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

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

Preliminary data from all 50 states and theDistrict ofColumbiashows that fatal motorcycle crashes had shown noimprovement in 2011, a year in which a more buoyant economy couldhave contributed to an increasing number of miles ridden.

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

The year has been kind to most other drivers, however, with TheNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projectingthat general motor vehicle fatalities declined by 1.7 percent in2011, reaching their lowest levels since the late 1940s.Motorcycles seem to be one of the only highway safety areas inwhich safety statistics have not improved.

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

The reduction in fatal crashes in these states owes its successto better enforcement, education and engineering, says Barbara J.Fiala, commissioner of the New York State Department of MotorVehicles and GTSC chair, in a statement. “In New York, we areeducating motorists to watch for motorcycles, riders to wear brightprotective gear to make themselves more visible, and lawenforcement officers on conducting efficient and effectivemotorcycle checks.”

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

Mild winter weather in some parts of theU.S.put moremotorcyclists out on the road in 2011, while the previous year'swinter kept bikes in the garage. The GHSA report shows that in2010, many states had relatively little motorcycle travel in thewinter due to snow, ice, rain and cold weather, with only 10% ofmotorcyclist fatalities occurring from January through March. Asthe year went on, fatalities increased to 38% of the annual total,which occurred in July through September. Furthermore, a commentfromIllinoisstates that the state's “increase in fatalities in 2011may be attributed to, among other things, good weather.”

A silent and surprising contributor to this increase may be theeconomy, says Dr. James Hedlund of the GHSA, who authored thestudy. He compared gas prices, motorcycle registrations, andmotorcyclist fatality trends since 1976, and found that gas pricesare directly related to deaths. According to the Association andalso the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the costs of filling up atank of gas may make the fuel efficiency of motorcycles moreattractive.

Another factor is the economy, which began an upward trajectoryin 2011, increasing the disposable income in people's pockets. Astatement from the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I) citesthe Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) estimate that the percentageof U.S. households with at least one bike rose from 5.4 percent in2003 to 6.8 percent in 2008.

Still, new motorcycle registration decreases in states such asWisconsin, which reported at 12 percent registration drop lastyear, 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 currentlyrequire riders to wear helmets, whereas in 1997, 26 states made itlaw. The lowest motorcyclist fatality rates since 1975 occurredduring 1996 and 1997, GHSA study statistics indicate.

In a statement, Troy Costales, GHSA chairman,expressed his disappointment with the declining progress ofmotorcycle safety, saying, “The study notes, the strengtheningeconomy, high gas prices, and the lack of all-rider helmet lawsleave me concerned about the final numbers for 2011 and 2012. Everymotorcyclist deserves to arrive at their destination safely. Thesefatality figures represent real people – they're family, friendsand neighbors.”

As far as its impact on individual motorcycle-insurancepolicyholders, the I.I.I says that since the fatality rate stayedsteady 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 matureand experienced operator, someone with a good driving record,whether the motorcycle is garaged, the age of the driver, and ifthey 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 ofphysical and mental skills than those used in driving four-wheelvehicles,” she says, also citing vulnerability to weather hazardsand road conditions as factors that underwriters take intoconsideration when developing rates.

In an e-mail statement, Dan Kamionkowski, Progressive MotorcycleProduct Manager says of the study, “There are several factors thatgo into writing an insurance policy for a motorcyclist. Theindividual we're insuring is largely what impacts the underwritingprocess. In setting overall rates, we focus on our internal claimshistory rather than external studies.”

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

Reduced speeding may lessen the risk of fatal crashes, eventhose not involving another vehicle. Rider and driver training isalso important to safe motor vehicle operation. A large share ofthis responsibility, says the NHTSA, falls on other motorists: whenmotorcycles collide with vehicles, it is usually the car or truckwhich violates the motorcyclist's right of way.

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

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

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