So I guess reinstating the Mandatory Helmet Law didn't work--hmmm...
Take care and Stay Free, Tiger Mike
LOUISIANA:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070811/OPINION01/708110312/1014/OPINION Motorcycle fatalities may set record
Last week, a safety summit produced by the Louisiana Motorcyclist Safety and Awareness Committee and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission was held in Baton Rouge. Warren Broussard, organizer, said the goal was to decrease the number of motorcycle fatalities and injuries in Louisiana. Achieving that goal is urgent.
Highway Safety Commission executive director James Champagne told summit attendees that more motorcycle fatalities are projected for this year in Louisiana than in any other year in the state's history. Champagne says motorcycle crashes claimed 50 lives between January and June. If the trend continues, we will have not only the state's worst year, but also one of the worst totals in the country.
Nationally, there were 4,798 fatalities in 2006, up 5.4 percent from the previous year. Officials say that was the highest level since 1981, and marked nine straight years of increases. The Insurance Information Institute says cycling has become more popular in recent years. The number of motorcycles on our roads has soared, and the appeal to older riders has increased. Deaths among cyclists 40 and older have climbed substantially, the institute says.
At the Louisiana summit, safety officials pinpointed reasons for the alarming increase in motorcycle fatalities. One is lack of professional training. Champagne says training should be required before a cycle owner or rider can apply for a license.
There are sensible operators who seek such training. A Louisiana Department of Education course has provided proper training for almost 100,000 people. Still, most cyclists involved in wrecks, Champagne says, taught themselves how to ride or learned from friends.
Other major causes of crashes include speeding, lack of protective equipment such as helmets, and impairment. Operating a motorcycle while impaired by alcohol or other substances is extremely dangerous. The Insurance Institute points out that motorcycles are far less crashworthy than closed vehicles, less visible to other drivers and pedestrians and less stable than four-wheel vehicles. Motorcyclists and their passengers, the institute says, are more vulnerable to the hazards of weather and road conditions than drivers in closed vehicles.
Combine all these factors with impairment induced by alcohol or drugs, and the risk of a deadly crash increases drastically.
There is still time to break the trend that is leading to what may be the worst year for motorcycle fatalities in Louisiana's history. The immediate responsibility lies with cyclists. They can make sensible decisions concerning speeding, protective gear and use of intoxicants.
Ultimately, according to Champagne, almost all the factors that contribute to the problem can be reduced by new legislation, enforcement of existing laws - and mandated education.
Curbing the shameful loss of lives in motorcycle accidents is another issue for us to pursue with candidates in the upcoming elections. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission needs public support for its motorcycle safety agenda.
Author