Motorcycle deaths account for increase in traffic fatalities in 2012

[rscalzo]

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/...n-traffic.html

[Rollmeaway]

Thats interesting, the # of fatalities doubled due to warmer weather & a longer riding season. Grant it the more months will increase the # who will die but it does not increase risk unless there is something that is a definate threat. Sounds to me there is a problem child in Tex & Booze that is the threat. I can also see how someone out of state with a cell phone in one hand & a bottle in the other would be a risk to any rider.

What did you get from it Rs. What is your take on it

[rscalzo]

Living and riding up here, I pay attention to the newspaper articles when I find them. Some mva's are due to a collision with a motor vehicle, usually a car/truck.

But a disturbing number are due to a loss of control. The cruiser styles are more popular than the crotch rocket from what I see. Many of the accidents are from older ridings and not young kids. So I'd have to say too many don't have the experience on the larger bikes or experience in general. Influence of alcohol or drugs isn't really known as most reporting is only on the initial incident and the followup tox reports are rarely ever printed.

Either way, I hope this trend reverses itself this coming year.

[louieb]

I would like to see a report on just deaths caused by the biker alone. Several of these deaths were caused by 4 wheelers. I know this doesn"t change anything, but the way they list it makes the bikers look bad. I ride around 14,000 miles a year and I can tell you I spend most of my days dodging 4 wheelers. It apears to me what the state needs is a 4 wheeler class on how to avoid hitting motocycles. Louie

[2010hdultra]

Economy forcing people to ride a bike vs cage cuz of gas price means more idiots on bikes. Modern day darwinism. Let the stupid kill em selves and us who want to, know how to safely, can ride safer.

[<G Man>]

Originally Posted by rscalzo

Living and riding up here, I pay attention to the newspaper articles when I find them. Some mva's are due to a collision with a motor vehicle, usually a car/truck.

But a disturbing number are due to a loss of control. The cruiser styles are more popular than the crotch rocket from what I see. Many of the accidents are from older ridings and not young kids. So I'd have to say too many don't have the experience on the larger bikes or experience in general. Influence of alcohol or drugs isn't really known as most reporting is only on the initial incident and the followup tox reports are rarely ever printed.

Either way, I hope this trend reverses itself this coming year.

Tried twice and link goes nowhere. Are these statistics for your state or the nation? With no follow-up, how is it determined what the cause of collision is?

Just curious, if you say more older riders died than younger riders, why do you assume that lack of experience is an issue?

Trends do not reverse themselves, they are just numbers. Just like so many other things, people need to take responsibility for their own actions and not rely on "trends" or anything to fix their problems.

[rscalzo]

Economy forcing people to ride a bike vs cage cuz of gas price means more idiots on bikes

That might have been true many years ago but not today. many cars get the same or better gas mileage than my bike. The cost of a smaller gas efficient car is the same or less than today's larger tourer. Add the fact that they can only be used a portion of the year up here and I don't think the cost of gas is causing more riders on the road. It's just more people are rider today than ever before. More bikes on the road and there is more chance of an incident.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...55534169,d.dmQ

Page 19 shows that there is little correlation between gas prices and motorcycle registrations and fatalities.

The article makes it quite clear some of the crashes involved passenger car/truck contact. But I'm aware of more than a few that were one vehicle crashes. The weather was great this year and I. like many others started riding in March instead of later in April. The one that sticks in my mind is the rider and passenger that were clocked at over 130 on a local highway. The rider lost it and impacted a tree. I'm reminded of it as I pass the small cross and flowers set up on the spot.

The stats are NH only. The link's still working for me. Unfortunately this years stats aren't published yet. Probably in a year or so.

people need to take responsibility for their own actions

How does a bike rider do that when they are hit by a passenger vehicle? When you're riding in a safe manner and struck, personal responsibility has nothing to do with it except in the case of the other driver.

[<G Man>]

Ok, the link worked for me this time.

The numbers are interesting but what do they mean? I didn't see any info in the story about age of rider or type of bikes. Also didn't see any comparison of more/less bikes on the road compared to previous years.

I saw a statement in the story that the early riding season played a part, but no breakdown of wrecks in each month to support that theory.