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Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured
Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and
is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call
us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at <
KILLERS AMONG US-- New motorcycle registrations have continuously
increased since
1990, which means more riders on the road, but at the same time motorcycle
crashes are down. This good news is compounded by a 47% drop in injury
involvement from 1990 through 1998 when it began to rise, though even in 2001
the rate was still 30% lower than in 1990. However, now for the bad news;
motorcycle fatalities are way up, and have doubled in the past five
years to now
equal the 1990 fatality rate.
The reason for this dramatic increase goes far beyond the simple formula: more
motorcycles = more fatalities. In a recent Special Report written
by Wendy Moon
for Motorcycle Consumer News, the author looks deep into the numbers and
explains that this epidemic is more than just a function of the numbers. In
1990 there was 1 fatality in 37 crashes, but now it's 1 fatality in
22 crashes –
a rise in crash-to-fatality rate of 40.5%.
While safetycrats insist that this is a result of more states easing helmet
requirements, NHTSA's "Recent Trends in Motorcycle Fatalities" states that
helmet use in all motorcycle fatalities has increased from 43% to 53% from
1998-2001, even though more states did not require adult helmet usage.
Speed and engine size are also not to blame for the increased motorcyclist
fatality rate. Speed-related motorcycle fatalities have dropped from 41% in
1998 to 38% in 2002, and states with higher posted limits have the lowest
percentage of motorcycle fatalities.
Booze-blaming also doesn't hold water, because alcohol-involved
rider fatalities
have fallen from 40% in 1990 to 28% in 1999.
All in all, considering the decline in crashes despite the increase
in ridership
demonstrates that today's motorcyclists are more educated, better trained and
safer than ever before!
So, what's the answer? What has changed since 1990 to account for such a
dramatic increase in motorcyclist fatalities?
According to MCN, the one thing that explains why more die while less are
injured is the radical change in the traffic mix. Specifically,
since 1990, the
light truck vehicle (LTV) market, which includes Sport Utility
Vehicles (SUVs),
has increased 200 times and now represents approximately 50% of new passenger
vehicle sales!
In 2002, car vs. motorcycle accidents claimed the lives of 662 motorcyclists,
but that same year LTV vs. motorcycle accidents killed 645 bikers.
Now, to put
this in perspective, passenger cars outnumber SUVs by a margin of 3-1!
Therefore, LTVs are enormously over-represented in fatal motorcycle accidents.
These LTV-related accidents are referred to as "mismatch crashes" and explains
why more of those collisions are fatal. This mismatch has been well
documented
in terms of the danger to passenger car occupants involved in collisions with
LTVs, as size, bumper height, frontal geometry, frame stiffness and mass
contribute to a lethal combination. So it's not just that there are more LTVs
on the road today, but that it's their design that creates the
ultimate mismatch
with motorcycles.
So, the next time legislators call for a mandatory helmet law, ask
'em what they
drive!
HELMET REPEAL PASSES MICHIGAN HOUSE-- A bill to amend Michigan's 38-year old
mandatory helmet law was passed by the House, but the leader of the Senate has
stated that the bill will not be taken up before the end of session.
HB-4325, sponsored by Representative Leon Drolet, was approved by the Michigan
House of Representatives by a vote of 69-37 on November 10th, and the bill now
goes over to the Senate where it has a companion bill, S-321, sponsored by
Senator Alan Cropsey.
Bikers over 21 who've been licensed to ride a motorcycle for at
least two years
and finished a safety course wouldn't have to wear a helmet under the bill,
which must pass the Senate and be signed by the governor before becoming law.
CHICAGO DROPS HELMET PROPOSAL, BUT MAY CONFISCATE NOISY BIKES-- Motorcyclists
packed the Chicago City Council transportation committee meeting as city
officials were preparing to consider Alderman Burke's proposal for a city-wide
helmet requirement, but were informed that the proposed ordinance
had been pulled.
Alderman Allen, chairman of the committee, gave no explanation as to why the
ordinance was pulled, but before the committee adjourned, he did commit to
informing ABATE of Illinois in advance should the proposal be placed
back on the
agenda at a later date.
However, Alderman Natarus, who reportedly "will never like ABATE",
has agreed to
consider an equally bad ordinance that would allow the city to confiscate
motorcycles for noise violations. ABATE is scheduled to meet with Alderman
Natarus about this ordinance after the veto session.
ILLINOIS BIKERS SUE OVER DISCRIMINATION-- Two Chicago-area motorcyclists are
suing a Cary marina and restaurant, alleging workers there curtailed
their free
speech rights by denying them service because of their biker attire.
The bikers wore jackets displaying motorcycle club insignia, and
workers at the
Broken Oar Marina in Cary, IL and its adjoining restaurant told them
they would
not serve them unless they removed their colors, co-plaintiff Peter
James said.
"What if I found a Bulls jacket offensive?" plaintiff James said.
James, of suburban Brookfield, and Scott Patterson, also of suburban Chicago,
are seeking $20,000 in damages from the business for violations of their First
Amendment rights to free speech and expression.
The complaint, filed in McHenry County court, says James and Patterson went to
the Broken Oar in September 2002 after a ride. James said other motorcyclists
were on the ride, too, and they all stopped at the Broken Oar.
Employees parked
the group's bikes.
"We got inside and they said, 'We can't serve you. If you go back
and take your
vests off we would consider serving you,'" James said. "It's gotten
to the point
that we're not going to stand for this anymore."
James wore a jacket with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club emblem on it. Patterson
belongs to Brothers Rising. Other bikers in the group, who are not a party to
the lawsuit, wore insignia from their clubs, which include religious
and clean &
sober clubs.
The groups are members of the Northern Illinois Confederation of Clubs, which
aims to end discrimination against motorcyclists. James is chairman of the
confederation.
James said he believes motorcyclists are discriminated against because lost
people just don't understand their lifestyle. He said businesses and the
general public should overcome stereotypes left over from decades ago about
motorcycle clubs.
"We are the last truly free Americans," James said.
CRUISE CONTROL-- When Tom Cruise shaped up for his next action flick, he did it
on one wheel. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Cruise checked into racing
legend Keith Code's "On One Wheel" wheelie school at Willow Springs
International Raceway in Rosamond, California in June to hone his already
terrific wheelie skills in preparation for the filming of Mission
Impossible 3.
"Tom was a good rider already. He has a great combination of bravery and
control, just like in his films," says Whitney Fair, director of the school.
"He's already just about good enough to enter stunt contests. The idea was to
get to the next action level on the motorcycle and, in his usual go-for-it
style, he did!"
School founder and instructor, Keith Code, says, "Doing wheelies ranks high on
the list of the most frivolous and decadent things in the history of
Mankind but
I look at it from the perspective of skill and control."
The highlight of the school is Code's invention, the Wheelie
Training Bike. The
school's Triumph Speed Triples are equipped with two anti flip-over
devices. An
adjustable microswitch kills one of the three cylinders while the
other applies
the rear brake. Both devices are adjustable and can produce the desired height
of the wheelie. "Your eyes will pop out of your head when it goes up--but
flipping it won't be easy," says Code.
WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN-- Oscar winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins will star in
"The World's Fastest Indian," the true-life story of Burt Munro, a
New Zealander
who spent several decades constructing a 1920 Indian Motorcycle, then traveled
to Utah and set a new land-speed record back in the 70's. Roger Donaldson,
director of "The Recruit" is using his own writing and is directing
the project.
WEIRD NEWS: HELMETS DOWN UNDER-- A recent court case may force
Australian cowboys
to wear helmets. Officials in New South Wales have charged a ranch owner over
the death of a rider who fell off a horse, and safety advocates
insist he should
have had a helmet on.
The rancher's conviction is creating controversy in the Australian
Outback, and
cowboy hats for the jackaroos may be heading for the history books.
A ranch manager says the only time he's ever known the cowboys to wear helmets
was when they were riding motorbikes, and the president of a
farmer's group told
the Associated Press (AP) that replacing the broad-brimmed hats with helmets
could increase skin cancer and heat stroke. But others dismiss that argument,
saying it's possible to come up with a hard hat that has a broad brim.
LEAKY MOTORCYCLE DESTROYS HOME -- The Pasadena Fire Marshal's Office has
determined that a motorcycle with a possible gasoline leak is the cause of a
fire which led to the destruction of a home and a garage and damaged a
neighboring home.
Arson investigators discovered two motorcycles inside the garage, and the
homeowner had been working on the carburetor of one of the motorcycles. A
possible fuel leak may have caused the gasoline vapors to spread to the water
heater that was inside the garage where the fire originated, according to The
Citizen Reporter, a Texas newspaper.
So if you're working on your bike, do so in a well-ventilated area. If you're
storing your bike over the winter, make sure your fuel petcock is turned off!
QUOTABLE QUOTE: "If you expect to be ignorant and free, you expect something
that never was, and never will be."
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