Preliminary Report Shows Motorcycle Deaths Down in 2009
By Jim Greene
Published on May 22, 2010
Deaths due to motorcycle accidents in the United States may have been down by 10 percent nationally last year, after rising steadily for the preceding 11 years, according to an analysis of preliminary data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Final figures may be lower than those of 12 years ago, when collecting of motorcycle fatality data began.
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) made the optimistic prediction in releasing a study prepared by Dr. James Hedlund of Highway Safety North, a private consulting firm. Hedlund is a former administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The GHSA is predicting a final toll for 2009 of 4,762 or fewer, compared to 5,290 in 2009.
The report was based on a full year's data from some states and at least nine months' data from all states. Complete numbers are expected later this year.
California, New York Expect Dramatic Reductions
While the GHSA expects to see reduced fatality figures for 2009 in three-quarters of the states, including a 29 percent drop for California and a 16 percent drop for New York, increased numbers are predicted for 12 states.
In addition to collecting states' data, Hedlund solicited state traffic agencies' opinions on what factors may have contributed to changes in motorcycle fatality numbers. The answers seem to indicate that fatalities were in proportion to motorcycle usage.
Officials in states with reduced fatalities credit reduced leisure motorcycle use, due to harsher weather in 2009 and to the economic downturn, while those in states with higher numbers blame milder weather and the fuel economy of motorcycles for promoting increased commuter use.
Opinion Divided on Motorcycle Safety Courses
Hedlund's report also credited the overall reduction in fatalities to increased efforts to educate riders through state-sponsored motorcycle safety courses, in direct contradiction of a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that found those courses to be ineffective in reducing accidents.
No matter how safely you ride, if you're in an accident, you need an experienced motorcycle accident attorney. Don't count on your insurance company to take care of all your financial needs. Insurance companies make money by paying out as little as they can. And, if you go to court, you'll be facing the prejudice that many people have against motorcyclists. Your attorney will fight to get past that prejudice and get you a fair hearing and the compensation you deserve.
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