While the carnage nationwide has fallen in recent years, 37,261 individuals died in vehicular accidents in 2008 — that's still more than 10 times the number who died in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Most of the traffic fatalities can be attributed to excessive speed, alcohol-impairment or failure to wear seat belts. Drivers distracted while texting, eating or using their cell phones are also a growing concern.  But often the roads themselves are to blame.

Scripps News has an investigative project underway titles "KILLER ROADS" and the various articles are an intense read.

The study found that the single most deadly road is the 181-mile segment of Interstate 15 that passes through San Bernardino County, Calif., and connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas. During the 15-year period of the study, 1,069 people perished in 834 accidents. That's more than double the death toll from any other road in any other county.

Sound familiar?  What about that straight deadly piece of road between Wendover Nevada?  You can find out the statistics at the Scripps website - simply plug in the state and the county and scroll down to see the map. They have information there for almost every county int he nation.  That long stretch of desert road by the way is in Tooele County.

There is another excellent interactive map at SafeRoadMaps where you can investigate the frequency and cause of crashes across America by various methods.

Ride aware and ride safe - and if you are on any of these killer roads keep your sphincter tight!

Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.

1) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the motorist, not the motorcyclist, is at fault. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle - they ignore it (usually unintentionally).

2) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car's blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections.

3) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle's speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, assume a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

4) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

5) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.

6) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle's signal is for real.

7) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don't expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

8) Motorcycle Safety Fact: Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime."

9) Motorcycle Safety Fact: When a motorcycle is in motion, see more than the motorcycle - see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative.

10) Motorcycle Safety Fact: If a driver crashes into a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian and causes serious injury, the driver would likely never forgive himself/herself.

These facts were reprinted from a great motorcycle website named Ultimate Motorcycling.

Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.

Motorcycle Tips & Techniques is a great motorcycle safety website.  The site contains videos and in-depth articles that detail the particular hazardds faced by motorcycle riders every day. Coincidence or not we had recently blogged about a motorcycle phenomenon called target fixation and so did Motorcycle Tips & Techniques where they perform what they call a "case study." 

Their case study talks about a woman named Karen that crashes into the side of a pickup truck.  After rounding a right hand turn Karen appeared to fixate of the oncoming truck and probably would have been killed had it not been for evasive manoeuvres by the truck.  Karen "... suffered massive body trauma during the accident.  Her left leg was peeled open (literally shredded) from hip to lower leg, compound fractures in several places both above and below the left knee, several ribs on th left side had been broken and punctured her left lung, her liver was 'fractured' as apparently was her spleen, and her diaphragm had been pierced."

This is an excellent blow-by-blow account of the effect of target fixation and Karen's injuries and recovery.

Utah Bike Law represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.

Target fixation occurs when you go where you look.  It is a phenomenon that especially occurs when riding a two-wheeled vehicle but also happens when driving a vehicle.  Sounds simple, and it is, but the implications can be enormous. It plays an important role when faced with an immediate threat or danger.  Imagine you are riding your motorcycle along a road approaching an intersection.  A car comes to a stop at the stop sign and you have no stop sign and continue through the intersection.  All of a sudden the stopped car accelerates and enters the intersection directly into your path.  Quick - what do you do?

If you are honest with yourself and break-down the sequence in which you reacted the first thing you must have done was look at the car.  If it were otherwise you would not have seen the car start to enter the intersection.  Keep in mind that this is a sudden and unexpected event.  Next thing you do is probably slam on your brakes while looking at the car.  The target fixation phenomenon kicks in and the motorcycle tends to move toward the car.  Even the driver of the vehicle may look up and see you too late and the target fixation phenomenon also forces the driver of the car to turn in your direction - why - because he is looking at you - target fixation.

There are a lot of videos on YouTube that demonstrate the phenomenon but I think this is one of the best. A wobble on the rear end, maybe a little water on the road, and he appears to panic.  I think target fixation occurs as he is looking at the fast-approaching brick wall.  There is essentially nothing he can do at this point.  Sure, he might have been disciplined enough to accelerate and bear left but it was probably too little too late.  Now imagine if that brick wall were a car suddenly entering your "right of way" intersection.

I wrote last week about a recent study in Texas showing that since their mandatory helmet law was repealed that motorcycle deaths had dramatically increased calling for a return of mandatory helmets.  I have also written extensively on this topic and invite you to explore all of my other posts on motorcycle helmets on this blog - search "helmets."  Wyoming, like Utah, currently requires motorcycle riders less than 18 years of age to wear helmets.  The Wyoming Trib.com makes a case for return of mandatory helmet law in Wyoming.

The article is written by the Star-Tribune Editorial Board.  The article is well-written and references statistics that appear to support a claim that if all motorcycle riders wore helmets that motorcycle deaths would dramatically decrease.  Although making passing remarks that vehicle education emphasizing that drivers need to be made more aware of motorcycles the author terminates the article by stating "... the single biggest action our legislators could take to improve motorcycle safety is to reinstate Wyoming's universal helmet law, beginning next year." The article also diminishes the concerns of motorcycle riders by stating "We'd rather see the vast majority of motorcyclists safer, even if they have to sacrifice some comfort."

The motorcycle riders that I talk to, and I talk to a lot, say they prefer not to wear helmets simply becasue they do not want to.  I think a lot of motorcycle riders prefer not to wear helmets simply becasue it is not who they are.  What I mean by this is the psychological and socialogical implications that attach to motorcycle riders in America - especially in Western America.

The west was won with a raw can-do attitude based on freedom, control of your own destiny, and doing what one wants without governmental interference.  Motorcycles have a long history of being associated with freedom and toughness.  If you have any doubt of this watch Easy Rider.  The simple extension of this logic of course is that one can not be free and tough if wearing a helmet.

The knee-jerk reaction might be that not wearing a helmet is just dumb.  Dumb because you can be seriously injures or killed.  Furthermore, there are arguments about who pays the cost of caring for injured motorcycle riders.  Extended rehabilitation for brain injury is expensive and if the rider does not have enough insurance the cost often falls to the public.  All valid arguments and all dealt with before in other articles on this blog.

What concerns me about articles like this one in the Star-Tribune is that it cultivates an attitude in the minds of readers that biases them against motorcycle riders.  Until the law is changed anyone over 18 years of age and injured in a motorcycle crash not wearing a helmet is following the law.  Plain and simple!  Do we as a society want to blame the motorcycle rider for his injuries because he or she was following the law?  This is not a rhetorical question.  I see bias all the time when I represent motorcycle riders who are injured as a result of other people's negligence.  We go to trial and those biases raise their ugly heads.  Those biases include:

• If riding a motorcycle you assume the risk.
• If riding a motorcycle you must have been speeding.
• If you did wear a helmet that is your own tough luck.
• If riding a motorcycle you were probably drinking or doing drugs.
• If you are riding a motorcycle you must be a low-life.

You might think these biases do not exist but let me tell you they do - I see them all the time.  News publications need to be careful in how they go about trying to influence public opinion to encourage the electorate to pressure their legislators to change the law.

Utah Bike Law represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.

The number of registered motorcycles in Utah is growing and since year 2000 have almost quadrupled to 80,000.  The last time there were this any where as many bikes on Utah roads is back in 1984 when there was about 68,000.  I do not know about you but I sure see a lot more bikes out on the road.

So why are there so many motorcycles?  I think there are various reasons.  First of all gas is expensive.  The last surge in motorcycle registrations was when gas prices spiked sharply back in the 1980's.  People that commute are opting to use motorcycles and scooters to save on gas.  Second is that people are much more concerned about the environment.  Motorcycles use less gas and therefore emit less noxious chemicals into the air we breath.  The third reason there are more bikes is babyboomers.  They are discovering that motorcycling is a great way to recapture their youth, have some fun and meet great people.  The Utah Department of Public Safety states that motorcycle riders now account for one out of every nine U.S. road fatalities each year, with motorcyclist deaths from traffic crashes rising each of the last nine years. Utah has shown an upward trend in the motorcycle serious injury and fatality rate, mirroring the national numbers.

One would think that with the sharp rise in motorcycle registrations that deaths from motorcycle crashes would also be growing at a like rate.  That is simply not the case.  Yes, motorcycle deaths are increasing with the number of registered motorcycles on the road but they are increasing at a slower rate.

As a matter of fact the number of motorcycle deaths per number of registered motorcycles is actually dropping.  Why is that - what are we doing that is successful in reducing the number of motorcycle deaths?  One of the primary ways that we are successful at decreasing motorcycle deaths in Utah is becasue of the outstanding job done by the Utah Highway Safety Office.  They are speaking to the people that ride bikes in innovative ways and taking advantage of technology to spread the message of safety.  For example you can follow the Utah Highway Safety Office on line at facebook.

People that ride motorcycles are also becoming educated by taking motorcycle rider training offered throughout the state and even seasoned riders are going back to rider school.

We can make a difference is we all just slow down and watch out for each other.  That goes for motorcycle riders and drivers of vehicles as well.  Become educated, take a motorcycle safety class and ride aware.  Most of all be safe and have fun out there - after all isn't that what riding is all about?

Utah Bike Law is a law firm dedicated to representing injured motorcycle riders and their families. If you or a loved one were involved in a motorcycle crash in Utah we invite you to call for a free confidential consultation. There is no obligation and you are not charged any fees whatsoever unless we recover money for you.

The number of registered motorcycles in Utah is growing and since year 2000 have almost quardrupled to 80,000.  The last time there were this any where as many bikes on Utah roads is back in 1984 when there was about 68,000.  I do not know about you but I sure see a lot more bikes out on the road.

So why are there so many motorcycles?  I think there are various reasons.  First of all gas is expensive.  The last surge in motorcycle registrations was when gas prices spiked sharply back in the 1980's.  People that commute are opting to use motorcycles and scooters to save on gas.  Second is that people are much more concerned about the environment.  Motorcycles use less gas and therefore emit less noxious chemicals into the air we breath.  The third reason there are more bikes is babyboomers.  They are discovering that motorcycling is a great way to recapture their youth, have some fun and meet great people.  The Utah Department of Public Safety states that motorcycle riders now account for one out of every nine U.S. road fatalities each year, with motorcyclist deaths from traffic crashes rising each of the last nine years. Utah has shown an upward trend in the motorcycle serious injury and fatality rate, mirroring the national numbers.

One would think that with the sharp rise in motorcycle registrations that deaths from motorcycle crashes would also be growing at a like rate.  That is simply not the case.  Yes, motorcycle deaths are increasing with the number of registered motorcycles on the road but they are increasing at a slower rate.

As a matter of fact the number of motorcycle deaths per number of registered motorcycles is actually dropping.  Why is that - what are we doing that is successful in reducing the number of motorcycle deaths?  One of the primary ways that we are successful at decreasing motorcycle deaths in Utah is becasue of the outstanding job done by the Utah Highway Safety Office.  They are speaking to the people that ride bikes in innovative ways and taking advantage of technology to spread the message of safety.  For example you can follow the Utah Highway Safety Office on line at facebook.

People that ride motorcycles are also becoming educated by taking motorcycle rider training offered throughout the state and even seasoned riders are going back to rider school.

We can make a difference is we all just slow down and watch out for each other.  That goes for motorcycle riders and drivers of vehicles as well.  Become educated, take a motorcycle safety class and ride aware.  Most of all be safe and have fun out there - after all isn't that what riding is all about?

Utah Bike Law is a law firm dedicated to representing injured motorcycle riders and their families. If you or a loved one were involved in a motorcycle crash in Utah we invite you to call for a free confidential consultation. There is no obligation and you are not charged any fees whatsoever unless we recover money for you.

We represent motorcycle riders and their families across Utah including the counties and cities of Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber, American Fork, Beaver, Bountiful, Brigham City, Cedar City, Delta, Draper, Duchesne, Fillmore, Heber, Kamas, Kanab, Kaysville, Layton, Lehi, Logan, Moab, Murray, Nephi, Ogden, Orem, Park City, Price, Provo, Richfield, Riverton, Roy, Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, St. George, Tooele, Vernal, West Jordan, and West Valley City.

The University of Utah is at it again proving that the use of a cell phone while driving is dangerous.  "When people talk on the phone while driving they are four times more likely to get into an accident. Here we find another ... increase in this risk," said researcher Frank Drews of the University of Utah, citing previous research.  The researchers determined that testing drivers are six times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers that do not text while driving.

For this most recent study the researchers at the University of Utah placed drivers in a simulator without any distractions to get a baseline.  They then had the same drivers in the simulator but this time had the drivers texting to others in a separate room.  The results showed that text messaging drivers were slower to react to vehicles' brake lights ahead of them and were much more likely to drift into other lanes.  Furthermore, "Their response time to the onset of this braking light was delayed by about 20 percent, a significant delay in reaction time," Drews said.

Figures released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this year showed more than 5,800 distracted driving deaths and 515,000 injuries in 2008.

Utah Bike Law is a law firm dedicated to representing injured motorcycle riders and their families. If you or a loved one were involved in a motorcycle crash in Utah we invite you to call for a free confidential consultation. There is no obligation and you are not charged any fees whatsoever unless we recover money for you.

If you are thinking about buying a motorcycle helmet for yourself or your significant other there are a few things you need to know - and luckily that information can be found in one place - right here to start.  Furthermore, almost every motorcycle crash victim I represent that was wearing a helmet has said "man - am I ever happy I had a helmet on!" and the others that were not wearing helmets wish they had.

No biker, especially a biker that might have some reluctance to wear a helmet for whatever reason, wants to wear a helmet that is not comfortable.  Hallmarks of a comfortable helmet are soft foam rubber next to your noggin, a seal of some sort around and isolating your ears but be careful to have nothing actually in contact with your ears and some sort of support at the back of the helmet that will support your neck.

Safety is probably next on the list.  Make sure the helmet you purchase is a DOT approved helmet.  If the helmet is DOT approved it will have a DOT sticker on it.  Make sure the helmet has a DOT sticker because that ensures that the helmet has met rigorous performance standards for safety.  You have to make sure the helmet fits properly - more on that next.  The chin strap needs to keep the helmet on your head when you are in a crash.  The strap needs to go from ear to ear and stay secured with a double locking strap - a simple click does not cut it.

Both comfort and safety of your helmet depends on the fit of the helmet.  The most comfortable helmet, the most expensive helmet or the best looking helmet will be useless if it does not fit properly.  Chances are if the helmet does not fit well it will not be comfortable and you will not wear it anyway.  Fit, in my opinion, is the most important element when deciding on a helmet.  To correctly make sure a helmet fits your brain box make sure you:

1. Utilize a motorcycle helmet manufacturer's fitting chart and measuring tape.
2. Keep in mind that the helmet should fit snugly and comfortably on your head.
3. Make sure the helmet rests tightly against your forehead--you should not be able to wedge your thumb between the helmet and your forehead.
4. Adjust and fasten the chin strap, but don't allow it to cinch your neck.
5. Give your head a shake to ensure that the helmet does not shift around or slide off your head.
6. Mount your motorcycle in riding position--the top of the helmet should not affect your vision. Along with clear vertical vision, you should have 100% vision to your left and right (motorcycle helmet manufacturers are required by law to account for lateral vision).
7. If you wear glasses while riding, make sure the helmet fits properly over and around them.
8. Press down on the top of the motorcycle helmet. Hold it down and make certain the helmet feels comfortable and surrounds your whole head.
9. Make sure the store where you buy will allow you to return the helmet.
10. Check for all additional comfort, convenience and motorcycle helmet safety features before taking your motorcycle for a ride.
11. Buy the helmet and go for a long ride to make sure that the helmet is comfortable.  If it is not comfortable for at least 2 hours on the road take it back and try another brand or size.

The United States Department of Transportation held a Distracted Driving Summit last month and discovered that distracted driving is a problem.  I do not know if we really needed to conduct a two-day meeting to discover that distracted driving is a problem but some of the presentations on the website are revealing about how much a problem distracted driving is a problem.

Some of the more interesting presentations were the Legislation, Regulation and Enforcement presentation that hears from a number of interested legislators and the problems that they face in introducing law that would restrict the use of cell phones in vehicles.  Some of the speakers say that the opposition they face ranges from apathy to outright hostility against more law in general.  One of the biggest problems of course is enforcement.  The actual observation of a driver on the road and how an officer enforces the law.  You can pass all of the laws you want but if you cannot enforce the law you may as well forget it.

Another great presentation was the Youth Program that has Reggie Shaw, a now 22-year-old, then 19-year-old man that confesses to killing two men in northern Utah while texting.  Mr. Shaw's talk was poignant and heartfelt and can be seen at www.zerofatalities.com.  The most sobering part of his talk is that it could have happened to any one of us that choose to be distracted while driving.

As a motorcycle lawyer in Utah I deal with distracted driving all the time.  Victims of motorcycle crashes are often the victim of people who choose to drive while distracted.  That being a fact and proving it are often two different things.  Different cell phone carriers have different policies for the retention of cell phone records.  Cricket for example does not track the number called but does track the time and duration of the call.  Different carriers keep records for different periods of time.  Some keep the records for 3 months and then purge their system and others keep the records for a year.  What is important to note here is that if you suspect a driver that crashed into you was using their cell phone you need to get the records to prove it.  It is part of our routine investigation to immediately request the cell phone records of drivers that crash into our clients.