For the thousands of people who have opted to take to the streets in their motorcycles in an attempt to beat high gas prices, there's a sobering statistic about motorcycle accidents that might make them think twice. According to the California Highway Patrol, motorcycle accident deaths in the state are on their way to rivaling a record set back in 1991. That was the last year that motorcyclists were allowed to ride without helmets. The death count in motorcycle accidents that year was 512. This year, the tally so far is 332, and counting. That number is also close to reaching last year's total number of motorcycle accident fatalities, 474.
These numbers are alarming enough, but the total number of deaths in California may actually be higher than that because these statistics don't include motorcycle accident deaths that occur on city streets. When all those numbers are considered together, we could be seeing a number that's higher than the total number of deaths in 1991.
With more motorcyclists and motorists on California's roads, it's becoming increasingly evident that there are deficiencies in the system. There are way too many motorcycle accident fatalities, even with the law requiring helmets, as well as the awareness programs that the CHP sometimes conducts to bring about greater harmony between motorists and motorcyclists.
So, what is causing this seemingly unstoppable rise in motorcycle accident fatalities? California Highway Patrol officials have a number of theories about the reasons for this alarming rise. For one, there are more motorcyclists on the roads than before. The golden state has always been the perfect place to ride around, and with rising gas prices, many Californians have found it easier and cheaper to ride around on their motorcycles.
Besides, there's the age of the riders themselves. Motorcycle riders tend to fall broadly into two groups - The older ones who are finding that their reflexes are not as sharp, and that modern machines are not like the meek bikes of yesteryear, and the younger riders who simply don't have sufficient training to handle these loaded machines. After all, the licensing system tends to be an easy one to maneuver. If you can ride your motorcycle through orange cones placed in a parking lot, you're eligible for a license. It means that there are simply too many motorcyclists on California's highways who just don't have the skills necessary to handle busy traffic, inattentive motorists, road rage and other challenges on the road.
The temptation posed by more powerful machines has also led to an increase in motorcycle accident fatalities. Statistics show that when riders trade in their older model for a more powerful bike, they are as much as 70 times more likely to be involved in a motorcycle accident, than those who stick to their old motorcycles.
It's clear that a combination of factors is at play in the kind of increase in accident-related fatalities that we are seeing now. The CHP is doing its part to increase awareness about the dangers posed to motorcyclists on the roads. This summer it held a safety drive aimed exclusively at motorcyclists, which was very successful. But it's obvious more needs to be done if we are to see a drop in these motorcycle accident-related death statistics.
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