Early data indicates that motorcycle accident fatalities dropped nationally in 2013, according to a new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
Even though Florida is on track to mirror the national decline, the state’s total number of motorcycle crash fatalities still remains one of the highest in the country and continues to be a pressing traffic safety issue.
Florida among 35 States to See Drop in Motorcyclist Fatalities
The GHSA report, Spotlight on Highway Safety, came out in early May. The report looked at preliminary crash data from the first nine months of 2013. It projected that there will be a seven percent decrease in motorcycle fatalities in the U.S. once the final numbers are in, going from 4,957 recorded in 2012 to about 4,610 in 2013.
Florida was among 35 states in which reported motorcycle accident deaths dropped in the first nine months of last year, going from 326 in 2012 to 303 in 2013. This marks a decrease of seven percent.
Though it would be nice to attribute the falling fatality rates to increased safety, the GHSA report suggests that may not be the case. In many states, the weather of 2012 was warm and dry, meaning more cyclists were on the road (and more accidents occurred). In 2013, the weather was cool and wet, which may have led to the lower accident numbers.
Why Does Florida Still Rank Near the Top in Motorcycle Accident Deaths?
It is important to note that, according to the GHSA report, Florida ranked second behind only Texas in total number of motorcycle accident deaths. Texas had 361 motorcyclist fatalities in the first nine months of 2013. California was third behind Florida with 299 deaths.
Weather, of course, could be a factor in Florida joining Texas and California at the top of the list. After all, the three states all feature warm climates that allow motorcycle riders to be on the roads throughout the year. As the GHSA report illustrates, the more motorcyclists on the road, the higher the fatality numbers will be.
However, the state’s lack of a universal motorcycle helmet law may also play a role in the high fatality count. In 2000, lawmakers in Florida exempted adult motorcyclists from wearing helmets if they had at least $10,000 in medical insurance coverage.
The GHSA reports that only 19 states have universal helmet laws. According to the organization, there were 10 times as many un-helmeted fatalities in the states without helmet laws as there were in states with universal helmet laws (1,858 un-helmeted fatalities compared with 178).
A study published several years ago in the American Journal of Public Health found that between 1997 and 2001, motorcycle deaths increased 50 percent in Florida while registrations increased only 31 percent. The researchers suggested that the change in the helmet law in Florida may have driven up the death rate.
In Florida, the study said, the number of motorcycle registrations and fatalities both increased, suggesting the change in the helmet law may have actually enticed new riders to get on the road while, at the same time, making riding more dangerous for them.
Wearing a helmet can be a controversial issue. On the one hand, certain motorcyclists certainly have a legally protected right to ride without a helmet if they choose to do so, and that right must be respected. However, as the recent GHSA statistics show, it is still in a rider’s best interests to wear a helmet. In fact, it could mean the difference between life and death.
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