Accidents rise along with motorcycles' popularity

Motorcycles, scooters and mopeds are turning up more frequently on the roads, but they're also becoming more common in accidents.

By BILL McAULIFFE, Star Tribune

Last update: August 19, 2008 - 12:03 PM

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It didn't surprise Bob Hedstrom to hear that motorcycle ownership in 2007 in Minnesota was nearly double what it was in 1996.

"Ours [sales] will double from last year," said Hedstrom, owner of Scooterville Minnesota, a small-bike dealership at Cedar Avenue and Interstate 94 in Minneapolis.

But the zooming popularity of stylish scooters and motorcycles has a darker backdrop. Crashes and injuries in motorcycle accidents hit a 17-year peak in Minnesota in 2007, according to preliminary figures being released this week by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

While the number of motorcycle fatalities decreased from 2006 to 2007, deaths and deaths-per-100 accidents remained among the highest they've been in a generation, while deaths in all vehicle crashes remained flat. Deaths per 100 motorcycle accidents peaked at 4.7 in 2006, nearly eight times the rate for all vehicle accidents. Injuries in motorcycle accidents in 2007 were the highest since 1990.

One factor appears to link the increase in popularity and the casualty rates: a market of middle-agers "looking for adventure," in the words of Pat Hahn, an information officer for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Of the 61 people killed in motorcycle accidents in Minnesota last year, 29 were between the ages of 45 and 60. Only nine were between 15 and 30.

While high gas prices may be helping sales of fuel-stingy motorcycles and scooters (which are considered motorcycles in Minnesota), Hahn and others say a durable part of the market has been baby boomers and empty nesters with a little extra time and cash to rediscover the thrills of their youth. Though he's located near the University of Minnesota and even sells some cutting-edge all-electric motorcycles, Hedstrom estimated that 80 percent of his customers are between 30 and 65.

"I think it's a lot of riders coming back to riding after a long break or getting into it for the first time," Hahn said. "Maybe they lack the experience of hard-core riders. But they're definitely overestimating their abilities. They're not that young anymore. Their reflexes are not as good, and their vision is not as good."

Dwight Smith, president of St. Croix Valley Riders, a motorcycle rights group, said drinking and riding continues to be a problem among motorcyclists. Almost one-third of those killed in motorcycle crashes last year exceeded the legal impaired-motorist standard, according to MnDOT's preliminary figures.

Of the 61 people killed in motorcycle accidents last year in Minnesota, 11 were known to have been wearing a helmet. Nearly two-thirds of those injured were not wearing helmets. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, in 1975, 47 states required all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but now only 20 do.

Smith said motorcyclists will remain organized in opposition to making helmets mandatory. It should be a matter of personal choice, he said.

Noting that 55 percent of the motorcycle fatalities in Minnesota occurred in solo accidents, Smith emphasized the need for more rider training. St. Croix Valley Riders promotes and pays for training and testing.

Beyond the traditional motorcycle and the Euro-style scooter, contemporary mopeds -- motorized bikes with engines smaller than 50 cubic centimeters, which can be parked in bike racks -- are also booming. The number of registered mopeds in Minnesota has nearly doubled from 6,500 in 2002 to 12,343 last year, according to MnDOT. The agency has only recently begun tracking moped deaths; three people were killed on them last year.

Motorcycle fatalities hit a low of 2,116 nationwide in 1997. Since, they have risen 128 percent. Their share of crash fatalities has jumped to almost 13 percent from 5 percent.

Bill McAuliffe • 612-673-7646

This story includes material from wire services.

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