Motorcycle Deaths Jump Dramatically, Study Ordered to Find Out Why
The number of motorcycle deaths on America's roads and highways has soared over the years; a new study aims to determine the causes.
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has ordered a four-year study, conducted with Oklahoma State University, to dig deep into the root causes of a 150 percent rise in motorcycle fatalities from 1997 to 2008. According to a Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Report, 2,116 motorcyclists died on U.S. roads in 1997; by 2008, the number jumped to nearly 5,300. Motorcycle deaths accounted for 14 percent of all roadway fatalities last year.
The last in-depth study of its kind was the Hurt Report, conducted in 1981. Among its conclusions, the report found that the major causes of motorcycle crashes included rider error, such as over-braking or misjudging a curve, excessive speed, lack of training, and alcohol. The study also blamed the lack of helmets as a contributing factor.
In Pennsylvania, the lack of helmets, or what many riders refer to as "freedom of choice," may loom large in the present accident equation. In 2003, the law requiring all riders to wear helmets was repealed. Since then, the number of serious motorcycle-related head injuries has spiked.
A Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report showed a rise in head injuries from 15.3 per 100,000 registrants in 2003 to 18.1 in 2007. Motorcycle registration increased nearly 70 percent during the same time period. Could this alone account for the increase in head injuries?
A University of Pittsburgh study accounted for the increase in registrants, then compared the number of motorcycle-related injuries two years before and two years after the repeal. The study found that, when adjusting for the registration increase, the head injury hospitalization rate increased by 42 percent, while the non-head injury hospitalization rate increased by only 2 percent.
Essentially this means that, in light of the helmet law repeal, head injuries have increased drastically while other types of injuries from motorcycle accidents have remained unchanged - indicating that the increase is not simply due to an increase in riders.
An accident in 2006 raised awareness of the helmet issue when high-profile Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was in a motorcycle crash. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and he suffered serious head injuries that included multiple facial fractures.
There are many current theories as to what is causing the rise in motorcycle deaths. Some claim that as motorcycles have become more powerful, they are much harder to control. Some point to the fact that riders are becoming older - the average age is 41 - and their reaction time has diminished. Another theory blames the economy and rising gas prices for compelling people to seek alternative transportation, leading to not just more motorcycles on the road, but more inexperienced motorcycle riders.
The new study will examine information gathered from researchers and will focus primarily on road conditions, rider skill levels and environmental conditions in an effort to identify patterns and make recommendations that will hopefully help to prevent crashes in the future.
Source: Motorcycle Deaths Jump Dramatically, Study Ordered to Find Out Why
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has ordered a four-year study, conducted with Oklahoma State University, to dig deep into the root causes of a 150 percent rise in motorcycle fatalities from 1997 to 2008. According to a Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Report, 2,116 motorcyclists died on U.S. roads in 1997; by 2008, the number jumped to nearly 5,300. Motorcycle deaths accounted for 14 percent of all roadway fatalities last year.
The last in-depth study of its kind was the Hurt Report, conducted in 1981. Among its conclusions, the report found that the major causes of motorcycle crashes included rider error, such as over-braking or misjudging a curve, excessive speed, lack of training, and alcohol. The study also blamed the lack of helmets as a contributing factor.
In Pennsylvania, the lack of helmets, or what many riders refer to as "freedom of choice," may loom large in the present accident equation. In 2003, the law requiring all riders to wear helmets was repealed. Since then, the number of serious motorcycle-related head injuries has spiked.
A Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report showed a rise in head injuries from 15.3 per 100,000 registrants in 2003 to 18.1 in 2007. Motorcycle registration increased nearly 70 percent during the same time period. Could this alone account for the increase in head injuries?
A University of Pittsburgh study accounted for the increase in registrants, then compared the number of motorcycle-related injuries two years before and two years after the repeal. The study found that, when adjusting for the registration increase, the head injury hospitalization rate increased by 42 percent, while the non-head injury hospitalization rate increased by only 2 percent.
Essentially this means that, in light of the helmet law repeal, head injuries have increased drastically while other types of injuries from motorcycle accidents have remained unchanged - indicating that the increase is not simply due to an increase in riders.
An accident in 2006 raised awareness of the helmet issue when high-profile Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was in a motorcycle crash. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and he suffered serious head injuries that included multiple facial fractures.
There are many current theories as to what is causing the rise in motorcycle deaths. Some claim that as motorcycles have become more powerful, they are much harder to control. Some point to the fact that riders are becoming older - the average age is 41 - and their reaction time has diminished. Another theory blames the economy and rising gas prices for compelling people to seek alternative transportation, leading to not just more motorcycles on the road, but more inexperienced motorcycle riders.
The new study will examine information gathered from researchers and will focus primarily on road conditions, rider skill levels and environmental conditions in an effort to identify patterns and make recommendations that will hopefully help to prevent crashes in the future.
Source: Motorcycle Deaths Jump Dramatically, Study Ordered to Find Out Why
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