More motorcycles, rider deaths in Montana

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More motorcycles, rider deaths in Montana
By LANCE BENZEL
Of The Gazette Staff

Motorcycle deaths are approaching a 20-year high in Montana this year, reflecting a nationwide surge in deadly bike wrecks.

Through the second week of September, 26 riders had died in motorcycle wrecks in the state. That marks a 37 percent increase over the 18 deaths during the same period last year and the highest number of deaths since 34 motorcyclists were killed in 1985, according to the Montana Department of Transportation's Highway Traffic Safety Office.

In Montana, the rise follows an upswing in the number of motorcycles registered in the state, suggesting the rising death toll is the product of having more riders on the road, said Jack Williams, an operations research analyst for the safety office.

 
"It's not like motorcycles are suddenly unsafe," Williams said. "It's a function of the number of motorcycles more than anything else."

Between 1997 and 2004, motorcycle registrations in Montana nearly doubled, increasing from 17,978 to 34,433. The total number of wrecks rose from 307 in 1997 to 400 in 2004.

Williams said registrations are expected to top 40,000 by the end of 2005, likely boosted by high gas prices and retirees returning to an old hobby.

Nationwide, motorcycle rider deaths increased for the seventh year in a row, even as deaths in other motor vehicles dropped for the second straight year, according to an annual study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

The 4,008 motorcyclist deaths in 2004 marked an 89 percent increase over the 2,116 rider deaths reported in 1997, the study said.

But while registrations have also been rising nationwide, the study found the number of fatalities outpaced the growth in registrations, rising from 55.3 fatalities per 100,000 registered bikes in 1997 to 69.16 in 2004.

If the national trend held true in Montana, there would be more than double the number of fatalities in 2004 compared with 1997. Instead, there were 20 deaths each year, with the year-to-date death toll of 26 marking the first big rise since registrations shot up.

According to Williams, though, Montana could see more fatalities as the number of motorcycle riders continues to surge.

"Statistically, fatalities bounce around humongously from year to year," Williams said. "You really have to look at long-term trends. I keep thinking the number is going to take off and we're going to have 40 fatalities one of these years, but it hasn't happened."

In Wyoming, 2005 figures for fatal motorcycle wrecks are not yet available. But earlier data shows a similar situation - a rise in registrations beginning in the late 1990s, with an accompanying rise in fatal motorcycle wrecks.

According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Services, there were 13,599 registrations in 1997. By 2004, the number nearly doubled to 25,765. Meanwhile, motorcycle deaths rose from five in 1997 to 14 in 2004, said Sgt. Stephen Townsend of the Wyoming State Highway Patrol.

A mandatory helmet law could help reduce fatalities, authorities said. Montana and Wyoming do not require motorcyclists over the age of 18 to wear helmets.

"(Helmets are) not perfect, but they work," said Col. Paul K. Grimstad, director of Montana Highway Patrol. "You get pitched out onto the pavement and your head is going to bounce. That usually does it."

Grimstad said investigators blame many fatal motorcycle wrecks on lack of experience among first-time and returning riders.

He said young riders take to high-performance sport bikes with little previous exposure to riding, while "50-something riders" purchase Harley-Davidsons then find themselves ill-equipped to handle their power.

"That seems to be the consensus about a lot of these (deaths)," he said.

In Wyoming in 2003, nearly 29 percent of the riders involved in fatal wrecks did not have the proper class of license allowing them to operate the bikes, Townsend said. The licenses - called motorcycle endorsements - require written and driving tests for motorcycle competency.

Although the rising fatality levels are a concern, Montana State Highway Patrol officers continue to rely on traditional means to try to curb rider deaths, focusing on keeping troopers visible to help reduce speed and recklessness among riders, Grimstad said.

Montana also helps support a motorcycle safety program to combat inexperience.

The Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety program, based at Montana State University-Northern in Havre, receives a portion of motorcycle registration fees.

The program offers courses for basic and experienced riders at several locations throughout the state, program director Michele Calvert said.

For $135, the beginning rider is supplied with a motorcycle and helmet for a two-day course. The course focuses on cornering, swerving, shifting, braking and other basic motorcycle skills.

The Experienced Rider course costs $65 and requires participants to bring their own motorcycle and gear. For one day, they will review advanced motorcycle techniques.

Calvert estimates 1,600 people will have completed the course by the end of the year, but she would like to see that number grow.

She especially encourages returning riders to give the program a try.

"I would say get some training. Take a Basic Rider Course," Calvert said. "Even though you think you're not going to learn anything in it, there's always something new to learn."