Be careful on that bike

The motorcycle crash in Rochester Township Saturday that killed a Wellington couple is just the latest in a series of motorcycle crashes that have caught our attention. It seems to us we are seeing more motorcycle accidents than ever before.

Actually it is more than our perceptions. According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, motorcycle accidents, citations, and fatalities are on the increase.

Over the past three years, from 2006 to 2008 -- the most recent year for which statistics are available -- motorcycle fatalities in Ohio have increased 35 percent. The 213 motorcycle fatalities in 2008 was up more than 12 percent from 2007 alone, despite the fact total traffic-related fatalities and alcohol-related fatalities are on the decline.

For 2008, motorcycles were involved in less than one percent of all crashes on Ohio roadways. But those crashes accounted for nearly 18 percent of traffic fatalities.

One hundred ninety-four motorcycle drivers and 19 motorcycle passengers were killed last year in crashes; another 4,137 drivers and passengers were injured. In fact, in 87.6 percent of motorcycle accidents last year, someone on the bike was injured or killed.

Citations issued to motorcyclists are also up. The number of tickets issued to motorcyclists for speeding was up 25 percent last year from 2006; and citations for license or motorcycle endorsement violations was up 32 percent for the same period.

Overall state troopers handed out 34 percent more citations to motorcyclists in 2008 than in 2006. And these statistics do not include citations issued by county or local law enforcement agencies.

The increase could be due, in part, to an increased emphasis the state has put on motorcycle safety. We would urge motorcyclists among our readers, and motorists in general, to be more aware of motorcycle safety.