Motorcycle Training Does Not Reduce Crash Risk, Study Says New York Times (blog)
Courses designed to make new motorcyclists safer are not decreasing crashes, according to a new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety . However, research also shows that helmets and antilock brakes on motorcycles are life savers.
“We are not saying they aren’t supposed to get training, but we need to have realistic expectations about what training can do,” said Anne McCartt, the senior vice president for research at the Insurance Institute, which is funded by the insurance industry.
These findings are part of a number of studies the institutes have just released on motorcycles. The groups have looked at antilock brakes, helmet laws and rider training programs to see what role they play in keeping riders safe and preventing deaths.
The issue is that as ridership has increased, so has the number of fatal crashes. Motorcycle registrations rose to 7.7 million in 2008, which is up from 4.3 million in 2000, according to R.L. Polk & Company data. Rider deaths topped 5,000 in 2008, more than in any year since 1975, when the government began collecting fatal crash data.
Zatta said he has seen a lot of young drivers pursue a high-profile racing career. “Obviously, they don't all succeed,” he said. “I was a little skeptical of Brian at first, like I am most drivers. “This kid knows when to go, when to push it in a race.
