Crackdown on aggressive motorcyclists beginsThe News Journal Posted Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 1:59 pm
The state Office of Highway Safety and the Delaware State Police launched a crackdown on aggressive motorcycle operators today. Representatives from the sponsors, Dover Air Force Base and Mike’s Famous Harley Davidson joined together at Mike’s store in Smyrna to discuss the importance of motorcycle safety and for a demonstration of safe riding techniques.
Operation Aggressive Cycle Enforcement is not trying to target all motorcyclists, just the aggressive drivers, officials said at a press conference. Office of Highway Safety Communications Officer Andrea Summers said of 65 automobile and pedestrian fatalities in the state this year, nine of them were motorcyclists. “It’s not the highest number we’ve ever had, but it’s pretty bad,” Summers said.
Twelve motorcyclists died in 2006, and 254 were injured in accidents, she said. The good weather and the increasing number of motorcyclists are reasons why this number has increased this year, Summers said. “The number of bikes on the road has doubled in the last five years,” she said. “With gas prices still rising, more people find it reasonable to travel on bikes because they are more efficient.”
Summers said there were 12,722 registered motorcyclists in 2001 and last year there were 21,240 registered.
Air Wing Safety Officer Lorie Bellamy from Dover Air Force Base said 300 people there ride bikes, most of them under the age of 26. “It’s important for us to promote safety,” Bellamy said. “We follow the law on and off base.”
She said the officers and cadets are trained and told that they must wear reflective clothing, protective gear and a helmet when they are riding. “It’s just one more rule they have to follow,” Bellamy said.
She said the goal is to clearly state safety precautions, avoid mishaps and save lives.
(Ok now, I'm going to try and figure this out. There were more motorcycles on the road last year than 2001 by a fairly substantial number. You do the math ok, I ain't good at it. But I apparently am not very good at officer speak either. Officer Summer says "of 65 automobile and pedestrian fatalities in the state this year, nine of them were motorcyclists." Ok doesn't that mean that there were not 65 automobile and pedestrian fatalities??? Doesn't that mean that there were 56 automobile and pedestrian fatalities and 9 motorcycle fatalities??? Not counting how the % is skewed by not differentiating between "automobiles and pedestrians" or delineating the "cause" of the fatalities, well then what you are left with is government double speak. To put it another way "56 people were killed who were NOT riding motorcycles". But that still gives the Air Force the excuse to load their riders up with enough gear to facilitate heat stroke. Not counting the reflective tape. I think the purpose of that is so you can find the bodies at night after some cell phone intoxicated or texting inebriated driver runs over them. I know this is redundant but, bandaid approaches will never trump addressing the "CAUSE" of an accident. Aggressive motorcyclist my ass. You have to ride aggressively to stay alive out there)..........rc
