Motorcycle Deaths Increase in Utah

Rick Patterson

Attorney

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In Utah, fatalities involving motorcycle riders, bicyclists and pedestrians, have increased by a third. Motorcycle fatalities rose from 23 in 2005 to 25 last year. "I wish I knew [even more] about bike safety and how to change these statistics," said Utah Bicycle Coalition President, Malcolm Campbell.

It is believed that a contributing factor is the increase in the number of drivers on the road. According to the Utah Department of Health, another reason for the increase may be the increasing number of young male adults on the roads. That is probably a good bet, since accidents involving youths, particularly males youths, are higher than with other drivers.

It appears that most of the deaths could have been avoided. According to Utah Highway Patrol, the leading cause of fatal motorcycle crashes involved riders driving too fast and too close to the vehicle in front of them. Utah Department of Health data shows that an average of six bicyclists died each year in Utah from 1998 to 2006. On a brighter side, perhaps the only bright side in the story, pedestrian deaths have decreased in seven of the last nine years, despite the spike in 2006.