Mass. Governor Deval Patrick has signed the new legislation also known as “Ryan’s Bill” in honor of Ryan Orcutt, a 16-year-old Brockton teen who died in a motorcycle crash last year. The new legislation was backed by the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association.

The motorcycle association cited statistics from the Motorcycle Rider Education Program, saying that 63% of motorcycle fatalities in the last 10 years involved motorcyclists who had not taken safety courses. About 23% of the motorcycle fatalities were riders under 21.

Under the new bill, young riders applying for the Junior Operator license will need to pass a vision and a written test, as well as take a safety course at the 15 spots across Massachusetts with certified instructors.

The exact name of the recalled motorcycles is Kawasaki 2010 KLX110 Off-Road Motorcycles. This involves KLX110CAF and KLX110DAF off-road motorcycles (sold in green).

The motorocycles are recalled since a faulty housing for the ignition switch can allow water to enter and activate the electric starter unintentionally. No injuries have been reported, yet, but the faulty switch poses a serious hazard of injury or death.

The motorcycles, manufactured in Thailand, were sold at Kawasaki dealerships nationwide from August 2009 through February 2010 for about $2,100.

To find out more about the recall, please click here.

According to NH police the number of motorcycle riders killed in crashes has tripled compared to the fatalities at the same point in 2009.  So far, 16 motorcyclists have died in NH accidents this year compared to 5 at the same point last year. About 27 people have died in motorcycle crashes in New Hapmshire over the last five years.

One reason for the rise in motorcycle fatalities this year could be the good weather. If you were around last summer you would remember that we barely saw any sun from May till September. It rained almost every day. 

This summer is completely different. Sure, we did get the occasional shower, but most days have been sunny and warm. No wonder people want to get out on weekends and do stuff.

Since more riders and motorists go out to enjoy the good weather, the chance of encountering inexperienced riders and drivers is greater, as so are the opportunities for an accident.

Just like NH police officials say, alcohol and speed appear to be factors as well.

How do we stop the increase in motorcycle related deaths?

Besides wearing protective gear and motorcycle helmets, bikers should also take safety courses. NH police say 12 of the 16 riders who died in crashes this year had not taken a motorcycle safety course. See the connection?

Staying sober and alert on the road is also one of the most important factors in saving a motorcyclist’s life. While some accidents cannot be avoided, some certainly can by simply following your common sense.

News Sources: Boston Herald, Union Leader.

Despite the obvious message that helmets save lives, they can also save you money on motorcycle insurance. See the other factors that can influence motorcycle accidents and motorcycle insurance costs…

Also, as you can see on the poster, thanks to Massachusetts helmet laws, it is the home of some of the safest riders.

In a few words, on Monday, Aug 2, a group of four motorcyclists after paying a visit to the Trailside Steak and Seafood Restaurant were travelling on Route 302 in Maine. One of the bikers, a Quincy man stood up on his 2004 Harley-Davidson Night Train motorcycle and started waving with one hand, while holding the bike’s handlebar with the other hand, going at 55 mph.

He then lost control and fell, sustaining fatal injuries. The victim, Justin Dilks, 34, landed in the middle of the road.

Hi friend and fellow biker, Marjorie Loonie, 45, of Melrose trying to avoid crashing into him, swerved and lost control of her own 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and also crashed. Loonie suffered serious injury and was airlifted to Central Maine Medical Center where she is listed in a stable condition.

Neither Dilks, nor Loonie, nor any of the other bikers in the group were wearing helmets, which could have perhaps save them from head injury and trauma. Dilks was pronounced dead at the scene from severe head injuries, police said.

According to the police, the trick riding led to the fatal crash. Trick riding is dangerous and usually rare. We are sorry that a fellow motorcyclist got killed while engaging in this behavior, and that his friend got injured. It serves as a valuable and obvious lesson to other riders not to rush to do something which may put them and other people in the path of injury and death.

Many factors lead to the death of Justin Dilks and the injury of Marjorie Loonie, but we can narrow them down to the most obvious three:

1. None were wearing helmets.

Motorcycle helmets are essential safety gear which should we worn at all times. It saves bikers from severe head trauma and brain injury, and some models even prevent facial injuries. Even though helmet use is not required in every state, bikers’ common sense should tell me to put one on before hitting the road.

2. Dilks was riding while standing on his bike.

Even if he was doing it in on a parked motorcycle, instead of going at 55 mph, it just seems as a very irresponsible behavior – an accident waiting to happen. And it did. The sad part is that it ended terribly, both for Dilks and Loonie.

3. The stretch of US Route 302 where the crash occurred is known as a busy and a frequent crash site, so the motorcyclists should have been extra careful when travelling on it.

If you are riding on notorious, or unfamiliar roads, always stay alert and focused, epsecially at night.

Justin Dilks is remembered by friends as a kind man who lived life to the fullest, and his loss is felt by many. He was on vacation at the Keoka Beach Campground in Waterford, just north of Bridgton, police said.

News Sources: Patriot Ledger, KJ Online.

According to news reports, the man was standing on the seat of his motorcycle waving with one hand and holding the bike’s handlebar with the other. He lost control and fell off the motorcycle.

The victim’s name was not released due to pending notification of his relatives first.  

The other motorcyclist, Marjorie Loonie, 45, of Melrose, Massachusetts, was seriously injured in the crash, and had to be airlifted by a LifeFlight helicopter to a Maine hospital. Loonie’s condition was still being evaluated yesterday, a Central Maine Medical Center spokesperson said.

Loonie was a part of a motorcycle group of four which previously visited the Trailside Steak and Seafood Restaurant yesterday afternoon.

After the restaurant the four motorcyclists drove about a 1/4 mile on Route 302 from the restaurant when the man lost control of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and fell to the ground. Loonie, trying to avoid a collision with him lost control of her own motorcycle and crashed.

No other details regarding this accident were released, except that none of the motorcyclists were wearing helmets.

Also, there is no word on why the man was standing and waving before the crash or if alcohol was involved. Police are still investigating the accident.

This unfortunate crash should remind other bikers about the importance of always wearing helmets and not engaging in dangerous behavior while riding a motorcycle, since it puts more than one lives in peril.

News Sources: Press Herald, Sun Journal.

According to news and police reports, Patrick Cronin, 19, of Arlington was on his way from Massachusetts to Canada with a friend when he crashed his bike on the Maine Turnpike in New Gloucester near milepost 70. Police said Cronin was in the passing lane of I-95 when a car passed him on the right, causing him to lose control of his 1998 Honda. Apparently, he was caught in a gust of wind from the passing car that he lost control and was thrown off the motorcycle, witnesses told the police. 

He was seen tumbling a short distance down the road and into the grass by the side of the road.

The motorcycle had very little damage, but Cronin suffered injuries and was transported to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Luckily, the young biker was wearing his helmet, so his head was protected from serious trauma. Most of his injuries involved road rash, police said.

It could have been infinitely worse, but Cronin had the common sense to protect himself with the most basic safety gear – a helmet. We applaud his decision and sincerely hope he will mend soon.

This accident is a great example of the importance of wearing helmets, especially for inexperienced bikers. Nobody is looking for an accident on the road, but in case it happens it’s good to know that you did your best to protect yourself from permanent serious injury.

News Sources: WMTV, Sun Journal.

Almost every weekend this summer has brought an overwhelming number of motorcycle accident fatalities and injuries, so it is no wonder that motorcycle experts think that taking safety education courses could be the key to preventing accidents.

Since 2001, almost 80% of motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes in Massachusetts had no motorcycle education, the state Registry of Motor Vehicles reports. So far, the reigstry advises, but does not require, that motorcycle permit holders take a safety course. The number of students who take motorcycle safety courses declines while motorcycle crash reports rise, pointing that a lack of motorcycle education could be at the heart of the problem.

According to the RMV, 8,401 students were enrolled in the Mass. Rider Education Program in 2009, compared to 9,308 in 2008, while the number of fatal motorcycle crashes in Mass. rose from 42 in 2008 to 52 in 2009. So far this year, there have been 18 fatal motorcycle crashes.

We urge all prospective riders to take motorcycle safety education courses before they go out on the roads. Knowing the dangers on the road and the ways to improve their performance is half the battle, as the numbers clearly show.

The officials identified the victim as the 56-year-old Michael Bator, while his friends and relatives remember him as an all around good guy who would literally take the shirt off his back for a friend, the local newspaper, Taunton Gazette, reported.

Medics at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, pronounced Bator dead upon arrival last Thursday. The crash had occurred on Route 175 in Campton after Bator’s motorcycle crossed the center line of the road and struck the left front corner of the oncoming pickup truck. Route 175 is notorious among the local motorcyclists for its twists, turns and change in elevation.

The truck driver was not injured in the crash, and there have been no charges so far.

One of Bator’s friends, Teddy Benson, said that he, Bator and a small group of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts from Taunton had been making an annual pilgrimage to Laconia, NH, the newspaper reported. Thousands of motorcycle fans have been flocking to Laconia for years for the annual motorcycle event near Lake Winnipesaukee.   

Officials and Bator’s friends confirm that Bator was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, but Benson said that a helmet wouldn’t have helped as Bator died from massive chest trauma and a badly damaged leg.

Bator is survived by his 93-year-old mother Jean, two daughters, Stephanie, 25, of Taunton, Alyssa, 30, of Vermont and two grandsons.

“He was loved by everybody,” Bator’s sister said. “He would do anything for a friend.”

The latest news regarding motorcycle accident fatalities comes from Rhode Island, in which a 37-year-old biker was killed on I-95 North over the weekend.

WPRI reported the news of the tragic death of Jamie Marin from Central Falls, who died after crashing his motorcycle on I-95 N near the School Street exit in Pawtucket on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses to the crash reported that Marin was swerving across several lanes before he struck the jersey barrier. The impact was so strong that it threw him off the motorcycle. Marin landed three-traffic lanes over, and his body was found down the embankment next to the highway. He was not wearing a helmet.

According to the police, erratic driving and speed were considered as contributing factors in the crash. Marin’s death is a sad reminder that motorcyclists need to exercise extreme caution when riding in the dark. Wearing a helmet is just part of it. Even though some New England states do not have strict motorcycle helmet laws, bikers are constantly urged to use common sense and simply wear one.

This incident is the third New England motorcycle accident this month that involved motorcyclists who were not wearing helmets, and one of the many fatal motorcycle accidents since the beginning of this month.