Fatal motorcycle accidents on decline Experts find several reasons

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http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_16314945 Fatal motorcycle accidents on decline Experts find several reasons Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer Created: 10/2010 09:58:00 PM PDT
For the first time in 11 years, motorcycle fatalities have decreased in California as well as the United States. The number of people who died while driving motorcycles in California decreased from 560 in 2008 to 394 in 2009, a drop of 29.6 percent, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety.
In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported motorcycle fatalities across the country in 2009 decreased for the first time in more than a decade - dropping to 4,462 from 5,312 in 2008.
"From the perspective of the American Motorcyclist Association and its 230,000 members, any decline in fatalities is clearly good news," said Pete terHorst, a spokesman for the Ohio-based group. "The reasons are less clear."
Officials do not know what to attribute the change to, terHorst said.
"While some suggest that the effects of the current recession have decreased the number of motorcyclists on roads and highways, we are aware of no studies to support this theory," he said.
Office of Traffic Safety officials said there are many reasons for the declines.
They cited:
The downturn in the economy;
Gasoline prices dropping by 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, but staying flat since then;
A drop in motorcycle registrations;
More safety elements in automobiles.
In 2010, there have been there have been 62 motorcycle- involved collisions but only one fatality in areas in areas patrolled by the California Highway Patrol's Rancho Cucamonga station, Officer Jeff Briggs said. There were 90 motorcycle- involved collisions and three fatalities in 2009, 94 collisions and three deaths in 2008 and 115 collisions and five deaths in 2007.
The Rancho Cucamonga station patrols parts of the 71, 60, 15, 10 and 210 freeways in the western area of the Inland Empire.
Briggs said constant education of the public and motorcyclists has contributed to the drop in deaths and fatalities. For instance, May is Motorcycle Safety Month, during which officers educate motorists and riders about safe driving and riding as well as the need to share the road.