Posted on 07/15/2007 7:30:18 AM PDT by BraveMan
It's been a year since Jeffrey and Christine Konrath of Slinger died in a motorcycle crash in Dodge County.
Except for the fact that they weren't drinking, the Konraths could be the face of motorcycle fatalities today: older riders - he was 45, she was 48 - on a larger bike, killed on a rural road. And neither was wearing a helmet.
It's that last point that most frustrates Christine's daughter Angeline Schreiber. She has little tolerance these days for motorcyclists who forgo protective gear.
"I would never tell people not to ride bikes," said Schreiber, who is raising her 12-year-old half sister since her mother and stepfather were killed.
"I would just like people to think about safety precautions before they do it."
Jeffrey and Christine Konrath were among 93 motorcyclists who died on Wisconsin roads in 2006, up 79% from a decade ago. Over that same time, motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled nationwide.
Much of that can be attributed to the rising number of bikes on the road. In fact, in Wisconsin, the death rate dropped in 2005 to the lowest level since 1996, when factoring in the number of motorcycles registered, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The death rate nationally rose 30% during that period.
Riders and safety officials say they are troubled by the rising death toll and some of the trends they see reflected in the numbers.
"What stands out to me is the significant increase in those killed that are 45 and older," said Dennis Hughes, who as chief of safety programs for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is implementing new programs to target those riders.
Last year in Wisconsin, 43% of motorcyclists killed were 45 and older, up from around 10% in 1995 and under 2% in '91, according to the state.
"It's that baby boomer generation coming on board," said Hughes.
"Many of them had experience riding bikes. But they're going back to a bike that's a lot different from what they learned on. They're bigger, they're heavier and the maneuvering is a lot different."
Hughes' observations are reflected in the national data as well. Riders 40 and older made up nearly half of the fatalities in 2005, the latest year for which those numbers are available, according to NHTSA, up from 24% in 1995.
Among the other trends in Wisconsin and the nation:
• A growing number of fatalities involve larger bikes with more powerful engines (1,001 to 1,500 cubic centimeters).
• Alcohol consumption and failure to wear a helmet continue to be factors. In Wisconsin last year, 75% of those killed weren't wearing helmets and 47% had been drinking. Nationally in 2005, the latest year available, 35% had been drinking and 43% were not wearing a helmet.
• Of those killed, older riders were more likely than their younger counterparts to have been intoxicated and less likely - at least to age 60 - to wear a helmet. Younger riders were more apt to be speeding.
Brookfield motorcyclists Catherine and Peter Dhein, both in their 50s, aim to defy the statistics. He's taken the Harley Rider's Edge training course, and they always wear helmets, said Catherine, as they readied their Ultra Classic for an overnight trek from Milwaukee's House of Harley to western Wisconsin on Friday.
"We don't drink when we're riding, and we don't drive at night," she said.
Aside from the trends and the growing number of bikes on the road, it's difficult to explain the rising death toll. However, that could change in the coming years.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Irvine, Calif., said this month that it would commit $2.8 million to match federal funds set aside to conduct the first comprehensive study of motorcycle crash causes since the 1970s.
The findings could have long-term implications for riders, manufacturers and policy-makers.
"When that's done, we'll understand why this is happening and what we can do to reduce these numbers, said NHTSA spokesman Ray Tyson.
"We know, for example, that increased helmet use helps, that impaired riding is a factor," he said. "But we don't know what else, for example, things we could be doing to make motorcycles safer."
Wisconsin, in the meantime, has been expanding its rider education programs, adding classes to accommodate the growing demand and targeting some to older or returning riders.
In addition to the standard safety program available through technical schools around the state, the DOT offers a refresher course for returning riders and a new Seasoned Rider program that addresses the effects of aging - for example, declining vision and reaction time. And it is launching a pilot program in the Fox Valley that pairs new or returning riders with experienced mentors.
The state is looking to expand a program tested by a motorcycle coalition in Jefferson, Dane and Waukesha counties that lets riders lock up their bikes in secure storage crates at local bars if they are intoxicated, and federal officials are interested in rolling that out nationally.
In every program, regardless of the age or expertise of the rider, safety instructors stress two recurring themes: the importance of riding sober and proper equipment, most importantly a helmet, said Ron Thompson, who manages the motorcycle safety programs for the state.
"We tell people, if you don't wear it for yourselves, wear it for your family and friends - so you can ride again," Thompson said.
Please ping the Hooligans . . .
It’s probably like pilots. There are old bikers, and there are bold bikers, but there are no old, bold bikers.
Actually, I don't ride and do think that it should be up to the rider.
Tragic... but that’s the risk you take when you don’t wear a helmet.
What this article doesn’t tell us is how many bikers were killed by careless cagers.
In all reality, it might not be the biker’s fault but that of the car drives.
Yeah, I know, it doesn’t matter who is at fault, the biker is still dead, but articles like this tend to blame the victim.
Some of the Vietnam Vets I have corresponded with have died in accidents on motorcycles. Seems many people in their early 60’s still riding. I would also say that automobile drivers are more aggressive today toward motorcyclists.
LOL...I'm bigger and heavier and maneuver differently from when I first learned!
I'd rather have my 800lbs and 1700 cc than my old light 650cc!
Seat belt laws need to go as well.
Riding days are way over but everyone will kiss the pavement at least once.........eventually.
Brain Bucket Bump
2X2 Bump (2 Wheels 2 drinks)
T-Bone Death Bump
Thank You!
Perhaps people would be better served if Angeline Schreiber directed her frustration towards the type of drivers who violated her parents’ right of way, causing the fatal accident in the first place. If we are to really change these gruesome statistics, we need to stop focusing on motorcycle accident survival and start focusing on motorcycle accident prevention.
Thank You!
Perhaps people would be better served if Angeline Schreiber directed her frustration towards the type of drivers who violated her parents’ right of way, causing the fatal accident in the first place. If we are to really change these gruesome statistics, we need to stop focusing on motorcycle accident survival and start focusing on motorcycle accident prevention.
Why is it that if somebody gets thrown from a horse or smeared on a bicycle everybody feels sorry for them but if you get murdered on your motorcycle people think you had it coming?
It also fails to consider that endlessly rising fuel costs are making the motorcycle a more attractive alternative every day. Not everybody can afford a$40,000 hybrid.
I’m not sure if this is a nation wide trend but where I live there are a large number of people 40 or older that are new bike riders. They can finally afford the bike they want and think they can just hop on and ride like a car. I’ve seen guys flop over at stop lights because they forget to put their feet down. Others lock up the front breaks first in an emergency stop.
You can usually spot a new rider because all their clothes are directly from the Harley catalog and are still shiny. I’ve even seen Honda riders dressed in Harley clothes. I guess it raises their testosterone levels.....
Perhaps I'm in the minority but I'm a firm believer that if you didn't grow up on motorcycles you have no business riding them as an adult.
You’re right, the stats are only abour helmet use or alcohol and don’t address collision fatalities.
Which is why I’ll keep my nice Chrysler minivan “cage.”
Riding motorcycles are just inherently dangerous. You have no cage around you, no restraints or airbags(yet), most have acceleration rates unfamiliar to most car drivers, limited braking ability, and require far more input into maneuvering than cars. All you can really do, is increase your odds. Like, wear a helmet, ride as if every vehicle on the road is out to get you, don’t ride a bike with performance beyond your experience, and don’t ride like a moron, who thinks the road is a race track. That is, if you are interested in increasing your odds.
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