NY Motorcyclist crashes & dies from head injuries at anti-helmet protest

A bareheaded motorcyclist participating in a ride to protest mandatory helmet laws was killed when he was thrown over the handlebars in Onondaga, New York.

Philip A. Contos, 55, of Parish, New York, was on a ride organized by the Onondaga chapter of American Bikers Aimed Towards Education (ABATE), state police said Sunday.

Contos hit his brakes, began fishtailing and lost control of his 1983 Harley Davidson. He shot over the handlebars, hit his head on the pavement and was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, New York, where he was pronounced dead.

State police say evidence at the scene plus information from the attending medical expert indicated Contos would have survived had he been wearing a helmet as required by state law.

Asked about the apparent irony of Contos' death, the statewide president of ABATE, Thomas Alton, said, "We are riding at an increased risk and accept that. ... This individual was a seasoned rider, not a newbie. He made an adult decision. A full decision to ride in the manner he rode in."

Another New Yorker who has been a motorcyclist for over 50 years, Joseph Costantini, said, "I would never ride without a helmet -- even in a state that says you don't have to. I understand where the protesters are coming from because ultimately it's a matter of choice. For me, I would wear a helmet no matter what. ... Must feel great to ride without a helmet because sometimes it's uncomfortable. ... I'm sure his family isn't going to be happy."

Motorcycle helmet use dropped from 67% in 2009 to 54% in 2010, according to a press release issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

"This is another sad and tragic example where we have lost someone due to the lack of wearing a helmet," said Jonathan Adkins, communications director for the association.

According to Alton, a large percentage of motorcycle fatalities are due to inexperience and drivers not seeing motorcyclists when switching lanes or making turns.

ABATE of NY Inc. is organizing a memorial "to honor an individual who rode for freedom and risked his all for freedom," he said. A formal date is still to be determined.

Annual motorcycle deaths have more than doubled since the late 1990s with 5,290 in 2008, based on a report issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


source: cnn.com (Raja, 7/4)

Is It Time to Ban Motorcycles?

An article this week in the Sun-Sentinel argues that it’s time to ban motorcycles. The author makes a few good points, too, that really can’t be argued with.

• A motorcycle crash is more likely to result in a fatality than a car crash.
• 73 out of every 100,000 motorcycle riders die in a car crash.
• Motorcycle rider fatalities make up for 11% of all traffic fatalities.

Those statistics are taken from a 2007 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and as far as I know, are absolutely true. Scary stuff, right?

Of course, that doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. The fact of the matter is that motorcycle fatalities have been declining for the last two years, and organizations like the AMA, MSF, and the NHTSA are pushing motorcycle safety more than ever.

There’s also the fact that the majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by other vehicles.

The Hurt Report, otherwise known as the "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures” report, names other drivers as one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents and fatalities.

The report reads:

"The automobile driver fails to detect the inconspicuous motorcycle in traffic. This is due to lack of motorcycle and rider conspicuity and lack of caution and awareness of the automobile driver."

Now, the Hurt Report was conducted in the late 70’s, so I’m not going to use that as hard evidence. But the Department of Transportation has compiled various reports that support the fact that distracted drivers are the main cause for concern when it comes to motorcycle accidents. (They even dedicated an entire website, www.distraction.gov, to the problem.)

MSF President Tim Buche, said:

"Distracted driving is of great concern for motorcyclists as we simply have more at stake. Riders are obviously more vulnerable than car or truck drivers, the ones with far more access to a variety of distractions. Most motorcyclists are focused on one thing: riding. Other motorists should be focused on driving."

So are motorcyclists really the problem?

OK, I’ll be the first to admit that a motorcycle isn’t the safest way to travel. But neither is driving. Or flying. Or cycling. I even broke a toe once while I was walking. But should we ban pedestrian travel?
Life is full of accidents. There is only so much you can do to prevent them.