Notable News from Other Sources
News of Interest to Motorcyclists
Motorcycling in a Safe System: How do we get there?
This is a PDF of the PowerPoint by Eric Teoh, Director of Statistical Services with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in his presentation to the Michigan Motorcycle Safety Action Team October, 2024. The presentation reviews the four simple steps that would reduce motorcyclist deaths if we would only take them, as outlined in Teoh’s August 2023 article – speed, all-rider helmet requirements, motorcycle ABS and ADAS must detect motorcycles. Also, included in the presentation is Teoh’s recently released study indicating more than 22,000 motorcyclist fatalities between 1976 and 2022 are due to allowing unhelmeted motorcyclist.
2024 – The Human Cost of Unhelmeted Motorcyclists – IIHS News Release
2024 IIHS News Release - The Human Cost of Unhelmeted Motorcyclists More than 20,000 motorcyclists who died in crashes in the U.S. since the mid-1970s would have survived if stronger helmet laws had been in place, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. If every state had required all riders to wear helmets from 1976 to 2022, a total of 22,058 motorcyclists’ lives could have been saved. The number represents 11% of all rider fatalities over those years. “Requiring all riders to wear helmets is a commonsense rule not that different from requiring people in cars to buckle up,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “We have an obligation to protect everyone on our roadways through smart policy.” The study is here: https://smarter-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-IIHS-The-Human-Cost-of-Unhelmeted-Motorcyclists.pdf
August 1, 2024 MSF eNews: Christy LaCurelle Selected as President and Chief Executive Officer of MIC, MSF, SVIA, and ROHVA.
The independent boards of the Motorcycle Industry Council, Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association voted to select Christy LaCurelle as President and Chief Executive Officer of all four powersports associations, representing stakeholders across the industry.
Few Small SUV’s Excel in New IIHS Front Crash Prevention Test
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is updating its vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test to address crashes that occur at higher speeds and those in which the struck vehicle is a motorcycle or large truck. Only one of the first 10 small SUVs evaluated earns a good rating.
Illinois in the Middle of the Road Nationally on Traffic Safety This is a December 5, 2023 article in the Chicago Sun Times in response to the “middle of the road” rating the state received by Advocated for Highway and Auto Safety 2024 Roadmap to Safety. Illinois lacks an all-rider motorcycle helmet requirement. The reporter quotes SMARTER representative regarding helmet and helmet requirement effectiveness.
It’s Past Time to Require ABS on All Motorcycles
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) have filed a second petition with federal regulators for a mandate for antilock braking systems (ABS) on all new motorcycles. The evidence in support of ABS has become even stronger since the first IIHS-HLDI petition. In the most recent IIHS study of motorcycle ABS - much broader than an initial 2013 analysis - IIHS Director of Statistical Services Eric Teoh found that the fatal crash rates for bikes with optional ABS are 22 percent lower than identical models without the technology.
Banned! Texas Lane Splitting Is Now Officially Illegal.
Article by Justin Hughes published online in Adventure Rider. Formerly a gray area, HB 4122 explicitly prohibits it.
Simple steps could reduce motorcyclist deaths – if only we’d take them.
Article by Eric Teoh, Director of Statistical Services, IIHS. August 24, 2023
Motorcyclists are hospitalized or dying on a daily basis: What is Michigan doing wrong?
A news report from the Holland (Michigan) Sentinel. SMARTER CEO Dan Petterson quoted and SMARTER developed crash and fatality data and charts used as a resource.
Reminders from the Michigan State Police to Help Prevent Motorcycle Deaths
A report on Northern Michigan TV 9 & 10 where SMARTER was cited as the source for the data.
Collision Between Pickup Truck with Trailer and Group of Motorcycles, Randolph, New Hampshire, June 21, 2019.
This is a synopsis from the NTSB’s report and does not include the Board’s rationale for the conclusions, probable cause, and safety recommendations. The final report and pertinent safety recommendation letters will be distributed to recommendation recipients as soon as possible.
Online Cornering Course Gets Boost in Motorcycling World
News release from Cornering Confidence announcing collaboration with BMW MOA.
NTSB Issues 2019-2020 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements
The National Transportation Safety Board announced its 2019 – 2020 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, during an event held at the National Press Club, Monday. First issued in 1990, the NTSB Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements serves as the agency’s primary advocacy tool to help save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce property damage resulting from transportation accidents.
Arizona Motorcyclists Must Wear a Helmet or Pay Fee Not to
HB 2246, or the working title “motorcycle riders; helmets; fees” bill, proposes all motorcyclists and passengers operating an “all-terrain vehicle or motor driven cycle” must wear a helmet at all times while operating the vehicle. However, those who do not wish to wear a helmet can be exempt from the proposed requirement if they pay a fee when registering their motorcycle, according to verbiage in HB 2246. https://www.abc15.com/news/operation-safe-roads/new-bill-may-require-motorcyclists-to-wear-helmets-or-pay-fee-not-to
NTSB Motorcycle Safety Report
October 2, 2018. The National Transportation Safety Board on October 2, 2018, released a Safety Study, Select Risk Factors Associated with Causes of Motorcycle Crashes. The report analyzed select risk factors associated with the causes of motorcycle crashes and evaluated strategies for crash prevention. The NTSB makes recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Motorcycle Industry Council, the American Motorcyclist Association, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
2018 – Lives and Costs Saved by Motorcycle Helmets in 2016
This is a Traffic Safety Facts Research Note released in May 2018 based on crash data from 2016. In 2016 the use of motorcycle helmets saved an estimated 1,859 lives – if all riders had worn helmets and additional 802 lives could have been saved. Nearly $3.4 billion in economic costs and $21 billion in comprehensive costs were saved by the use of helmets but an additional $1.5 billion in economic costs and $9.2 billion in comprehensive costs could have been saved if all riders had worn helmets.
Motorcycle Helmet Use in 2017 – Overall Results
This is a Traffic Safety Facts Research Note released in April 2018 that shows that the use of DOT compliant motorcycle helmets was not statistically different in 2017 from 2016 and remains at about 65%. Helmet use in states requiring all riders to wear helmets has increased to 87%.
Motorcyclist Traffic Fatalities by State: 2017 Preliminary Data
A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association. The report projects that 4,990 people were killed on motorcycles in 2017. This number, based on preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), represents a projected 5.6% decrease from 2016 – a difference of 296 lives. In spite of this reduction, motorcyclists remain significantly over-represented as a proportion of all traffic deaths, with motorcyclist fatalities occurring 28 times more often than passenger vehicle occupant fatalities per mile traveled. This is a stark reminder that much work remains to establish a lasting downward trend.
New Data Finds Motorcyclist Fatalities Down 5.6% in 2017
A May 2, 2018 news release from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) announcing the 2017 Preliminary Data Report. While fatalities are down, motorcyclists remain over-represented in traffic deaths.
Why drivers may fail to see motorcycles in plain sight
January 5, 2018 - Link to an article in ScienceDaily describing a research report which examines how the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, or a person's failure to notice an unexpected object located in plain sight, might explain the prevalence of looked-but-failed-to-see (LBFTS) crashes, the most common type of collision involving motorcycles.
Helmet use associated with reduced risk of cervical spine injury during motorcycle crashes
March 6, 2018 – Link to an article describing research from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison which found that, during an accident, helmet use lowers the likelihood of cervical spine injury (CSI), particularly fractures of the cervical vertebrae.
What is the Motorcycle Advisory Council and how will it affect us?
December 20, 2017 – Link to a RevZilla Common Thread article by Mark Gardiner. An excellent review of the first meeting of the Motorcycle Advisory Council and general motorcyclist safety issues.
No easy ride: Motorcycle industry is in deep trouble and needs help fast, panel agrees
December 14, 2017 - Link to a Los Angeles Times article. A group of two dozen concerned motorcycle veterans has published a comprehensive research document that addresses the question, “Can this industry be saved?”
Give a Shift – Roundtable Discussion.
December 5, 2017 - This is the full report of the Give a Shift (GAS) discussion, an anonymous & public discourse on the future of motorcycling (see the December 14, 2017 LA Times news article.
Pro-helmet activists are notching wins against motorcyclists shouting ‘freedom’.
Link to an article in STAT, a national publication focused on finding and telling compelling stories about health, medicine, and scientific discovery. For two decades, the riders — and their rallying cry of freedom — have often had the upper hand in these battles. Now, though, the public health advocates are gaining traction as more and more evidence emerges that mandating helmet use saves lives.
Does the Senate really need a Motorcycle Caucus?
Link to an editorial by The Des Moines Register. A caucus is simply a group of senators or representatives who meet occasionally, usually to pursue common legislative objectives. Some are ideologically focused and tend to be partisan, but others are based on topics of personal interest to members. The Senate caucuses are more informal than those in the House, which receive funding and official recognition from the chamber. Even so, it’s fair to ask whether the U.S. Senate really needs a Motorcycle Caucus to address what Ernst describes as the issues of “safety, infrastructure and energy efficiency.”
Senators Announce Formation of Motorcycle Caucus.
Link to a news release announcement from U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) regarding he formation of the first-ever Motorcycle Caucus in the United States Senate.
Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations.
The finding and rationale statement of an independent, nonfederal, unpaid panel of public health and prevention experts appointed by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention whose evidence-based finding is that “universal helmet laws increase helmet use; decrease motorcycle-related fatal and non-fatal injuries; and are substantially more effective than no law or than partial motorcycle helmet laws….”