While riders and enthusiasts of Victory Motorcycles are focused on the events surrounding on the American Victory Rally (AVR) in Spirit Lake, Iowa taking place this weekend, there's a story in today's (August 15, 2008) New York Times today that captured my attention.

Just the headline below should be of interest to riders of any brand of motorcycles:

Motorcyclists Deaths' Rise by More Than 6 Percent

I would like to take a few moments to examine this story paragraph by paragraph and provide my observations on the statements delivered in this story. Your comments are encouraged and welcomed.

NY TIMES: Deaths of people in cars and trucks, on bicycles or on foot dropped by nearly 2,000 last year, pushing the overall death rate to a historic low. But deaths of motorcyclists surged 6.6 percent, to 5,154; 2007 was the 10th straight year of increase.

Experts say the trend is most likely to continue, as high gasoline prices will encourage some travelers to use their bikes more often, getting 50 miles for the $4 gallon of gasoline instead of 20 in their cars.

MY RESPONSE: High gas prices have brought new, inexperienced riders to the world of two-wheels. Many new riders enter our two-wheeled world due to the rising price of gasoline and go directly from four wheels to two without taking the time to realize the obvious differences between driving a four-wheeled vehicle vs. riding on two-wheels.

NY TIMES: We have seen the total motorcycle participation in vehicle miles traveled go up," said Mary E. Peters, the secretary of transportation and a longtime Harley-Davidson rider. "We might see more people moving to that mode of transportation," Ms. Peters said. "We might see that data skew." Motorcycle ridership appears to be rising even as the total miles for all vehicles drops. Total deaths in motor vehicle crashes in 2007 declined to 41,059, a drop of 3.9 percent compared with 2006. Deaths in cars fell 7.8 percent, and in light trucks 2.7 percent. Even alcohol-related deaths fell.

MY RESPONSE: With higher gas prices, people are driving their cars fewer miles and eliminating frivolous joy rides. With fewer miles traveled, the likelihood of accidents are decreased.

NY TIMES: In recent years, the development of safer cars and improved highways has been racing against growing levels of traffic to keep the death rate steady. Last year the total miles traveled declined by about 0.6 percent, and total deaths dropped much more sharply. The number of deaths per 100 million miles of vehicle travel, dropped to 1.37, a historic low. In 1966, the rate was above 5 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and the number of dead was above 50,000.

MY RESPONSE: Over the past decade, with the surge (and subsequent fall) of SUV purchases, drivers are driving larger cars that provide additional protection in the case of an accident.

NY TIMES: Deaths on motorcycles hit a low of 2,116 in 1997. Since, they have risen 128 percent. Their share of crash fatalities has jumped to almost 13 percent from 5 percent.

The highway safety authorities say that about 75 percent more motorcycles are registered today than 10 years ago. They suspect each motorcycle is ridden more miles, but the

MY RESPONSE: I agree that many middle-age and older riders who are getting back on a bike after a multi-year absence need to take the MSF Safety Class before getting back on a bike. As we get older, our reflexes are not the same as we would like to think and picking up just a few tips taught in the class could be the difference between success and failure when we're faced with a potentially dangerous situation.

NY TIMES: Yet ridership has probably become more dangerous mile for mile. One reason is a decline in the number of states requiring the use of helmets. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, in 1975, 47 states required all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but now only 20 do.

MY RESPONSE: Let's face it, if you don't wear a helmet and protective gear, the odds of any motorcycle rider surviving even a moderate accident without injuries dramatically decrease. While I won't use this space to post my opinions of riding with helmets, I will state there are numerous groups that lobby local governments to repeal helmet laws and to pass that responsibility onto the rider. I've yet to hear of a single, well financed group who has lobbied FOR mandatory helmet laws.

NY TIMES: At the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the organization that conducts independent vehicle crash tests, Russ Rader, a spokesman, said motor vehicle deaths would probably continue their decline into this year. "A drop in highway deaths is always the silver lining in a down economy," Mr. Rader said, with fewer trips to work and discretionary trips. "We are the only industrialized country in the world where there is an organized effort to weaken or repeal motorcycle helmet laws," Mr. Rader said. "That definitely is a factor in the increasing deaths." At the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which is financed by the manufacturers, Tim Buche, the president, said a person killed on a motorcycle was 2.5 times more likely to be under the influence of alcohol than a person killed in a car and three times more likely not to have a proper license. "There's risks in everything in life, but the risks can be addressed," Mr. Buche said, by training, licensing, riding sober and wearing protective gear.

MY RESPONSE: As evidenced by the ads I donated free of charge to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) on TheVOG, I am a strong supporter of this organization and the concept of riding safely. Riding to many of us is not a necessary form of transportation, it is a recreational/social activity, a sport and an expression of our freedom.

However, I have to take issue with both the NY Times as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by stating a fact obvious to any rider and not even addressed in this story: The increased use of drivers using cell phones and texting devices while operating a car (in my opinion) is the single most dangerous factor facing motorcycle riders today. Combine this fact with the increased number of new riders looking for a method of inexpensive transportation and this is a recipe for disaster.

While some States, including my home state of Florida, have instituted a mandatory requirement for first time motorcycle purchasers to complete a safety class before they are eligible to obtain a motorcycle license (or endorsement), this is just a first step in educating riders on how to ride safer and to learn about the perils that face two wheeled riders that aren't apparent to automobile drivers.

While I'm a supporter of technology, I have gone on record numerous times that the number one danger facing motorcyclists today is the automobile driver using a cell phone while driving. Whether it's an adult talking to a family member or a business associate or an inexperienced teenager texting while driving, an automobile is no place to be multitasking as the human brain is only capable of performing just a few tasks at a time and driving while texting is not one of them as your eyes cannot be in two places at once…on a tiny cell phone screen and focused on the road and the surroundings at the same time.

My response to this story is yes, with the surge in motorcycle sales there will be an increase in accidents and fatalities. With this thought in mind, why isn't the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doing more to eliminate texting while operating a motor vehicle? Talking on a cell phone is dangerous enough and while technologies such as Bluetooth do allow drivers to talk hands-free, it does force motor vehicle operators to perform multiple tasks when behind the wheel while drivers should be focused on only one thing and that's driving responsibly.

When it comes to drinking while driving or riding, this also can be a recipe for disaster. A couple of drinks can slow the reaction times of an automobile operator and they may not be able to react when approaching a rider. For riders, while we joke about "bar hopping," this is truly not a laughing matter as riding safely requires sharp skills and immediate reaction times.

There are many stories online about riders who narrowly avoided potentially life-threatening situations by using quick maneuvers and reflexes. While I'm not going to use this space to deliver a lecture, drinking and driving or riding can limit the skills of even the most seasoned of riders.

When this story appeared in the New York Times, I contacted Ty Van Hooydonk, the P.R. Director of Discover Today's Motorcycling. Here's his response:

"There is a huge difference in the crash statistics for riders who do things the right way, and those who don't. The ones who are trained, licensed, wear all the gear -- especially a real helmet -- don't drink, don't ride too fast and come back for refresher training can be hard to find in the accident reports.

Would you strap a lawn chair to the top of a car and have someone drive you down the freeway while sitting up there in beach clothes? That would seem crazy and stupid. But, I see folks doing the equivalent to that on bikes all the time. No protective gear, just motoring along at 70-plus. And I imagine that many of these same people would be shocked if they went to buy a new car and could be offered something without seatbelts, crumple-zones, airbags, pyrotechnic belt-cinchers, padded dashboards, reinforced doors and all. I don't think they'd feel comfortable driving a modern-day equivalent to an open-air Model T. With a car, you step into your safety gear. With a motorcycle, you wear it."

Ty Van Hooydonk

Discover Today's Motorcycling

Now it's your turn. Post your comments below.