Motorcycle Accident Fatalities Increase 200 Percent

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In 2007, the number of fatalities involving motorcyclists increased to its highest level since 1985 according to a story by Tim Harlow of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. During the same period the number of deaths on the state's roads was the lowest in more than 60 years. Seventy motorcycle riders died on Minnesota State roads last year. That's a 200% increase from a decade ago which matches the increase in motorcycle registrations.

Katherine Burke Moore, deputy director of the state's Office of Traffic Safety, said the most common factors in motorcycle deaths are excessive speed, inexperience, impairment and inattention.

What I don't see in these statistics is the "other vehicle involvement". The cases we see nearly exclusively involve and inattentive or impaired automobile or truck driver. We just started two more motorcycle accident cases this week . In one an automobile driver turned left, directly in front of a motorcyclist who clearly had the right-a-way. The other involved a Compton man who was killed in a motorcycle vs. truck accident.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.