A new report by the Governors’ Highway Safety Association shows that New York had more motorcycle crash fatalities in the first nine months of 2010, compared to 2009.
According to the estimates, during the first nine months of 2009, there had been 136 motorcycle crash fatalities, and that number spiked to 160 motorcycle fatalities during the same period of time in 2010. That is an increase of 24 fatalities, and New York was actually one of the few states in the country that actually managed to record an increase in motorcycle crash fatalities last year.
Overall, there was a national decline in motorcycle crash fatalities. Fatalities declined by a little more than 2% in the rest of the country. Obviously, we have serious motorcycle safety issues in the state of New York.
To a New York personal injury lawyer, this spike is very disconcerting. It’s very important that our transportation safety agencies analyze the Governors’ Highway Safety Association report to understand why fatalities have increased so dramatically in New York.
The Governors’ Highway Safety Association report also found that there has been a 16% decline in the use of DOT-approved helmets in the country. The DOT mandates motorcycle helmets for all riders. These laws could be enforced more strongly, to assure that motorcyclists are protected from injuries in an accident.
The NY Department of Transportation also needs to look into promoting the use of motorcycles with antilock braking systems among riders. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety found that these systems reduce the risk of serious injuries in motorcycle accidents.