Preliminary 2010 Iowa highway deaths below average – except motorcyclists

State highway safety experts say motorcycle fatalities stand out as a worrisome statistic in the 2010 highway fatality increase.

The Iowa Department of Transportation said 384 people died on Iowa highways through Dec. 30. The number of highway deaths is up from 2009's low of 371, but remains well below the five-year average of 418 deaths.

The number of reported fatalities for 2010 is expected to rise before a final count is complete. Due to reporting lags, the first annual count is often not complete until several months into the next year.

Of the 384 people who died in 2010 accidents, 60 have been motorcyclists. The number of motorcycle deaths was up both from 2009 and from the five-year average of 56 motorcyclists who died on Iowa highways.

Scott Falb, a driver safety expert at the DOT, said the increase in motorcyclist deaths may have been due to weather differences between 2010 and earlier years.

"The driving climate for motorcyclists was more hospitable this year, and even when there was rain the temperatures were warm enough that motorcyclists still took to the road," Falb said.

Iowa is one of an extreme minority of states that does not have a mandatory helmet law for adult motorcyclists.

The DOT recorded 184 lives saved by seat belts in highway accidents, a statistic it calls the "Life Toll."