Motorcycle Death Rates Trend Downward
The motorcycle collision cases which our Atlanta attorneys involve devastating injuries and deaths. After rising steadily for nearly a dozen years to set a record in 2008, the number of people killed nationally in motorcycle accidents dropped dramatically last year, according to a report issued Thursday.
The report by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that fatal crashes declined nearly 16 percent in the first nine months of 2009, compared with the same period the year before.
In the same period during 2008 there were a record 5,290 motorcycle fatalities reported. The report offers no ready explanation for the decrease.
Speculation for the decrease included that the economy was keeping motorcyclists off the road, that a 42 percent drop in new motorcycle sales last year resulted in fewer novice riders and that publicity about deaths had heightened the awareness of both motorcyclists and motorists.
The report did not include data from Georgia.
During the nine month period of the comparison, the District of Columbia and 38 states reported a drop in motorcycle deaths, and 12 states recorded an increase. California had 133 fewer deaths, Florida had 111 fewer and Ohio had 48 fewer. Only two states, Hawaii and Rhode Island, had double-digit increases. Once numbers for the final three months of 2009 are factored in, the report projects, the annual fatality decline will be 10 percent.
In soliciting the data in the report, the GHSA also asked state safety agencies to articulate the reasons for the decline.
Several responses pointed to the economy and underscored that a significant portion of motorcycling is for recreation rather than transportation.
Others suggested that high fuel prices and the independent image of motorcyclists had previously caused a temporary surge in ridership. The report suggested that motorcycle death rates could be decreased further by increasing helmet use, reducing alcohol impairment, reducing speed, and providing operator training to all who need or seek it.
