2009 was a good year for motorcycle safety. The American Motorcyclist Association just released a report showing that in 2009, motorcycling deaths were down 16% compared to the previous year.
"The death of any motorcyclist is one too many, so this news that fatalities are down is encouraging," said Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations. "While we are pleased that the number of motorcycling fatalities dropped dramatically in 2009, a one-year drop isn't a trend. We need to determine why, and ensure that the decline continues."
It is the first time in a decade that annual motorcycle deaths have dropped. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that there were 4,462 motorcycling deaths in 2009, compared to 5,312 in 2008.
In fact, all traffic fatalities have decreased. Deaths involving all vehicles dropped 9.7 percent, and were at the lowest level since 1950. Authorities believe that cars with improved safety features, an increase in seatbelt use, and an increase in drunk driving enforcement are responsible for the lower fatality numbers.
But seatbelts don't save a motorcyclists life, and officials are still trying to figure out what causes motorcycle crashes, and why fatalities are down. Oklahoma State University is conducting the first study on the cause of motorcycle accidents since 1981.
"The motorcycling community looks forward to receiving some real answers about motorcycle crashes and what causes them from the new federal crash causation study that is under way at Oklahoma State University (OSU) through the Oklahoma Transportation Center in Stillwater," Moreland said. "Then we can put our heads together to find solutions, reduce crashes and save more lives."
The last major study, known as the “Hurt Report,”named after its head researcher Hugh “Harry” Hurt, is still being used by organizations to keep people safer on the road. But highways and riding conditions have changed a lot in the past three decades.
Hopefully, this new study will keep motorcycle deaths on the decline, and help riders to be more safe on the road.
