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ISSUE: Motorcycle safety

OUR VIEW: Rising fuel costs mean more bikes -- great need to know how to share the road

Lots of people likely were shaking their heads upon learning that S.C. lawmakers decided to join six other states that let motorcyclists, mo-ped drivers and bicyclists run red lights that don’t change within a couple minutes of their stopping.

The law requires motorcyclists, mo-peds and bicycles to stop for two minutes before entering an intersection if a traffic signal has not turned green. Motorcyclists pushed the legislation because they said automatic signal controls using sensors embedded in roads don’t always detect their bikes.

As odd as it seems at a time when motorcycle use is up and deaths have shown a continuing upward trend in recent years, the law goes a long way toward identifying the problem with bikes and other vehicles interacting on the roads. There is a lack of knowledge among motorists of the reality of bike use -- and with more first-time bikers, a lack of knowledge among them too.

As gas prices continue rising, people are turning to more cost-efficient transportation -– including motorcycles and mopeds. This can increase the chances of deadly collisions often due to lack of training on the part of the motorcyclist or because of motorists not safely interacting with motorcycles. So far this year, however, fatalities are down -- 49 compared to last year at this time, 56.

The S.C. Highway Patrol this week released a study on motorcycle fatalities while launching Ride Smart –- a comprehensive motorcycle rider safety/education campaign.

In September 2006, the Highway Patrol released results from an internal study of patrol-investigated motorcycle fatalities. The goal was to find trends that would help the patrol better tailor its education and enforcement efforts. The committee analyzed motorcycle fatalities from January 2005 until June 2006. The current study picks up that previous study and runs from July 1, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2007. Both studies showed similar trends: Middle-age males riding without a helmet were overrepresented in the study.

The department’s “Ride Smart” campaign will work with motorcycle dealerships to distribute a DVD safety presentation and brochure, posters and banners encouraging bikers to seek more training before getting on the road.

“We see too many collisions where the driver had only recently purchased a motorcycle and made deadly mistakes that likely could have been avoided through better training,” said Sgt. Jimmy Strait, a trooper/supervisor with the Highway Patrol’s Motorcycle Unit. On the DVD, he offers some of the tools of the trade.

The Highway Patrol is also working to educate motorists about safely interacting with bikers on the roadway.

The primary causation factors in the recent study include speed and failure to yield –- either on the part of the motorist or motorcycle. One of the points emphasized in the new safety DVD is that deadly collisions are often single-vehicle. In fact, 49 of the 99 collisions in the recent study were single vehicle.

“This campaign is especially geared toward first-time riders with limited training,” said Highway Patrol Colonel Harry Stubblefield, interim commander of the division. “We launched this effort after watching a steady incline in motorcycle fatalities and collisions in recent years.:

As he concludes: “With rising gas prices, we know that motorcycle traffic is likely to continue increasing, making this safety message more critical than ever.”

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