Posted on Tue, Nov. 28, 2006

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S.C. police working to cut biker fatalities

Officers reaching out to motorcyclists in effort to reduce record death toll

By JOHN MONK

jmonk@thestate.com

Faced with a record-breaking number of deaths of S.C. motorcyclists, state police are reaching out to biker groups and dealers to try to slow the carnage.

“We don’t want to see more of them dying. We’re already ahead of last year’s (record-setting) count,” said Max Young, highway safety director for the S.C. Department of Public Safety.

Earlier this month, Young attended the first meeting of what police hope will be a task force of law enforcement and motorcycle advocates. They hope to find ways to reduce the body count in the increasingly popular activity of motorcycle riding. A key goal: making sure inexperienced bikers get more training to ride the heavy, complex machines.

As of Monday — with five weeks to go until year’s end — 102 motorcyclists had died on state roads. Last year’s record was 94.

The deaths are the flip side to the alpha-male, “Easy Rider” image of bikers cruising down highways on sleek choppers.

One major reason for the increase in fatalities in recent years is that there are more bikers on the road. In 2000, the state had 51,436 registered motorcycles; 86 bikers died. In 2005, there were 86,603 motorcycles registered; 94 died. Motorcycles increased 68 percent during that period, while motorcycle deaths increased 9 percent.

“It’s the age-old story of statistics,” Young said. “Yes, if you look at ratios, you can make the case that there’s been an improvement. But is it fair to say we are safer, even though we are killing more people each year? That’s not good. We need to strive toward zero.”

Bikers themselves are mostly to blame for the rise in deaths, 2006 preliminary statistics suggest. In recent months, the S.C. Department of Public Safety has been keeping a running analysis of this year’s deaths.

The figures show:

• In almost three-fourths of the fatal crashes — 74 of 102 — bikers contributed to their own deaths. Eighteen bikers were driving under the influence. Thirty-one were speeding or going too fast for conditions. Ten ran off the road and hit ditches or trees, killing themselves or, in two cases, a passenger on the motorcycle.

• In four-fifths of the crashes — 81 of the 102 — the motorcyclists weren’t wearing a helmet. Head injuries are a leading cause of motorcycle deaths, and helmets can save lives in 37 percent of motorcycle fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• Drivers in other vehicles caused about one in five motorcyclists’ deaths, or 23 of 102.

A major reason for biker deaths is that many people are buying heavy, expensive motorcycles and riding without much training, police and motorcycle advocates said.

Many new bikers are middle-aged men who buy expensive motorcycles and think riding them is easy, said Mary Eaddy, who represents the S.C. Motorcycle Dealers Association and Harley-Davidson dealerships in Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

“They say, ‘I don’t need to take any training. I know how to drive a car,’” she said.

Business is booming at S.C. motorcycle dealerships. In recent years, for example, Harley-Davidson dealers have opened large stores in high-visibility locations in or near Columbia, Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg and Charleston. A top-of-the-line Harley, called the Ultra, weighs 950 pounds and sells for about $21,000.

Tom Zepka, sales manager at Thunder Tower, a Harley dealership on I-20 outside Columbia, said he stresses to prospective customers — even though it might cost him a quick sale — that they need training and experience to ride today’s motorcycles.

Zepka said he often likens motorcycle riding to a sport. If he finds a potential buyer is a hunter or scuba diver or former football player, he will explain that just as you needed training and a teacher for those sports, you also need it for motorcycle riding.

“We’re all about education,” he said of the regular training classes his dealership offers. The finer points include not only teaching people how to ride but where to ride, since some roads are more hazardous than others, he said.

In South Carolina, anyone can buy a motorcycle without knowing how to ride it.

Under S.C. law, it’s possible to get a 180-day learner’s motorcycle permit by simply passing a vision and knowledge test. People who get these permits are supposed to learn how to ride a motorcycle, then get a motorcycle license, which requires a skill (riding) test.

Frankie Nelson, secretary of ABATE of South Carolina, a motorcycle rights group, said the courses offered at tech schools are great ways to get initial specialized training.

But, said Nelson and others, there are too few training sessions offered and not enough publicity.

ABATE legislative coordinator Dennis Welborn, who attended the task force meeting, said the group might push the Legislature for more money for qualified instructors and courses.

If the Legislature does appropriate more money for training, the statistics suggest South Carolinians will be the major beneficiaries.

According to the Public Safety Department’s study of this year’s deaths, nearly nine out of 10 dead riders, or 90 of 102, were from South Carolina. Five were from North Carolina, and one each, from seven other states.

People pushing for the task force are taking it for granted that, for now, it would be of little use to seek a mandatory helmet law, given the libertarian stance of both the Legislature and Gov. Mark Sanford. Moreover, biker groups have a reputation for mounting fierce lobbying campaigns against any proposed mandatory helmet laws.

South Carolina bikers 21 or older don’t have to wear a helmet on a motorcycle.

Most dealers push safety training, Eaddy said.

“It’s hard enough to get good customers. We don’t want to see them kill themselves.”

Reach Monk at (803) 771-8344.