More From The 2020 MOST Report
Keep the rubber side down, OK?
What else can we glean from the 2020 annual report of Colorado’s Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) program?
How about this. Bullets copied from the report with my comments added in parentheses.
Motorcyclist Fatalities – 2019
- 103 motorcyclists were killed in motorcycle crashes in 2019, 92 were male, and 11 were female. Ninety-three were motorcycle operators, and ten were motorcycle passengers.
- Motorcyclist fatalities represented 17.3% of Colorado’s total traffic fatalities (103 of 596). (Yeah, and we sure aren’t 17.3% of the vehicles on the road.)
- The number of motorcyclist fatalities remained the same in 2017, 2018, and 2019 at 103.
- 71 motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes were determined to be “at fault” in the crash.
- 43 of the fatal motorcycle crashes involved only the motorcycle and no other vehicle. (Can’t blame someone else, at least in most of these cases. There’s always the possibility a rider swerved to avoid an idiot and paid with their life.)
- In 2019, 24 motorcycle operators killed in a fatal crash were suspected to be impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
- 48 motorcycle operators killed were not wearing a helmet. (This means 55 who died were wearing helmets. Helmets are good but don’t let anyone try to tell you they’re a cure-all.)
Of 1,965 motorcycle crashes tallied, where did they happen?
Non-intersection: 1,022. At intersection: 595. Intersection related: 160. Driveway access related: 114. Ramp: 42. Roundabout: 19. In alley: 11. Parking lot: 2.
So OK, we all know the dangers of drivers turning left in front of you, but apparently the majority of crashes don’t even occur at intersections. What causes these? I think we’ll start to get some answers in the next section.
What was the “First Harmful Event” as the report terms it?
Overturning (non-collision): 548. Collision with curb/median: 136. Front to rear collision: 134. Other non-collision: 90. Side to side collision–same direction: 86. Collision with wild animal: 48. Collision with other object: 41. Collision with parked vehicle: 29. Collision with embankment: 27. Collision with guard rail: 26.
So overturning (non-collision) is the top event? What caused that? The top violations of at-fault riders again helps explain. These are apparently what the riders were actually cited with after the crashes.
Careless driving: 469. Driving under the influence of alcohol: 48. Reckless driving: 47. Following too closely: 45. Improper driving on mountain highway: 21. Failed to drive in designated lane: 12. No insurance in possession: 12. Unsafe lane change: 8. Improper turning left: 8. Improper passing on right: 8.
So careless driving is a really big factor. That’s worth noting. Next we have top contributing human factors of riders at-fault.
Driver inexperience: 224. Driver unfamiliar with area: 73. Driver preoccupied: 51. Evading law enforcement officer: 16. Illness/medical: 7. Driver fatigue: 6. Distracted by a passenger, food, objects, etc.: 4. Driver emotionally upset: 3. Physical disability: 1. Other: 453.
So in other words, with 453 “Other” there must be an unknowable number of human factors that, under the right combination of circumstances, can lead to a crash. Next is top movements of at-fault riders.
Going straight: 603. Making left turn: 89. Slowing: 69. Changing lanes: 58. Making right turn: 56. Passing: 41. Weaving: 35. Avoiding object in roadway: 28. Making U-turn: 7. Entering/leaving parked position: 3.
There it is! That’s what causes motorcycle crashes! In 603 cases the riders were going straight! Don’t these people understand you’re supposed to ride the curvy roads? OK, yeah, I’m funny.
Hopefully there is some tidbit of information here that strikes you and that you will incorporate into your mindset when riding to make you a safer rider. Something like, wow, most crashes don’t even happen at intersections, I guess I’d better be more alert all the time. And maybe not; well, I offered it to you.
Biker Quote for Today
You might be a Yuppie biker if you can’t figure out why the battery on your new bike won’t stay charged.
Tags: Colorado MOST program
