2008 Orange County CA, motorcycle fatalities

[FJRBluesman]

From this mornings Orange County Register.

For your perusal and comments.

2008 Orange County CA, motorcycle fatalities up 44% from 2007.

Friday, July 17, 2009

[SIZE=14pt]O.C. motorcycle deaths increase 44 percent[/SIZE]

The increase comes as total traffic fatalities – including DUI deaths – fall.

By ANDREW GALVIN

The Orange County Register

Traffic fatalities in Orange County fell 16 percent in 2008 – but motorcycle deaths rose sharply, according to new federal data.

The number of people killed in Orange County traffic accidents fell to 163 last year from 194 in 2007, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

However, the number of motorcyclists killed rose to 36 in 2008 from 25 a year earlier – a jump of 44 percent.

Meanwhile, statewide traffic deaths dropped 14 percent in 2008 – partly because drivers traveled fewer miles – while motorcycle deaths rose 8.1 percent.

"Motorcycle safety is a rapidly emerging concern," said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the state's Office of Traffic Safety, in a written statement. "These bikes are heavier, faster and more difficult to control than ever before. Riders must get proper training, must wear proper protective gear, and must be extremely mindful of safety and avoiding dangerous situations."

Lower incomes because of the weak economy are "driving people to get out there on two wheels," said Steve Spernak, a former police officer who has been riding motorcycles for 30 years and now heads the Orange County Traffic Officer's Association. "A lot of them think they can just go out there and not understand the dangers and the limitations of them as riders in a high-placed traffic environment."

One-third of motorcyclists involved in crashes statewide don't have the required Department of Motor Vehicles endorsement on their licenses, said OTS spokesman Chris Cochran.

Cochran said young riders are starting out on bikes that are much more powerful than in past decades. "You throw in a good dose of testosterone on top of that, and these guys are getting into a whole lot of trouble because of speed," he said.

Also, older "reentry" riders who might not have touched a motorcycle in 30 years reach an age where they "want to make a statement" but don't get additional training to handle today's heavier models, Cochran said.

"They don't have the perception or reaction that they did as younger riders and as such they put themselves in dangerous situations," Spernak said.

OTS is encouraging motorcyclists to get trained through the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, via the Irvine-based Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Graduates qualify for the DMV motorcycle endorsement without having to take the DMV skills test.

On a happier note, alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Orange County fell to 46 in 2008 from 56 a year earlier, a drop of 18 percent. Statewide, DUI deaths fell 9 percent to 1,029, the federal data shows.

Credit for the drop in DUI deaths goes to "law enforcement, state and local agencies, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other safety advocates," Murphy said. "The people of California have come together to address this deadly problem and are now seeing results. As positive as these figures are, though, we can never let up until we achieve our goal of zero deaths."

Altogether, California vehicle fatalities fell 14 percent in 2008, to 3,434, and are at their lowest point since 1975, when the federal government began compiling figures, OTS said.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3705 or [email protected]

 

[Wee Willy]

It's said that speed kills. Well, that's not so true as the statement that speed differences kill, at least on the roads around here. By speed differences, I mean the delta speed between one vehicle and others around it. Here in the LA metro area, there are alot of young kids (twenty somethings and below) riding very quick sport bikes like the Ninja's & R-1's Many times I encounter them zorching between lanes and cutting traffic oblivious to the fact that they are dancing on the edge of the precipice.

So, back to speed differences...here's my theory. When we are driving, our situational awareness (SA for you pilot types) is built on our scanning to stay aware of developments. Any quick change to the reality of the situation may not be caught in time to avoid a coming together, especially if fast changes or snap decisions are warranted since SA scans are done only every so often (in the 10's of seconds for most drivers). So here's a scenario...you're cruisin' along in your car in LA-like traffic at freeway speeds, doing the same speed as everyone else and you're aware of the cars around you, maybe checking your six through the mirror every 10 seconds or so. You don't realize it, but a R-1 is white lining on your left side and she's coming up fast...20 mph faster than the average traffic speed. You're heading home on autopilot, listening to the news, when suddenly you notice a ladder in the roadway in your lane. Your SA informs you that the lane to the left is open...there's space there between the cars. You must move now or risk hitting the ladder. Left you go and the R-1 becomes a bumper sticker because you didn't know she was there. The problem here would be that her speed differential caused the bike to appear in the local area too fast to be caught by the last scan. Your update rate was not fast enough to encompass how quickly the situation was changing.

As a rider, I get very nervous whenever my speed is significantly faster OR slower than the vehicles around me. I scan very aggressively and realize that this difference puts me at significant risk.

Cheers,

W2

 

[marcusorelius]

1/3 of them are complete boneheads for NOT getting proper training & license. So cal is also so crowded with cars and so many are idiot drivers it's almost suicidal to be ride'n those streets & freeway with em!

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

O.C. motorcycle deaths increase 44 percent

"These bikes are heavier, faster and more difficult to control than ever before."

riders are starting out on bikes that are much more powerful than in past decades

I would like to see a detailed analysis of all those statistics (age, experience, I.Q., m/c choice, etc.) -- info. compiled and interpreted (like the "Hurt Report"). The answer/solution is in there somewhere.

Since it only takes (somewhere in the neighborhood of) 20 HP to propel a m/c down the road (at legal speeds) -- and often new riders get 145 HP bikes -- that answer is probably graduated/tiered licensing?

 

[Spook]

O.C. motorcycle deaths increase 44 percent

"These bikes are heavier, faster and more difficult to control than ever before."

riders are starting out on bikes that are much more powerful than in past decades

I would like to see a detailed analysis of all those statistics (age, experience, I.Q., m/c choice, etc.) -- info. compiled and interpreted (like the "Hurt Report"). The answer/solution is in there somewhere.

Since it only takes (somewhere in the neighborhood of) 20 HP to propel a m/c down the road (at legal speeds) -- and often new riders get 145 HP bikes -- that answer is probably graduated/tiered licensing?

That would lead to much more government control. Let darwin have his say.

As far as difficult to control I have no idea where they get that idea. The frames are much better, the brakes are much better in fact everything is much better then it was 30 years ago. I can well remember the old flexi flyers where there was not near enough brakes or stiff enough frames and there were a lot of bikes with close to the same HP to weight ratio as today.

 

[Jay Jay]

It's said that speed kills. Well, that's not so true as the statement that speed differences kill, at least on the roads around here. By speed differences, I mean the delta speed between one vehicle and others around it. Here in the LA metro area, there are alot of young kids (twenty somethings and below) riding very quick sport bikes like the Ninja's & R-1's Many times I encounter them zorching between lanes and cutting traffic oblivious to the fact that they are dancing on the edge of the precipice.
So, back to speed differences...here's my theory. When we are driving, our situational awareness (SA for you pilot types) is built on our scanning to stay aware of developments. Any quick change to the reality of the situation may not be caught in time to avoid a coming together, especially if fast changes or snap decisions are warranted since SA scans are done only every so often (in the 10's of seconds for most drivers). So here's a scenario...you're cruisin' along in your car in LA-like traffic at freeway speeds, doing the same speed as everyone else and you're aware of the cars around you, maybe checking your six through the mirror every 10 seconds or so. You don't realize it, but a R-1 is white lining on your left side and she's coming up fast...20 mph faster than the average traffic speed. You're heading home on autopilot, listening to the news, when suddenly you notice a ladder in the roadway in your lane. Your SA informs you that the lane to the left is open...there's space there between the cars. You must move now or risk hitting the ladder. Left you go and the R-1 becomes a bumper sticker because you didn't know she was there. The problem here would be that her speed differential caused the bike to appear in the local area too fast to be caught by the last scan. Your update rate was not fast enough to encompass how quickly the situation was changing.

As a rider, I get very nervous whenever my speed is significantly faster OR slower than the vehicles around me. I scan very aggressively and realize that this difference puts me at significant risk.

Nice theory--thanks for heads up

Cheers,

W2

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

As far as difficult to control I have no idea where they get that idea. The frames are much better, the brakes are much better in fact everything is much better then it was 30 years ago. I can well remember the old flexi flyers where there was not near enough brakes or stiff enough frames and there were a lot of bikes with close to the same HP to weight ratio as today.

It could be that those old 'flexi flyers' let riders know where the limits were and that kind of information isn't as readily available today?

That would lead to much more government control. Let darwin have his say.

And what's wrong with government control? It's what a civilized society does to promote the well-being of its citizens.

I think the goal is to try to offset Darwin (survival of the fittest). When education fails it falls upon government to legislate.

Back to the O.P.'s article: the biggest motorcycle crash statistic is multiple vehicle crashes (m/c + other vehicle). Hardly a day goes by without a news report of someone 'losing control' of a S.U.V. and the ensuing roll-over and crash. Yet citizens keep buying and putting them on the road endangering you, me, and everyone else.

(Darwin's winning....)

 

[Scarman]

Hardly a day goes by without a news report of someone 'losing control' of a S.U.V. and the ensuing roll-over and crash. Yet citizens keep buying and putting them on the road endangering you, me, and everyone else.(Darwin's winning....)

Agreed, but it has little to do with the SUV. It has to do with the idiot behind the wheel. People are more distracted today than ever before when they're out on the road. And... they're doing it deliberately with their cell phones, iPods, GPS toys, DVD players, or just plain old not paying the required attention to the task at hand. I have see more red light / stop sign runners this year than I can ever remember. I personally have heard of more motorcyclists getting run over while stopped at a red light simply because the jackass coming up behind didn't see them. People merging and never looking first. People backing up and not once looking before they do so. Not to sound sexist but when I stop at a red light and look around, I typically see 3 times as many women on their cell phones as men and many of those women are in SUVs. When I'm out and about, usually the idiot who scares me the most due to their inattentive driving is driving a SUV and it's almost always a woman.

While I do agree with most of that article, I think it's only 1/2 (perhaps 1/3) of the problem. It's not as simple as motorcyclists riding more than they can handle due to lack of riding experience. It's every bit as much as the cagers lack of understanding of how to drive a larger vehicle safely and the lack of consequences when they choose to do so and kill one of us.

 

[Spook]

It's said that speed kills. Well, that's not so true as the statement that speed differences kill, at least on the roads around here. By speed differences, I mean the delta speed between one vehicle and others around it. Here in the LA metro area, there are alot of young kids (twenty somethings and below) riding very quick sport bikes like the Ninja's & R-1's Many times I encounter them zorching between lanes and cutting traffic oblivious to the fact that they are dancing on the edge of the precipice.
So, back to speed differences...here's my theory. When we are driving, our situational awareness (SA for you pilot types) is built on our scanning to stay aware of developments. Any quick change to the reality of the situation may not be caught in time to avoid a coming together, especially if fast changes or snap decisions are warranted since SA scans are done only every so often (in the 10's of seconds for most drivers). So here's a scenario...you're cruisin' along in your car in LA-like traffic at freeway speeds, doing the same speed as everyone else and you're aware of the cars around you, maybe checking your six through the mirror every 10 seconds or so. You don't realize it, but a R-1 is white lining on your left side and she's coming up fast...20 mph faster than the average traffic speed. You're heading home on autopilot, listening to the news, when suddenly you notice a ladder in the roadway in your lane. Your SA informs you that the lane to the left is open...there's space there between the cars. You must move now or risk hitting the ladder. Left you go and the R-1 becomes a bumper sticker because you didn't know she was there. The problem here would be that her speed differential caused the bike to appear in the local area too fast to be caught by the last scan. Your update rate was not fast enough to encompass how quickly the situation was changing.

As a rider, I get very nervous whenever my speed is significantly faster OR slower than the vehicles around me. I scan very aggressively and realize that this difference puts me at significant risk.

Nice theory--thanks for heads up

Cheers,

W2

attached to wrong post

 

[Spook]

As far as difficult to control I have no idea where they get that idea. The frames are much better, the brakes are much better in fact everything is much better then it was 30 years ago. I can well remember the old flexi flyers where there was not near enough brakes or stiff enough frames and there were a lot of bikes with close to the same HP to weight ratio as today.

It could be that those old 'flexi flyers' let riders know where the limits were and that kind of information isn't as readily available today?

That would lead to much more government control. Let darwin have his say.

And what's wrong with government control? It's what a civilized society does to promote the well-being of its citizens.

I think the goal is to try to offset Darwin (survival of the fittest). When education fails it falls upon government to legislate.

Back to the O.P.'s article: the biggest motorcycle crash statistic is multiple vehicle crashes (m/c + other vehicle). Hardly a day goes by without a news report of someone 'losing control' of a S.U.V. and the ensuing roll-over and crash. Yet citizens keep buying and putting them on the road endangering you, me, and everyone else.

(Darwin's winning....)

As to the first you must be nuts, when things went wrong they just went very wrong as in induce wobble.

As to the second the less government control the better. The only thing I know they do right is the military and that is a cluster.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

As to the first you must be nuts,

You really like name-calling -- don't you...?

....when things went wrong they just went very wrong as in induce wobble.

I may not be the sane-est guy? -- but, I've ridden alot of old bikes (most to their top speed) and very few wobble; many exhibit weave; and most older vintage bikes fail to ecourage cornering prowess and security.

As to the second the less government control the better. The only thing I know they do right is the military and that is a cluster.

Every man for himself, heh? Survival of the fittest -- might makes right -- is that the way you'd like it...?

 

[Spook]

As to the first you must be nuts,

You really like name-calling -- don't you...?

....when things went wrong they just went very wrong as in induce wobble.

I may not be the sane-est guy? -- but, I've ridden alot of old bikes (most to their top speed) and very few wobble; many exhibit weave; and most older vintage bikes fail to ecourage cornering prowess and security.

As to the second the less government control the better. The only thing I know they do right is the military and that is a cluster.

Every man for himself, heh? Survival of the fittest -- might makes right -- is that the way you'd like it...?

So nanny state Momma government controls your life that the way you want it??????? see two can play that game.

I am unsure as to how long or what you have been riding but I have been riding since 1966 and you are talking crap if you have been on these old bikes at full speed and never ran into any kind of problems and I do not think you have a clue as to what an induced wobble is.

 

[v65]

Let darwin have his say.

Drivers tests are not much of an indication of ones ability to drive. I would like to see some mandatory class time for all drivers, and more so for motorcycles.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Agreed, but it has little to do with the SUV. It has to do with the idiot behind the wheel. People are more distracted today than ever before when they're out on the road.

Major pet peeve here - the news reports about the vehicle that 'went out of control'. Does that imply that the vehicle was responsible for its own control? Did the driver play any part in the incident at all?

It seems to me that the nut holding the wheel is being held less accountable for transgressions that just didn't happen a generation ago. Before we time-crunched our lives, people had time (and no alternative) to actually pay attention to, and care about their driving. It seems that driving is just a nuisance these days, something that happens passively while the 'passenger' behind the wheel is multi-tasking. We've made cars so easy and convenient to drive that the attention wanders to other, more 'important' uses of the travel time, such as eating lunch, talking on the phone, shaving, applying make-up etc etc. Is there any wonder that drivers' reaction times to a change in circumstances are poor to non-existent? The only consequence to the driver of an urban-assault-vehicle seems to be some minor inconvenience, perhaps slopping the coffee, and maybe a legal slap on the wrist.

I read the OCR article and came away with the impression that motorcyclists are bad, careless dangerous people. Was there a comparison between how many car drivers are unlicensed? Did the fatality statistic explain how many of those deaths were attributable the rider versus another party?

Will we ever see a newspaper article about the lack of respect for motorcyclists as a whole? I'm sure this forum represents some pretty decent, professional people who (when not raping and pillaging) are valued, contributing members of society. When will the publishers talk about the way in which decent, licensed, sober, ATGATT riders are being taken out by soccer-moms and the like? Aint gonna happen in this lifetime.

Since there is little we can do to change the politickery (and will not discuss such things on this forum), I believe that the best we can do is to elevate our riding skills and avoidance tactics to the very highest level. Be ambassadors for our hobby rather than contributing to the negative sterotype of a motorcyclist.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

<snip>.... you are talking crap

.... I do not think you have a clue

There you go again....

 

[Spook]

<snip>.... you are talking crap

.... I do not think you have a clue

There you go again....

typical out of context.