Drivers must look for cycles

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November 18, 2009

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Wed Nov 18, 2009, 05:49 PM EST

Although outdoor temperatures have dipped below 60 degrees, motorists must remain on the lookout for motorcycles and mo-peds.

Sunday, a Jeep struck a mo-ped in an alley on Kokomo’s near south side. The mo-ped operator was dragged 10 yards beneath the SUV and died of his injuries.

And Tuesday, many Plainfield High School students wore black to school to honor the memory of 15-year-old freshman Ben Kempf. He was killed Monday night after his mo-ped collided with a pickup truck in Hendricks County.

Plainfield police officer Scott Poston said Ben apparently didn’t know a vehicle was behind him when he turned left and into its path.

Though authorities believe neither motorist was at fault in these accidents, a 1981 study suggests motorcycle accidents usually are caused by drivers of cars and trucks – and nearly all result in injury to the cyclist.

With funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researcher Harry Hunt of the University of Southern California investigated 900 motorcycle accidents and 3,600 accident reports involving motorcycles in the Los Angeles area. Hunt found:

• About 75 percent of motorcycle accidents involved a collision with another vehicle.

• In 66 percent of the collisions, another vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident.

• Failure of drivers to see motorcycles was the predominating cause of the accidents.

• Intersections were the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicles violating the motorcycle right-of-way.

• The likelihood of injury was extremely high in these motorcycle accidents. Ninety-eight percent of accidents with another vehicle resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle operator.

It’s clear drivers must be alert to the presence of cyclists. Expect to see them at all times. Allow mo-peds and motorcycles as much space as a car when passing them. And be particularly aware of cyclists at intersections.

Motorcyclists are 21 times more likely as those traveling in a passenger car to die in a traffic accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. Look for them while on the road.

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