMW and many other brands. Those types of bikes account for half of all U.S. sales, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.

Less likely to race recklessly in traffic, these renaissance riders -- baby boomers who take up motorcycling or begin riding again after decades away from it -- still accounted for nearly half of the 119 fatalities the Sentinel looked at.

Motorcycling groups and police say as more older riders take to the road, the number of fatalities in that age group will inevitably increase.

Consider Volusia County, where eight of the 15 motorcycle fatalities last year happened during Bike Week in March, when a half-million bikers visit Daytona Beach. Of those deaths, one rider was 23 years old; the rest were 44 to 65.

"Training and experience on a motorcycle is what saves you," said FHP Sgt. Robert Blackwell, who supervises fatal-crash investigations in Central Florida.

Stephen Crisson, one of the 119 Central Florida riders who died, was riding too fast on East Colonial Drive last September when traffic stopped in front of him. The 48-year-old braked and tried to swerve but struck the rear of a pickup, records show. He did not have a license to drive, or insurance for, his 2005 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, records show.

Motorcycles 'more risky'

The high incidence of at-fault deaths for young and older riders alike means inadequate training and experience are most likely to blame, according to the national Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

The belief that most bikers die in collisions with automobiles in which drivers are at fault is based on a 25-year-old study, the most recent nationwide examination of motorcycle crashes, said Ray Ochs, MSF head of training.

"We have seen the number of single-vehicle crashes go up," Ochs said. "There are so many variables. . . . We don't know how many people crash who are riding a bike too large for them," for example.

MSF, an industry-funded group, instructs new riders and offers classes for experienced riders on how to read traffic, how aging affects reaction time and the dangers posed by fatigue, drugs and alcohol. Unlike some European countries, the U.S. does not require graduated licensing mandating that riders prove their proficiency on motorcycles with smaller engines before moving up to larger, faster models such as sport bikes.

Of the fatal crashes examined by the Sentinel, only five of the 64 sport bikers had insurance. And all but 10 of those crashes involved careless or reckless operation at up to three times the posted speed limits, according to the FHP reports.

"It's a dilemma for us. The riders come in and demand the product," said Winn Peeples, a lobbyist in Tallahassee for the Florida Motorcycle Dealers Association and a former dealer.

Consider the death of Thomas Perry on his 23rd birthday last year.

"The cause of this crash is strictly due to driver error," FHP Cpl. Shaun Lattinville wrote after the Nov. 16 crash.

The Lake County resident struck a mail box at 130 mph when he lost control of his 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6 in Lady Lake. Crash investigators noted the 45 mph zone was straight and dry on a clear afternoon.

Laws can go only so far

Some strides have already been made to strengthen Florida's motorcycle laws.

New legislation requiring red license plates for riders 21 and younger took effect Jan. 1 to make it easier for police to spot riders who must wear helmets.

Starting July 1, 2008, anyone applying for a motorcycle endorsement to legally ride in Florida must first pass a rider-safety course.

Motorcycle dealers also will not be allowed to issue temporary tags to new owners who do not hold a valid drivers license and motorcycle endorsement. For years, dealers sold motorcycles to unlicensed riders, saying they did not have a legal -- or ethical -- obligation to stop the sales.

Still, once the bikes are off the lot, common sense is one thing instructors can't teach, said Ochs of MSF.

"A lot of people don't respect a motorcycle. It's still a toy to them," Ochs said. "If someone has that attitude, it's part of living in a free country and being able to make wrong decisions."

[fretbuzz]

Good post, donna.

I think one big step would be to enforce the laws already on the books -i.e. drivers license.

"The crash data have prompted at least one Florida lawmaker to raise questions about how the state regulates its deadliest form of transportation"

I don't think the stats were there, but I'll bet more people die in automobile crashes than on motorcycles each year.

Of course, they could do it like DOD and turn each person into a statistic by changeing the real numbers to percentages.

That's a tactic I totally disagree with. One dead person is one dead person regardless of how they died.

Numbers are often turned into percentages just to put the desired political spin on the stats.

[Michael600r]

The Lake County resident struck a mail box at 130 mph when he lost control of his 2006 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6 in Lady Lake. Crash investigators noted the 45 mph zone was straight and dry on a clear afternoon.

Yikes!

[fretbuzz]

Yikes!

You're so profound, Mike.

[CTRider]

While there are certainly those out there that show poor judgement and even others who are downright dangerous, the article misses the point:

Motorcycles aren't dangerous.

People can ride them dangerously. People can ride near them dangerously. To classify a motorcycle as "the state's deadliest vehicles" reflects an absurd one-sidedness to the article. They might as well call them "Donor Organ Delivery Vehicles".

The problem isn't the vehicle, it's how people interact with them - be it the rider or another driver.

The fact is, it's on US to keep ourselves safe. Barring that, it's up to law enforcement and the courts to punish those that infringe upon the safety of others.

Don't punish the bike - punish the behavior when it happens.

[Michael600r]

While there are certainly those out there that show poor judgement and even others who are downright dangerous, the article misses the point:

Motorcycles aren't dangerous.

People can ride them dangerously. People can ride near them dangerously. To classify a motorcycle as "the state's deadliest vehicles" reflects an absurd one-sidedness to the article. They might as well call them "Donor Organ Delivery Vehicles".

The problem isn't the vehicle, it's how people interact with them - be it the rider or another driver.

The fact is, it's on US to keep ourselves safe. Barring that, it's up to law enforcement and the courts to punish those that infringe upon the safety of others.

Don't punish the bike - punish the behavior when it happens.

We are too quick to blame inanimate objects in the current state of our culture. I allows us to escape blame for what is clearly our failure.

[Michael600r]

You're so profound, Mike.

I mulled over that post for hours!

[Sabrina]

One of the MSF instructors noted "there are no accidents," by that he meant generally crashes are preventable. I think there are a few instances that could be truly classified as "accidental," but most other situations probably are preventable - knowing your bike, your limits and the bike's limits, reacting properly to potential dangers, and using good judgement.

Interestingly, I have seen a few news stories forumlate and ultimately go to press. In my experience and from what I have heard from others, it is not uncommon for facts and details to be incorrect. It is also not uncommon for personal bias of the author(s) or publication(s) to slant the article, sometimes leaving vital facts supporting an opposing view out entirely.

Also, I don't believe the demographics of Florida are representative of the entire US or North America. Age groups, income levels, populations, etc. are different from Averagetown USA. I'm from the cold north so my riding season is much shorter than someone in the south, so a place like Florida is bound to have more riders.

I'm not sure I get this comment: "It's clear motorcycles are more risky, and if you get hurt it's going to cost more, and a large part will be paid by the public." What do they mean, the public pays when someone gets hurt? I understand their point that many riders are not insured, but does that mean they don't have health insurance, either?

When they refer to it as "...its deadliest form of transportation..." I wonder what the numbers are? For instance, if there are 100 motorcylce riders with 2 fatalities and 1000 automobile drivers, with 4 fatalities, the percentages are 2% fatalities for bikes, .4% for car drivers. Obviously there are many more drivers out there than motorcyclists and unfortunately, due to the nature of being on a bike - less protected - a crash is much more likely to translate into serious or fatal injuries.

With all the riders in this forum, I would be quite curious to know how many people have been pulled over on their bikes. If people are riding around without licenses, or uninsured, etc., why aren't they getting caught? As I meet more people locally who ride I have heard more and more about people riding for up to decades without ever getting a license, or without the bike being inspected, etc., but I have never heard about anyone getting stopped.

This may not be a popular opinion, but if they are so concerned with safety why isn't there a law requiring helmets? There's no law for helmets in NH but I would NOT ride without one anyway.

One more matter of curiosity, do you have to provide proof of license to purchase a car?

I have to agree with CTRider here - bikes aren't dangerous - it's the people on them who choose to be responsible or not.

[fretbuzz]

"It's clear motorcycles are more risky, and if you get hurt it's going to cost more, and a large part will be paid by the public." What do they mean, the public pays when someone gets hurt? I understand their point that many riders are not insured, but does that mean they don't have health insurance, either?"

Exactly, Sabrina. Using that logic, shouldn't smoking be illegal? I rarely ride without a helmet myself any more, but I can't stand a smoker telling me I'm driving up their insurance cost when I don't wear a helmet.

[downtown_donna]

Also, I don't believe the demographics of Florida are representative of the entire US or North America. Age groups, income levels, populations, etc. are different from Averagetown USA. I'm from the cold north so my riding season is much shorter than someone in the south, so a place like Florida is bound to have more riders.
I think the article was about what is going on in FL and around here that is pretty darn close to what I see riding. I have lived in in Massachusetts for 24 years and we rode so I understand what you are saying about differences. As several people have pointed out you can skew statistics (there are statistics, damn statistics and then there are lawyers)
Regional differences and training make a big difference. Soon training will be required in Florida which will help big time. I still think this article is interesting. During "bike week" I stayed away from Leesburg. Last year was worse for people getting killed on a mc and most of them I think had been drinking.

The only problem I saw in that was that most of the drinkers were older so even the Darwin award would not have been given out. Too old to have kids.

[btob]

While there are certainly those out there that show poor judgement and even others who are downright dangerous, the article misses the point:

Motorcycles aren't dangerous.

People can ride them dangerously. People can ride near them dangerously. To classify a motorcycle as "the state's deadliest vehicles" reflects an absurd one-sidedness to the article. They might as well call them "Donor Organ Delivery Vehicles".

The problem isn't the vehicle, it's how people interact with them - be it the rider or another driver.

The fact is, it's on US to keep ourselves safe. Barring that, it's up to law enforcement and the courts to punish those that infringe upon the safety of others.

Don't punish the bike - punish the behavior when it happens.

You make a good point, the same one used in gun control. But, the facts are the facts, bikes are 'Donor Organ Delivery Vehicles'. Once in contact with an immovable object, or a major ride on the black top pony, the odds of loosing it are greatly increased. I am no one to talk about bike safety, as I have pushed the envelope to the limit for over 400,000 miles, with my share of accidents. I'm alive only by the grace of God and nothing else. My wife, who is a nurse and just purchased her first bike, will also acknowledge that the aftermath of a lot of accidents with bikes are devastating. Thankfully, it doesn't discourage the need for two wheels for the most of us, and like myself, recognise that that even when in the right, most of us are still going too fast.