And of course we responded. But why? After all isn't this a helmet free state? Well yes it is, lets see if we can keep it that way. Not based on how you feel about helmets. But based on the government using faulty research to lie us into a false sense of security as an excuse to take away more freedoms? Remember Weapons of Mass Destruction anyone.
Letter to the editor:
Re: Risky Ride
The problem with your story “Risky Ride” can be found on your page entitled “How we analyzed data from fatal motorcycle accidents”. You rely on data supplied by NHTSA which relies on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as it's basis for arriving at it's conclusions. Which the U.S. Dept. of transportation itself admits is not accurate.
Consider this from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
Federal Highway Administration http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/20070130.cfm
Currently, the reporting of motorcycle VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) data in HPMS is optional and consequently, many States choose not to report it.
Given the recent trends, there is an immediate need for an accurate measure of motorcycle travel to more clearly determine nationwide crash rates, which will enable us to confidently illustrate trends, to assess impacts of Federal programs, and to perform safety analysis to identify future emphasis areas.
The reporting of motorcycle travel will be required for all States beginning with the 2007 HPMS data reported in June 2008.
The story also states, “The data originates with each state's government, which sends records of fatal accidents to Washington in a standard format”.
As you can see from above this statement is patently false. Many states do not report the information and have complained about their inability to accurately do so.
Problems with the collection and reporting of VMT were to be addressed at the Motorcycle Travel Symposium Tentative Agenda October 10 - 12, 2007
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation reports that “During one or more years from 1997-2003 20 states reported zero VMT for motorcycles. Included among those states is South Dakota which plays host to a half a million motorcycling enthusiasts in Sturgis each August:
A fact often omitted is that the Motorcycle Industry council has reported 14 consecutive years of increased sales of new motorcycles resulting in increased exposure. www.mrf.org/pdf/MRF_FactOrFiction.pdf
This is also skewed by registered motorcycles that spend most of their time in the garage, people who own more than one registered motorcycle and poor crash scene investigation.
Although it is often reported whether or not the person was wearing a helmet, the actual cause of death is rarely reported. Was the helmet a factor in the death?
The problem is that this kind of reporting by the government and then media misleads the public. The government can not prove it's own conclusions because they are based on faulty research. Remember Weapons of Mass Destruction?
Motorcyclists can prove that the number one “cause” of crashes and fatalities is Driver Distraction. Where is the ten page story on the one issue that were it actually addressed have the most impact on reducing the carnage on our highways?
rc
http://www.bigbendbikersforfreedom.com/
Bikers of Lesser Tolerance
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