!!!!!!CONTEST!!!!!!

The Utah Highway Safety Office is partnering with Richter7 to increase motorcycle safety awareness throughout the state. Richter7 is sponsoring the DRIVE AWARE. RIDE AWARE. video contest, which challenges participants to create videos that promote motorcycle and driver safety as part of the campaign. First-, second- and third-place winners will receive $1,000, $500 and $250, respectively.

The deadline for contest submissions is Friday, April 16. Participants should email submissions to Megan Hoskins at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . All entries will be showcased on Utah Highway Safety Office’s motorcycle safety Facebook page. More information is available by contacting Megan Hoskins or Derek Miller at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by visiting the campaign’s Facebook page. Users of Facebook would search “Utah Highway Safety Office” to access the page.  For more information, please visit http://highwaysafety.utah.gov.

This is a good and worthwhile project that last year attracted enteries from many different people.  The winner last year was a young man in high school as I recall.

Utah Bike Law is a law firm and its lawyers are 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.

Monday March 1, 2010 was a beautiful day and like a lot of other motorcycle riders I fired up my bike and went for a ride.  Brushing off the winter cobwebs I was careful to be very safe with my driving and very safe watching the vehicle drivers around me because I know that they are not looking for motorcycle riders this early in the motorcycle season.

I suspect that a 29-year-old motorcycle rider from Provo was doing the same thing - out for an early ride on his motorcycle.  Unfortunately a 19-year-old woman driving an SUV around noon made a left turn into the path of the Provo man on the motorcycle.  The motorcyclist was able to lay down his motorcycle, but still slid into the front fender of the SUV.  He was critically injured with head, chest and leg trauma.  Immediate helicopter evacuation was performed and the injured motorcycle rider was airlifted to Utah Valley Medical Center where he remains in critical condition today.

The motorcycle crash occurred near near 700 North and State Street in the Utah County town of Lindon. Police told the Salt Lake Tribune that the woman, who was northbound, told them she had glanced at her watch just before making the turn west onto 700 North and did not see the approaching southbound motorcycle.

The most common type of motorcycle crash involving another vehicle occurs when the other vehicle is turning left in front of the motorcycle rider.  I think the crash occurs for at least three major reasons.  First, the driver of the vehicle just is not accustomed to and looking for motorcycles.  We, as human beings have a tendency to see what we are looking for and if we are not looking for motorcycles on the streets we drive we simply will not see motorcycles.  Second, motorcycles are relatively small as compared to vehicles and they can be obscured from view by roadside obstacles or even the car strut that holds up the roof of the car.  Last, but certainly not least, is that because motorcycles are small they appear to be further away than what they actually are and vehicles turning left think they have all the time they need to safely turn in front of the motorcycle when in fact they do no.

I point out these common causes not to lay blame so much as to attune other vehicle drivers and motorcycle riders themselves about how left-turning vehicles cause motorcycle crashes.  We all, both vehicle drivers and motorcycle riders need to watch out for each other out there!

Utah Bike Law and its lawyers are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions about your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

In Utah you have the right to choose to wear a helmet when you are riding your motorcycle as long as you are 18 years old.  I think your decision to wear or not wear a helmet is up to you - you alone - not the legislature!  However...... if you are going to wear a helmet you should consider using the best helmet and that would be the new Lazer SuperSkin Motorcycle Helmet.

It is important to note that in 67% of all cases the head is affected in a motorcycle accident and, according to the European COST 327 helmet study concerning motorcyclist safety, “rotational acceleration was identified as a principal cause of head injury”.

In order to understand how this phenomenon occurs, you should be aware that the brain is not fixed to the inside of the skull and the brain linings but that it floats, immersed in cerebrospinal fluid.  In fact, the skull and the brain can be compared to a hollow globe that encloses a gelatinous sphere, the brain matter, which floats within the bony walls in a whole network of membranes and elastic cables (blood vessels, tissues etc).

Any impact causes instantaneous pivoting of the head, to a greater or lesser degree. Of course, the brain mass follows the rotational movement of the skull, but with a slight time delay. Kinetic energy results in the brain undergoing a rotational to-and-fro movement inside the skull.

And as described previously, this happens within the first 15 milliseconds following the impact.  Clearly the violence of this rotational movement within the skull can instantaneously cause the tearing of blood vessels and nerve fibers inside the brain.  This phenomenon, called “intracranial shearing” by doctors, is the cause of serious and inoperable injuries leading to serious disabilities (coma, paralysis and various other disorders) and all too often, death.

With the Lazer SuperSkin Motorcycle Helmet the rotational forces are decreased and the brain is saved!

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.

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.

Open Road Journey is a great motorcycle website where you can research motorcycle rides across America and around the world.  You can search by state and under Utah they have some of the best and least known rides in the state.

One of my local favorite rides is what they call "Twisty Fun" which takes you on a beautiful ride west of I-15 on highway 92 through the Wasatch National Forest.  The ride has gorgeous scenery, lots of pull-offs and the condition of the road is fantastic - or at least it was last year!

Another ride they call "Moab to Grand Junction - The Back Way" is a good ride and very populated with motorcycle riders in the summer months.  Make sure you pack a lot of cool drinks in the summer - you can fry your a** off in the summer in this area.

Lava Hot Springs, although I have never been there, is reported to be one of the most fun spots in Idaho.  Rafting the Snake River is reported to be great.  I can attest that the route from Ogden Utah to Preston Idaho is good road and pretty scenery.

There are other trips including Highway 12 in southern Utah that goes through the Manti-La Sal National Forest and the Four Corners area of Utah that need to be seen to be believed.

The best part about this website is that you can add your own trips and share your adventures with others.  Add a few of your own.  I think I will add a few of my trips this year - plan on heading West into Nevada this year - see the desert.

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.

Here is a checklist of what to do and not do when you are in a motorcycle crash in Utah.

Do:

1. Call your insurance agent immediately after an accident takes place,

2. Obtain a copy of the police report,

3. Take and keep detailed notes of all conversations with insurance company representatives, and get names, phone numbers, and job titles of people you speak with, including their supervisor's name,

4. Read and understand your policy. Know what kinds of accidents you are covered for and what you are not covered for,

5. Discover that you could have insurance coverage under another insurance policy as well. Many people have more than one policy that might cover a claim. In particular, look at homeowner policies and "umbrella" policies,

6. Take pictures of any damage to your vehicle, the accident scene, and your injuries,

7. Be honest and forthcoming with your insurer. Failing to be candid with your insurer might invalidate your policy or cause a denial of coverage,

8. Keep all receipts of meals, lodging, and purchases made in connection with time spent pursuing your claim or recovering from your injuries from the time of the covered event until final settlement with your insurance company,

9. If necessary, contact an experienced Colorado personal injury attorney. Your insurance company is primairly interested in their bottom line and will frequently contest your claim. Don't be a victim!

Do not:

1. Provide any recorded and/or written statements to your insurer until you are sure you understand your coverage. Remember you are not required to allow the insurance company to record your telephone conversation. If you have doubts, consult an attorney immediately,

2. Automatically accept the estimate or appraisal of your losses given to you by the insurer. Insurance companies will often try to get you to accept their estimator's or contractor's repair or replacement estimates, which might be lower than what you deserve. If you have doubts, contact an attorney immediately,

3. Sign any releases or waivers until you obtain legal advice. Don't accept a premature, inadequate settlement from your insurer. Consult an attorney before signing a release or waiver. In addition, remember to read the fine print on any payment from the insurance company,

4. Accept any check that says "final payment",

5. Disregard the time limits set by your insurance policy. Most policies require a signed proof of loss within a certain time limit. Be sure you comply with this requirement unless you obtain a written waiver from your insurance company. Many policies allow you only one year from the date of loss in which to bring a legal action if your claim has not been adjusted fairly. If months of gone by and your claim has not been settled yet to your satisfaction, consult an attorney immediately. A failure to do so could result in the loss of your right to sue,

6. Forget that your insurance company has a legal obligation to provide the coverage it promised to you. Be insistent about enforcing that obligation, and consult and attorney if necessary,

If you've been injured in a motorcycle accident you should be aggressive and vigilant in protecting your rights. Don't assume that the insurance companies are looking out for your interests, and furthermore, don't try to take on the insurance companies by yourself! Contact Utah Bike Law because we are experienced in motorcycle crash cases and will protect your rights and get you the fair compensation that you deserve!

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.

Some time ago I blogged about a piece of obscure Utah legislation proposed by Rhonda Menlove that intended to encourage motorcycle riders to wear helmets.  The bill seemed harmless at the time and a rather benign way to encourage helmet use.  The bill, in its original format proposed a $10 reduction of certain highway tickets if the offending motorcycle rider was wearing a helmet.

House Bill 93 was titled MOTORCYCLE AND OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE AMENDMENTS and was recently amended to add a vary important aspect.  The amendment adds to the language of the bill stating:

... provides that the failure to wear protective headgear:
does not constitute contributory or comparative negligence on the part of a person seeking recovery for injuries; and may not be introduced as evidence in any civil litigation on the issue of negligence, injuries, or the mitigation of damages; ...

This means that insurance companies can no longer claim in court that an injured motorcycle rider who is not wearing a helmet caused his own injury.  In Utah we have what is called contributory negligence where a judge must reduce the injured person's monetary recovery by the amount of negligence determined by the jury.  If the jury determines that the injured motorcycle rider was more that 50% negligent for not wearing a helmet the injured rider will receive nothing at trial.  If the jury determines that the injured rider is 30% negligent the judge will reduce the recovery by 30%.

This bill stops the insurance company lawyers from penalizing the injured rider for following the law - that is riding without a helmet.  In other words an injured motorcycle rider should not be penalized for following the law and choosing to ride without a helmet.

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.

Taxpayers who purchased a new car, motorcycle, light truck or mobile home on or after February 17, 2009, and before January 1, 2010, can deduct sales taxes for the first $49,500 of the purchase price. You don't need to itemize to claim this deduction.You can claim the sales-tax deduction even if you participated in the federal "cash-for-clunkers" program, says Amy McAnarney, executive director of H&R Block's Tax Institute.

The AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) has a good review of the law regarding this tax deduction.  In speaking with my accountant the deduction is legitimate and welcome.  If you are having your taxes done by someone else or you are doing them yourself do not forget this deduction!

I think Harley Davidson makes a great motorcycle - I own two of them and I love them.  I love everything about them - their bulk, their gutteral rumble and their classic design.

But things are tough at Harley Davidson what with the economic recession and their core market baby boomers reluctant to plop down thousands for a bike.  To add to their woes Harley kept producing bikes in the face of slowing sales leading to a product glut.  Not only is there a glut of new Harleys out there but as times are tough for current owners there is also a glut of Harleys on the classifieds pages.  To compound their problems Harley engeged in questionable lending to help support lagging sales in 2009 and that is coming home to haunt them as these soft loans have cost Harley dearly.  Harley stock got as low as about $10 in 2009 but has rebounded to about $23 recently.

On the bright side Harley Davidson is an icon and has survived over 107 years coming through the great depression and foreign motorcycle invasion of the 1970's.  What saved them then and what will save Harley now is the loyalty of their fans.  Harley has done a great job marketing to their cadre of loyal fans.  To survive they will have to keep up thier innovative marketing programs including HOG (Harley Ownership Group) and introducing models like the V-Rod that appeals to younger riders.