http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/
Fresno police target behavior risky to motorcyclists
Published: July 24, 2013 By Jim Guy — The Fresno Bee
A rise in fatal motorcycle crashes is prompting Fresno police to launch a safety effort targeting drunk and reckless riders as well as drivers of cars and trucks who endanger two-wheeled vehicles.
Detective Mark Van Wyhe said warm summer weather, as well as rising fuel prices, have made two-wheeled vehicles an attractive option for both pleasure and economy. But he noted that after motorcycle fatalities dropped 37% between 2008 and 2010, they are on the rise again, climbing almost 18% in 2011, the most recent available statewide figures.
In the same time frame, almost 14% of traffic fatalities in Fresno involved motorcycles or scooters. The two most recent fatal motorcycle crashes involved alcohol and one rider did not even have a motorcycle endorsement for his license, Van Wyhe said.
Officers will be looking for erratic behavior including:• the sportbike rider popping wheelies and speeding;• the cruiser rider hopping from barroom to barroom;• the car driver who doesn't yield the right of way and turns in front of a rider.
"We need to educate the public that there are a lot more (motorcycles) on the road," said Van Wyhe, who is a motorcycle officer in the department's traffic safety unit. He also rides his personal motorcycle when he is off duty and said that he receives a much lower level of courtesy than he does when he's on a police BMW.
Van Wyhe said that the state test to gain a motorcycle license is relatively easy to pass and officers will be encouraging riders to get additional training, such as a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course.
It's likely that riders will be seeing more police presence at motorcycle events such as bike nights, he added.
And for riders who like to hit the bars in the foothills, Van Wyhe said officers may be waiting when they ride back to town.
Funding for the police operation comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
