just picked'er up

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nakedwaterskier
Posts: 650
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:32 am

why we die!

Post by nakedwaterskier » Sun Aug 22, 2004 10:42 am

FATALITY FACTS: MOTORCYCLES 2002 Other Institute documents on motorcycles Motorcycles are less stable and less visible than cars, and they have high performance capabilities. For these and other reasons, motorcycles are more likely than cars to be in crashes. And when motorcycles crash, their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, so they're more likely to be injured or killed. Per mile traveled, the number of deaths on motorcycles is about 26 times the number in cars.1 Research published in 1995 shows that five crash types account for 86 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes: motorcycle runs off road (41 percent), motorcycle or other vehicle runs traffic control (18 percent), head on (11 percent), car turns in front of cycle (8 percent), and motorcycle goes down in roadway (7 percent).2 Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. In states that require all riders to wear helmets, use approaches 100 percent compared with about 50 percent in other states.3 Yet only 19 states and the District of Columbia mandate helmet use by all riders. Death rates from head injuries have been shown to be twice as high among motorcyclists in states with no helmet laws or laws that apply only to young riders, compared with states where laws apply to all riders.4 In the last few years several states have repealed or weakened their helmet laws. In 1997, helmet laws in Texas and Arkansas were weakened to apply only to younger riders. Kentucky weakened its law in 1998, Louisiana weakened its law in 1999, Florida weakened its law in 2000, and Pennsylvania weakened its law in 2003. Repealing or weakening helmet laws so they don't apply to all riders has been followed by increases in deaths.5,6,7,8 In contrast, benefits return when helmet laws applying to all riders are reinstated.9,10 Helmets are about 29 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.1 An unhelmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury, compared with a helmeted rider.11 The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System: 3,162 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2002. Motorcycle deaths had been declining since the 1980s but began to increase in 1998 and have increased further since then. Since 1997, motorcycle deaths are up 54 percent. Motorcycle deaths as a percentage of all motor vehicle deaths Year Total motorcyclist deaths Percent 1975 3,106 7 1976 3,232 7 1977 4,004 8 1978 4,448 9 1979 4,712 9 1980 4,955 10 1981 4,737 10 1982 4,267 10 1983 4,099 10 1984 4,425 10 1985 4,415 10 1986 4,309 9 1987 3,832 8 1988 3,491 7 1989 3,030 7 1990 3,128 7 1991 2,702 7 1992 2,291 6 1993 2,346 6 1994 2,215 5 1995 2,138 5 1996 2,077 5 1997 2,056 5 1998 2,227 5 1999 2,419 6 2000 2,829 7 2001 3,123 7 2002 3,162 7 There were 59 deaths per 100,000 registered motorcycles in 2002 compared with 16 deaths per 100,000 in cars. Twenty-four percent of all fatally injured motorcycle drivers in 2002 didn't have valid licenses to operate their motorcycles. AGE AND GENDER Ninety percent of motorcyclists killed in 2002 were males. Motorcycle deaths by age, 2002 Age Male Female Total >=65 73 6 79
Total 2,860 302 3,162 Sixty-six percent of the females who died in a motorcycle crash in 2002 were passengers. Ninety-nine percent of males who died were drivers. Forty-four percent of motorcyclists killed in 2002 were 40 years old or older compared with fourteen percent in 1990. Deaths of 16-29 year old motorcyclists declined from 60 percent in 1990 to 31 percent in 2002. Deaths among motorcyclists ages 40 and older started to rise in 1993 and in 2002 were about 3 times as high. Motorcycle deaths among 16- 29 and 30-39 year olds began climbing in 1998, though they have dropped slightly since 2001. CRASH TYPES Forty-six percent of motorcycle deaths in 2002 occurred in single- vehicle crashes, and 54 percent occurred in multiple-vehicle crashes. Forty-four percent of deaths in single-vehicle motorcycle crashes in 2002 involved drivers with blood alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 percent. WHEN THEY DIED Distribution of motorcycle deaths by month, 2002 Percent January 3 February 4 March 5 April 8 May 11 June 14 July 12 August 14 September 13 October 7 November 5 December 3 Distribution of motorcycle deaths by day of week, 2002 Percent Sunday 22 Monday 9 Tuesday 10 Wednesday 11 Thursday 11 Friday 15 Saturday 23 Distribution of motorcycle deaths by time of day, 2002 Percent Midnight 3 am 11 3 am 6 am 3 6 am 9 am 4 9 am Noon 7 Noon 3 pm 16 3 pm 6 pm 20 6 pm 9 pm 21 9 pm Midnight 16 Sixty-four percent of 2002 motorcycle deaths occurred during May- September. They peaked in June and August and were lowest in January and December. Fifty-nine percent of 2002 motorcycle deaths occurred on weekends (Friday-Sunday). Motorcycle deaths are most likely to occur between 3 pm and 9 pm. Forty-one percent of deaths occured during this period. Another 30 percent occurred at night (9 pm 6 am). Among cyclists killed at night 57 percent had BACs 0.08 percent or higher. Percent distribution of motorcycle deaths by location of crash, 2002 Urban Rural Freeways 9 2 Other major roads 22 32 Minor roads 17 16 Over half of motorcycle deaths occur on major roads other than freeways
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