weasel
Eradicator
Motorcycle deaths on the rise in Silicon Valley and California
By Gary Richards
Mercury News
Article Launched: 10/11/2008 07:00:00 PM PDT
When a few hundred motorcyclists gather in La Honda today at a benefit to raise money for paramedics, some will stop to talk to emergency medical workers and Highway Patrol officers who work the mountain roads bikers love to ride.
And what they hear may be sobering.
Motorcycle deaths are on a pace to rival the death rates California had before helmets were made mandatory in 1992. At least 332 bikers and passengers have been killed on state highways through September, and the number is likely to approach last year's total of 474 fatalities.
There haven't been that many deaths since 512 motorcyclists died in the state in 1991, the last year they could ride without a helmet.
Worse yet, the current figures do not include motorcycle deaths on city streets. That information won't be known until sometime next year, and the total is likely to surpass the 1991 level.
"It's alarming," said California Highway Patrol officer Todd Thibodeau, who works out of the department's San Jose office, in an area where eight motorcyclists have died this year compared with one a year ago. "And it's all over."
There are many theories behind the troubling numbers. Younger riders don't get the training to handle souped-up bikes. Older riders over 50 are getting back on motorcycles much more powerful than what they first rode two decades ago. And to combat high gas prices, more people are turning to motorcycles because their gas mileage is
two or three times better than that of cars and trucks.
Also, motorists aren't accustomed to seeing so many motorcyclists on the road, and they don't allow them enough space to navigate today's crowded roadways.
The state held a special meeting in the summer to figure out ways to address the rising carnage, the first ever aimed specifically at motorcyclists. More than 270 safety officials showed up. When the CHP offered a safety session in San Jose, a couple dozen riders were expected. About 75 showed up.
The focus, many think, should be on more, tougher training.
"It is far too easy for anyone to get a car or motorcycle license in this state or country," said Harold Basquin, 52, who has been riding a motorcycle since he was 16. "The training is minimal and the tests are a joke. How does riding a motorcycle around cones in a parking lot prove that you are ready to take on the real world?"
A study by Progressive Insurance last year concluded that motorcycle riders who switch and buy more powerful bikes are nearly 70 percent more likely to crash than riders who keep the same bike, regardless of experience level or bike type. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that over the past decade there has been a 134 percent increase in engines over 100cc in size.
A check of the eight deaths on Santa Clara County highways this year showed no single pattern. A 23-year-old man died on Interstate 880 near Great Mall Parkway, perhaps going too fast. A 52-year-old was killed on Highway 85 near Blossom Hill Road when changing lanes. Another was killed on Highway 17 near Highway 9 when a car ahead slowed and he collided with another rider, fell to the ground and then was hit by a sport-utility vehicle from behind. A 60-year-old man died on Highway 9 when he took a curve and hit a tree.
Two possibly involved drinking. They occurred at all times of day and night. Some were riding with friends; others were going solo.
Another concern: inattentive drivers yakking on cell phones instead of scanning the road.
"I see drivers holding phones up to talk, texting, reading papers or books, smoking marijuana, shaving, applying makeup, doing many things other than paying attention to driving," said Mark Buckelew, who commutes daily on his motorcycle from South San Jose to Alameda and who for several years was an instructor for the California Motorcycle Safety Program. "When I'm riding, I'm paying strict attention to my surroundings."
A frequent complaint is motorcyclists who cut between lanes. That's legal in California at low speeds, but not legal and not wise at higher speeds.
Yet in the eight deaths in the South Bay this year, none involved splitting lanes, and few crashes occurred because of this practice.
"It's not people splitting lanes on sports bikes at 80 miles per hour, and it's not always inexperience," said the CHP's Thibodeau. "We can't pinpoint it."
if you're interested
Today's motorcycle rally in La Honda will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, with all proceeds from entry fees, sport bike suspension setup clinic and raffles benefiting the La Honda Fire Brigade.
Contact Gary Richards at grichards@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5335.
MOTORCYCLE DEATHS
Motorcycle fatalities in California, 2003 to present:
2003: 379
2004: 363
2005: 419
2006: 443
2007: 474
2008: 332*
*Through September
Source: California Highway Patrol
By Gary Richards
Mercury News
Article Launched: 10/11/2008 07:00:00 PM PDT
When a few hundred motorcyclists gather in La Honda today at a benefit to raise money for paramedics, some will stop to talk to emergency medical workers and Highway Patrol officers who work the mountain roads bikers love to ride.
And what they hear may be sobering.
Motorcycle deaths are on a pace to rival the death rates California had before helmets were made mandatory in 1992. At least 332 bikers and passengers have been killed on state highways through September, and the number is likely to approach last year's total of 474 fatalities.
There haven't been that many deaths since 512 motorcyclists died in the state in 1991, the last year they could ride without a helmet.
Worse yet, the current figures do not include motorcycle deaths on city streets. That information won't be known until sometime next year, and the total is likely to surpass the 1991 level.
"It's alarming," said California Highway Patrol officer Todd Thibodeau, who works out of the department's San Jose office, in an area where eight motorcyclists have died this year compared with one a year ago. "And it's all over."
There are many theories behind the troubling numbers. Younger riders don't get the training to handle souped-up bikes. Older riders over 50 are getting back on motorcycles much more powerful than what they first rode two decades ago. And to combat high gas prices, more people are turning to motorcycles because their gas mileage is
two or three times better than that of cars and trucks.
Also, motorists aren't accustomed to seeing so many motorcyclists on the road, and they don't allow them enough space to navigate today's crowded roadways.
The state held a special meeting in the summer to figure out ways to address the rising carnage, the first ever aimed specifically at motorcyclists. More than 270 safety officials showed up. When the CHP offered a safety session in San Jose, a couple dozen riders were expected. About 75 showed up.
The focus, many think, should be on more, tougher training.
"It is far too easy for anyone to get a car or motorcycle license in this state or country," said Harold Basquin, 52, who has been riding a motorcycle since he was 16. "The training is minimal and the tests are a joke. How does riding a motorcycle around cones in a parking lot prove that you are ready to take on the real world?"
A study by Progressive Insurance last year concluded that motorcycle riders who switch and buy more powerful bikes are nearly 70 percent more likely to crash than riders who keep the same bike, regardless of experience level or bike type. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that over the past decade there has been a 134 percent increase in engines over 100cc in size.
A check of the eight deaths on Santa Clara County highways this year showed no single pattern. A 23-year-old man died on Interstate 880 near Great Mall Parkway, perhaps going too fast. A 52-year-old was killed on Highway 85 near Blossom Hill Road when changing lanes. Another was killed on Highway 17 near Highway 9 when a car ahead slowed and he collided with another rider, fell to the ground and then was hit by a sport-utility vehicle from behind. A 60-year-old man died on Highway 9 when he took a curve and hit a tree.
Two possibly involved drinking. They occurred at all times of day and night. Some were riding with friends; others were going solo.
Another concern: inattentive drivers yakking on cell phones instead of scanning the road.
"I see drivers holding phones up to talk, texting, reading papers or books, smoking marijuana, shaving, applying makeup, doing many things other than paying attention to driving," said Mark Buckelew, who commutes daily on his motorcycle from South San Jose to Alameda and who for several years was an instructor for the California Motorcycle Safety Program. "When I'm riding, I'm paying strict attention to my surroundings."
A frequent complaint is motorcyclists who cut between lanes. That's legal in California at low speeds, but not legal and not wise at higher speeds.
Yet in the eight deaths in the South Bay this year, none involved splitting lanes, and few crashes occurred because of this practice.
"It's not people splitting lanes on sports bikes at 80 miles per hour, and it's not always inexperience," said the CHP's Thibodeau. "We can't pinpoint it."
if you're interested
Today's motorcycle rally in La Honda will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, with all proceeds from entry fees, sport bike suspension setup clinic and raffles benefiting the La Honda Fire Brigade.
Contact Gary Richards at grichards@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5335.
MOTORCYCLE DEATHS
Motorcycle fatalities in California, 2003 to present:
2003: 379
2004: 363
2005: 419
2006: 443
2007: 474
2008: 332*
*Through September
Source: California Highway Patrol
