Motorcycle deaths down 10% in '09

I just saw on the paper and wanted share.

Motorcycle deaths down 10% in '09
Posted 9h 42m ago | Comments 24 | Recommend 4 E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions |


Enlarge By Michael Hamtil, AP

Dallas Police Senior Corporal David Frykholm inspects the helmet of an officer who died in a motorcycle crash while escorting U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's motorcade in Dallas in 2008.

By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
Motorcycle fatalities declined last year for the first time in 11 years, a safety group reports today. Such deaths had been rising while nearly every other category of traffic death went down.
Based on preliminary data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is projecting that motorcycle deaths fell at least 10% to 4,762 last year.

"This is fantastic news, but we don't want to get too excited, because one year doesn't establish a trend," says Vernon Betkey, chairman of the GHSA, which represents state highway safety offices. "The real challenge is sustaining the momentum, making it several years in a row."


Full story here.
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-04-21-...e-crash-deaths_N.htm

Mentioned in the article is the probable causitive factor...a drop in motorcycle sales because of the economy.

Good article. Main points to take away:

-Wear a helmet
-Don't drive drunk
-Educate everyone, not just the motorcyclists

Mcdroid wrote:

Mentioned in the article is the probable causitive factor...a drop in motorcycle sales because of the economy.

Not to mention the "crazy high" gas prices of 07/08 - along with the still decent economy - had a lot of first time buyers/riders out there.

Ride Safe

Always wear a properly fitting helmet & installed correctly.

...
.

you could also add, that some people just stop riding because cagers are not paying attention to what there doing behing the wheel. I did, but came back cause I just got to ride, God help me.

I strongly agree with helmet. I've been wearing it all the time, not mentioning it had saved my life before. When I go to the state where is no helmet law, I always get scarely feeling by just looking at riders without helmet on the road thinking what if,,,,,,

less weekend warriors buying too much cycle ...ealry in this downward economic trend ...figures like "selling 1 bike for every 3 before the collapse" were getting swatted around.......not so easy to die ona bike when your homes getting sold ,and jobs gone imo....

i heard it too.....i always wonder who puts this important shit on the newsguys tounges.....

i watched a world news hour on a public station the other day for the first time on accident......

they had segments on equal pay for the women in finland.....healthcare studies in france....vacation time upgrades in the E.U.....i was like?????? where are the rapes and shootings and folks eating each other...this sucks...U.S.A!!!!U.S.A!!!!!....said with tounge in cheek

Sales are down whole a lot more than "deaths down 10%".
www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-news/sta...sales-statistics.htm

I heard it on the radio this morning. What would be interesting is to know whether motorcycle registrations were also down by 10%.