|
|
|
|
 The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passes through downtown Wapakoneta Wednesday, September 1. Staff photo/William Laney By CARLA MEYER
Staff Writer
For 45 minutes, the roar of motorcycles could be heard passing under an American flag hanging from two ladder trucks. For 45 minutes, area residents gathered in the shadow of the Auglaize County Courthouse and Wapakoneta Fire Station waved and clapped as motorcyclists rode by.
The smiles and waves turned into clapping and cheers as the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passed down Willipie Street on its way to Custenborder Field in Sidney where it was greeted by a field of American flags.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bike crashes, fatals rise |
|
Wednesday, 24 June 2009 |
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
With more motorcycles on the road, law enforcement officials say those motorists are driving faster and in many cases without the proper licensing or endorsements.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol this week released statistics that support this trend.
“The way the economy is, people are buying motorcycles to get the better gas mileage,” Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Post Commander Lt. Scott Carrico said.
He said a new motorcycle is less expensive than a new car, but people are going out and getting the motorcycles without being properly licensed and not wanting to take time to take the test.
Carrico said some riders jump right into a bike with more horsepower — one they are not familiar enough with to handle.
Between 2006-08 troopers issued 8,070 citations to motorcyclists. Forty-three percent of the citations were for speed, an increase of 25 percent in 2008 from 2006.
Auglaize County issued 93 citations, the most of the six surrounding counties, which range from 18 citations in Mercer County to 84 citations in Allen County.
In the Highway Patrol district Auglaize County is a part of, troopers issued more citations in Clark County with 142 citations and Montgomery County with 374 citations.
One in five of the citations statewide was for a license or endorsement violation, an increase of 32 percent in those violations in 2008 compared to 2006.
During 2008, there were 215 motorcycle-related fatalities on Ohio roads, the highest number of motorcycle fatalities in single year during the past 25 years of data availability.
Between 2006 and 2008, motorcycle-involved crashes resulted in 562 fatalities and 12,032 injuries across the state.
The annual average number of motorcycle-involved fatalities from 2006 to 2008 was 187, a 26 percent increase compared to the 2003 to 2005 average of 149 fatalities per year.
Forty percent of motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes from 2006 to 2008 were alcohol- or drug-impaired.
“Motorcyclists need to ride trained, ride licensed, ride sober and follow the proper speed limit to help prevent these tragedies from occurring on Ohio roadways,” OSHP Superintendent Col. Richard H. Collins said in a news release.
There have been three traffic fatalities in the county so far this year.
Citations issued by state troopers to motorcyclists in older age groups are on the rise, too. Citations given to 46- to 55-year-olds increased by 43 percent and citations given to 56- to 65-year-olds increased by 73 percent from 2006 to 2008.
In Auglaize County, Carrico said motorcyclists are finding themselves in more danger as they ride too fast at night without helmets in rural areas where animals and the unexpected are likely to occur. Often, they also are riding impaired.
“Higher speeds mean slower reaction times,” Carrico said. “I don’t know any particular reasons why we are seeing more crashes, but maybe because we are a more rural county.”
Getting motorcyclists to wear helmets, which prevent head injuries, is also still a concern, Carrico said.
“On the interstate, it’s rare to see them without,” Carrico said. “When they’re riding in high traffic areas, they tend to be smarter.”
He said age also seems to impact whether a rider wears a helmet, often with younger or inexperienced motorcyclists opting not to.
“They don’t think they have to,” Carrico said. “I’m sure it’s more comfortable without, but everyday a motorcyclist somewhere gets killed and helmets help save lives.”
In the last two weeks in Auglaize County, two motorcyclists have died.
Anthony Adkins, 35, 4949 Zurmehly Road, died in a crash Friday while driving on Ohio 198, north of National Road.
He drove off the right side of the road, struck a concrete culvert and his motorcycle overturned. He was not wearing a helmet.
Nathan Thobe, 25, Maria Stein, was killed in a motorcycle crash in Minster on June 7 following a police chase.
There have been three traffic fatalities in the county so far this year.
The one, who was wearing his helmet properly, survived with serious injuries after colliding with a deer.
Carrico said without the helmet his fate could have been worse.
Speed, alcohol, night time and animals were factors in the other crashes.
Already the county’s two motorcycle fatalities for this year are equal to all of 2008.
“Motorcyclists need to wear helmets, ride in uncongested areas, not ride at dark and obey the speed limits,” Carrico said. “With animals in the area, there’s an increased chance of hitting something after dark with visibility limited. When you’re dealing with speed and reaction times, it’s a recipe for big problems.”
The number of annual motorcycle registrations increased in every Ohio county from 2006 to 2008, 16 percent statewide. In 33 of Ohio’s 88 counties, motorcycle registrations increased by 20 percent or more. Both the Apollo Career Center and Honda offer classes that upon completion provide a motorcycle endorsement for first-time riders.
|
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 June 2009 )
|
|
|
|
