http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1615253.shtml?cat=1 Police Cracking Down On Motorcycle Safety Police are stepping up law enforcement on motorcycles.
Law enforcement agencies are cracking down on reckless riders because they say we are just getting into the deadliest time of year for them.
Police say the top two factors in crashes are speed and alcohol. They will be pushing the importance of having proper gear such as helmets and boots and bright colored clothing.
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http://www.plamerican.com/news/police/authorities-begin-summer-motorcycle-enforcement-106 Authorities begin summer motorcycle enforcement
As thousands of motorcycle riders hit the roads this summer, about 400 law enforcement agencies across Minnesota ramped up motorcycle enforcement up patrols starting June 19 to stop impaired and speeding riders.
The Department of Public Safety is urging all motorcyclists to ride safely and for motorists to stay alert and look twice for motorcycle riders.
The enforcement falls against a backdrop of 53 rider deaths in 2009, a decrease of 26 percent from 2008, and a record number of motorcycles on the road.
Minnesota has reached an all-time high in motorcycle ownership — 226,675 motorcycles are registered in the state, which is an increase of 100 percent in the last 13 years, according to the Department of Public Safety. During 2007–2009 in Minnesota, 186 riders were killed and another 4,203 injured in motorcycle crashes.
Capt. Matt Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol said the statewide effort aims to set a tone for summer that impaired and speeding riders have no place on Minnesota roadways.
“Two common factors in motorcycle crashes are speed and alcohol,” Langer said. “Those things are completely within the rider’s control.”
Each year, alcohol is involved in about one-third of motorcycle fatalities, according to the Department of Public Safety. During 2007–2009 in Minnesota, 63 riders were killed in alcohol-related motorcycle crashes—51 were at or above the legal limit of .08.
June through September is the deadliest time for motorcyclists. Over the past five years, 67 percent of riders were killed during this time period. More than half of all motorcycle crashes are single-vehicle events in which the rider loses control of the bike and runs off the road or crashes.
