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Motorcycle fatalities continue steady rise on Florida roadways
Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - By JEREMY ASHTON - TC Palm - www1.tcpalm.com



A day after four motorcyclists were injured seriously in three separate accidents in Martin County, Florida Highway Patrol emphasized that motorcyclists to wear helmets.

"Anything that provides more protection helps," said Lt. Tim Frith, FHP spokesman. "The problem with motorcyclists is they usually are ejected from the vehicle. And when you impact objects, it's usually very life-threatening."

Motorcycle fatalities have risen steadily in Florida each year since the state repealed its mandatory helmet law on July 1, 2000, and the number of motorcycle crashes has increased, according to statistics from the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Martin County has had five fatal motorcycle wrecks so far this year. In four of those cases, the motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet, Frith said.

UPDATE ON SUNDAY'S ACCIDENTS

• Christopher Zargo, 38, and Eric Seymen, 56, both of the Jupiter area, remained in the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami on Monday. The two were injured Sunday afternoon when a Honda Civic made a U-turn in front of them on U.S. 1 near the Medalist subdivision in Hobe Sound. The driver of the car, Leah Ginn, 20, was being held in the Martin County Jail on Monday on a $6,000 bond for drug charges.

• William Terrell Destefano, 58, of Stuart, was in the intensive care unit at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach on Monday. Destefano's bike went down Sunday morning on Kanner Highway east of the Dupuis Reserve near Indiantown.

• Eric Jansen, 22, of Port St. Lucie, was listed in serious condition at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne on Monday. A witness told Stuart police that Jansen was riding on his rear wheel at about 70 miles per hour Sunday night shortly before crashing on the Roosevelt Bridge. Jansen faces charges of reckless driving and driving with a suspended license, according to police reports.




SAFETY TIPS

For motorcyclists:

• Always wear a helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation standards.

• Avoid big trucks' blind spots.

• Be aware of everything on the road. Ride with caution and drive defensively.

• Properly maintain your bike and wear protective clothing.

For drivers:

• Give motorcyclists a full lane of travel.

• Look out for motorcyclists on the highway and at intersections.

• Don't follow a motorcycle too closely.

At least drivers are being asked to cooperate too. Anyway fatalities are probably rising due to all those unskilled or illegal drivers and that includes alcohol.

Don't blame bikers too much for this one.

Has the number of registered motorcycles during this time period increased ?

More motorcycles on the road will probably result in more accidents.

Has the number of motorcycle licenses increased ?

More noob bikers on the road will probably result in more accidents.

How long is the wait to get into a MSF course in Florida ?

I would imagine in a state where you can ride all year the demand for safety courses is high. Is the state meeting this demand ?

The state should be proactive and not reactive.

MrGompers wrote: How long is the wait to get into a MSF course in Florida ?

My experience with the MSF is that they are usualy booked one -two months ahead of time.

The article stated that "Martin County has had five fatal motorcycle wrecks so far this year. In four of those cases, the motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet, Frith said." ... What they don't mention is if the helmet would have made a diffrence? I had two friends pass away this year in motorcycle accidents and they were both wearing full gear and helmets.. In thier case thier helmet didn't do "poo poo" because one snapped his neckand the other one had massive internal injuries.

Some people think that just because you're wearing a helmet that you'll survive any crash, and that's very untrue. While it'll increase your chances of survival it's not guaranteed.

A 1 - 2 month wait for a MSF class in Florida seems reasonalbe to me.
I thought it would be alot longer.

I agree a helmet won't prevent you from getting injured or dying, but it should help your odds.

I think it would be hard to say if a helmet would have prevented those 4 deaths.

MrGompers wrote: I think it would be hard to say if a helmet would have prevented those 4 deaths.

Very true, but it seems like they never want to blame the driver. It's an automatic "Ooops he should have worn a helmet"

Mind you, the article mentions, that the driver was arrested in the first accident listed, was also held on drug charges. Also, if you read the article in the actual web site, the reason the car made a u-turn was because the passenger got into a shoot out with another person. They should be more worried about driving while coked up.