| Dangerous roads take the lives of hundreds of | | | | other vehicles: not only are drivers predominately |
| California motorcyclists each year. Just last week, | | | | watching for other cars when making turns or |
| Orange County saw two motorcycle wrecks in | | | | changing lanes, in many situations they cannot |
| one day. Early Friday morning, the California | | | | even see an approaching motorcyclist--especially |
| Highway Patrol was informed of a collision in | | | | when large vehicles, such as trucks and SUVs, |
| Costa Mesa on the southbound I-405 transition | | | | obstruct a driver's view. Drivers are also more |
| road to the southbound 73. A flatbed truck had | | | | accustomed to intuitively calculating the speed of |
| struck a motorcyclist, leaving him severely injured. | | | | vehicles that are the same size and are ultimately |
| Authorities are still looking for the driver of the | | | | ill equipped to determine how soon motorcyclists |
| truck. That night, a 53-year-old motorcyclist from | | | | would reach them. |
| Garden Grove died from the injuries he sustained | | | | The physical condition of the road is also a factor |
| after running into a concrete median in Los | | | | in motorcycle accidents. Motorcycles are lighter |
| Alamitos. In a study that tracked the number of | | | | than cars and trucks, and, therefore, not equipped |
| motorcyclist injuries and fatalities that occurred | | | | to be driven over potholes, wet leaves, and other |
| throughout the country, the National Highway | | | | road obstructions. If road visibility is poor or the |
| Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that | | | | motorcyclist is distracted, he or she may fail to |
| both had steadily risen from 1998 to 2008, with | | | | slow down in time to avoid a road obstruction, |
| California accounting for more motorcyclist | | | | which could lead to an accident. Last Friday, a |
| fatalities than any other state in the nation. | | | | Garden Grove motorcyclist lost his life after |
| With an annual total of 537 motorcyclist fatalities | | | | crashing into a concrete median in the road. When |
| in 2008, at least one motorcyclist died every day | | | | motorcyclists do decrease their speed to account |
| that year. While alcohol use was involved in 56 | | | | for road obstructions, other drivers may fail to |
| percent of these accidents, 44 percent could be | | | | respond and a collision could occur. |
| attributed to other causes. California's dangerous | | | | While these risks are inherent to motorcycle riding |
| roads are also the result of the negligence of | | | | and impact motorcyclists across the country, |
| other drivers and poor road conditions. | | | | California's extensive network of freeways and |
| Distracted or aggressive drivers are prone to | | | | highways and thriving car culture magnify them, |
| accidentally striking motorcyclists, especially those | | | | leading California to possess some of the most |
| who weave in and out of traffic. About 75 | | | | dangerous roads in the nation. Increased vigilance, |
| percent of motorcycle accidents involve a collision | | | | on the part of motorcyclists and the drivers of |
| with another vehicle, often a car or truck. | | | | other types of vehicles, will contribute to making |
| Motorcyclists have smaller profiles than most | | | | our roads safer. |