Motorcyclist fatalities drop in U.S.

From the American Motorcyclist Association

PICKERINGTON, OH -- In what can only be considered good news for motorcyclists, federal officials in the United States have reported that motorcycling deaths on the nation's roads dropped by 16 percent in 2009 compared to the previous year, according to the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).

"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."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on Sept. 9 that motorcycling fatalities in 2009 decreased for the first time in more than a decade -- dropping to 4,462 in 2009 from 5,312 in 2008.

Federal officials said traffic deaths involving all vehicles nationwide fell 9.7 percent in 2009 -- from 37,423 in 2008 to 33,808. The figure is the lowest since 1950. Traffic safety officials said that the decrease may be due to increased seat belt use, tougher enforcement of drunk driving laws and improved vehicle safety features.

According to NHTSA figures, motorcycling fatalities have decreased in the past -- from 1980 to 1997 -- but then fatalities increased steadily for 11 years. 2,294 motorcyclists were killed in 1998, and the number of fatalities rose each subsequent year, reaching 5,312 in 2008.

Moreland cautioned that there will be speculation about why motorcycling fatalities are down so significantly in 2009, and noted that there aren't any solid answers.

"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 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is overseeing the just-begun, four-year, $3 million OSU study, which is the first major research on the subject in 30 years.