Elements of the Safety Plan
« Back to other goalsGoal 11 - Improving Motorcycle Safety and Increasing Motorcycle Awareness
Although motorcycle fatalities have declined over 50 percent since 1985, there remains room for improvement. Each year from 1990 through 1995, between two and three thousand motorcyclist died in crashes - 15,435 over the period. Motorcycles account for 5 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities, and the victims are frequently males between the ages of 18 and 27. Alcohol and/or speeding is often involved as is an inadequate level of awareness of motocycles by other drivers on the road.
Motorcycle riding is an activity with special needs and special concerns. Statistics indicate that wearing a helmet can be a lifesaver in a motorcycle crash. In 1995, 36 percent of the 1,089 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle were the result of the other vehicle turning left into the oncoming path of the motorcycle. Almost half of the 869 motorcycle operators who died in single-vehicle crashes in 1995 were intoxicated. Recommended Strategies:
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