Nice weather in Iowa means more motorcycles — and crashes

CEDAR RAPIDS - The return of warm temperatures has motorcyclists across the state out enjoying their first rides of the year.

But the growing number of bikes on the roads also makes for increased motorcycle crashes. On Tuesday alone, Linn County saw three different motorcycle-involved collisions. All three resulted in severe injuries.

'Motorcycle/car collisions in and of themselves are not uncommon, but to have three motorcycle collisions during a one-day period is rather unusual for here,” Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said.

On Tuesday:

l Isabel Pounders, 18, was hospitalized with serious injuries after losing control of a motorcycle in Palo.

l Mike Ray Crumm, 29, struck a vehicle after it pulled into the path of his motorcycle on Highway 151 near Dean Road SW. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

l Ontario Deshawn Taylor, 21, was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with life-threatening injuries after losing control of a motorcycle and striking a guard rail while exiting Highway 13 onto Highway 30.

At the time of their respective incidents, Crumm and Taylor were wearing a helmet; Pounders was not.

With traffic of all sorts - whether it has two wheels or more - increasing in the summer months, Gardner encouraged motorcyclists and motorists alike to be more cautious.

'That's usually one of the biggest causes, people just don't see motorcycles or don't pay attention,” he said. 'You just need to be more aware of your surroundings and pay more attention to actual driving.”

Trained to be safe

Rusty Crabtree, a Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor since 2012 who also does advanced rider training, said rider awareness is one of the most important things he teaches.

Defensive driving is critical for everyone on the road, but even more so when you're on a motorcycle, said Crabtree, a franchisee with motorcycle safety organization Ride Like A Pro Iowa.

'When you're on two wheels you don't have the cockpit around you,” he said. 'You are responsible for your own safety. You have to keep your head and eyes up.”

Crabtree said he also emphasizes the importance of proper braking, for drivers of all experience levels.

'Braking is a really big deal,” he said. 'You want it to be muscle-memory so your body reacts before your mind does.”

Locally, Kirkwood Community College and McGrath Hawkeye Harley-Davidson in Coralville offer certified basic and experienced motorcycle training courses almost every weekend.

At McGrath, General Manager Griffin McGrath said most students in the dealership's three-day course have never ridden before.

'The goal is to get them to be very confident and excited, yet cautious of what is always around them and potentially around them to they can react,” McGrath said.

National trends

The Governors Highway Safety Association earlier this month released a report showcasing preliminary data on last year's motorcycle fatalities by state.

According to the report, U.S. motorcycle fatalities dropped by 5.6 percent, or nearly 300 deaths - from 5,286 in 2016 to 4,990 last year. That's coming off a 5.1 percent increase in such deaths from 2015 to 2016, the report states.

Meanwhile, Iowa saw a more than 26 percent drop in fatalities over the two years - from 60 to 44, the report found.

Iowa's motorcycle fatality rate also has fluctuated over the years. There were 41 motorcycle fatalities in 2015, 51 in 2014 and 41 in 2013, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Last year, a helmet was not used in 34 of the 47 fatalities counted by the Iowa DOT. In 2016, a helmet was not worn in 47 of the 60 fatalities.

Preliminary data from the Iowa DOT show there have been five motorcycle fatalities so far this year.

Iowa is one of three states - including Illinois and New Hampshire - with no laws requiring motorcycle helmets.

While some Iowa lawmakers and public health and safety organizations have made efforts to require helmet use, such pushes have been unsuccessful.

Not-for-profit A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education, or ABATE of Iowa, often has been the driving force behind maintaining Iowa's lack of a helmet rule.

ABATE of Iowa emphasizes education and freedom of choice.

Most recently, a bill the last legislative session that would have required minors to wear a helmet when on a motorbike or ATV did not advance.

'They have been quite effective in stopping any legislation having to do with helmets, whether it involves minors or anyone else,” said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City.

Mark Maxwell, who serves as ABATE's primary lobbyist, could not be reached for comment.

While he agrees that helmet use should remain a choice, Crabtree said he never rides without a jacket, pants, over-the-ankle footwear and a helmet. Anybody who takes a training course is required to wear the same, he added.

'For me, wearing a helmet is common sense,” he said. 'I know that concrete is harder than my head.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8309; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com

Iowa motorcycle facts

From 2015-2017:

l There were 279,323 licensed riders and 141,280 registered motorcycles in Iowa as of Jan. 1, 2018

l There were a total of 3,067 motorcycle crashes in that three-year span.

l Of those crashes, 22.4 percent involved major injury and 4.6 percent of motorcycle crashes were fatal.

l Three out of every four motorcycle crashes happen during daylight hours, with the highest percentage of crashes taking place between 3 and 6 p.m.

l More than half - 56 percent - of motorcycle crashes happen between Friday and Sunday.

l About 15 percent of motorcycle crashes involve alcohol or drugs, compared with only 7 percent of non-motorcycle crashes.

l The most common type of crash - at 44 percent of all collisions - is with another vehicle. Most crashes occur when the motorcycle is going straight.

Source: Iowa Department of Transportation. Data compiled by the Iowa State University Institute for Transportation.