NU Online News Service, May 22, 2:40 p.m. EDT

The strengthening economy and good riding weather may be contributing to disheartening motorcycle-fatality statistics, according to a new Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report.

Preliminary data from all 50 states and theDistrict of Columbiashows that fatal motorcycle crashes had shown no improvement in 2011, a year in which a more buoyant economy could have contributed to an increasing number of miles ridden.

Projecting from state fatality counts contributed during the first nine months of 2011, the GHSA says that motorcycle fatalities remained at 4,500 last year, the same level as in 2010. The study tracks statistics from January through September 2011.

The year has been kind to most other drivers, however, with The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projecting that general motor vehicle fatalities declined by 1.7 percent in 2011, reaching their lowest levels since the late 1940s. Motorcycles seem to be one of the only highway safety areas in which safety statistics have not improved.

Motorcyclist fatalities have decreased in twenty-three states between 2010 and 2011. In Connecticut, the GHSA report says, motorcycle deaths declined by 37 percent, North Carolina reported a drop of 21 percent and New York a drop of 16 percent than the previous year.

The reduction in fatal crashes in these states owes its success to better enforcement, education and engineering, says Barbara J. Fiala, commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and GTSC chair, in a statement. “In New York, we are educating motorists to watch for motorcycles, riders to wear bright protective gear to make themselves more visible, and law enforcement officers on conducting efficient and effective motorcycle checks.”

However, that achievement is leveled by the 26 states and the District of Columbia which report a surge of up to 26 percent in motorcyclist deaths. South Carolina reported the biggest leap in human losses, while motorcycle fatalities in Texas and California rose by 16 percent and 10 percent between 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Mild winter weather in some parts of theU.S.put more motorcyclists out on the road in 2011, while the previous year's winter kept bikes in the garage. The GHSA report shows that in 2010, many states had relatively little motorcycle travel in the winter due to snow, ice, rain and cold weather, with only 10% of motorcyclist fatalities occurring from January through March. As the year went on, fatalities increased to 38% of the annual total, which occurred in July through September. Furthermore, a comment fromIllinoisstates that the state's “increase in fatalities in 2011 may be attributed to, among other things, good weather.”

A silent and surprising contributor to this increase may be the economy, says Dr. James Hedlund of the GHSA, who authored the study. He compared gas prices, motorcycle registrations, and motorcyclist fatality trends since 1976, and found that gas prices are directly related to deaths. According to the Association and also the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the costs of filling up a tank of gas may make the fuel efficiency of motorcycles more attractive.

Another factor is the economy, which began an upward trajectory in 2011, increasing the disposable income in people's pockets. A statement from the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I) cites the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) estimate that the percentage of U.S. households with at least one bike rose from 5.4 percent in 2003 to 6.8 percent in 2008.

Still, new motorcycle registration decreases in states such as Wisconsin, which reported at 12 percent registration drop last year, helped level the number of active riders.

Helmet laws, the NHTSA's highest-rated safety countermeasure, have decreased across the United States. Only 19 states currently require riders to wear helmets, whereas in 1997, 26 states made it law. The lowest motorcyclist fatality rates since 1975 occurred during 1996 and 1997, GHSA study statistics indicate.

In a statement, Troy Costales, GHSA chairman, expressed his disappointment with the declining progress of motorcycle safety, saying, “The study notes, the strengthening economy, high gas prices, and the lack of all-rider helmet laws leave me concerned about the final numbers for 2011 and 2012. Every motorcyclist deserves to arrive at their destination safely. These fatality figures represent real people – they're family, friends and neighbors.”

As far as its impact on individual motorcycle-insurance policyholders, the I.I.I says that since the fatality rate stayed steady from 2010 to 2011, there may be no change on current or future insurance rates.

“When underwriting a policy, a company will look for a mature and experienced operator, someone with a good driving record, whether the motorcycle is garaged, the age of the driver, and if they have any accidents, among other risks,” says Loretta Worters, I.I.I vice president, in an e-mail.

“Operating a motorcycle requires a different combination of physical and mental skills than those used in driving four-wheel vehicles,” she says, also citing vulnerability to weather hazards and road conditions as factors that underwriters take into consideration when developing rates.

In an e-mail statement, Dan Kamionkowski, Progressive Motorcycle Product Manager says of the study, “There are several factors that go into writing an insurance policy for a motorcyclist. The individual we're insuring is largely what impacts the underwriting process. In setting overall rates, we focus on our internal claims history rather than external studies.”

The GHSA recommends concentrating on several safety areas to ensure that 2011's dismal rates improve in future years. Helmets have been proven to be 37 percent effective at preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle operators, and even more so for passengers, says the NHTSA. Alcohol impairment, an obvious contributor to accidents, caused 29 percent of all rider fatalities in 2010.

Reduced speeding may lessen the risk of fatal crashes, even those not involving another vehicle. Rider and driver training is also important to safe motor vehicle operation. A large share of this responsibility, says the NHTSA, falls on other motorists: when motorcycles collide with vehicles, it is usually the car or truck which violates the motorcyclist's right of way.

The warnings relayed in the report are timely, as this Memorial Day Weekend almost 100,000 motorcyclists will arrive in Washington, D.C., after nationwide holiday rally “Rolling Thunder”. Four other rallies will take place over the course of the three-day weekend.

“With so many motorcyclists on the road this month,” says the GHSA's Costales, “It's an opportune time to remind all motorists about this critical highway safety issue.”

This story was updated at 5:44 p.m. EDT with comments from Progressive.

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