Motorcycle Deaths Rose in 2012, NHTSA Says

Riding a motorcycle is becoming more dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is out with final statistics for 2012, which reveal that 4,957 riders were killed on the nation’s roads – an increase of 7.1 percent over 2011 when 4,630 riders died. Motorcyclists accounted for 14.8 percent of all highway deaths. A decade ago, nine percent of all traffic fatalities involved motorcycles.

Of the 4,957 riders who died, 1,390 (or 28 percent) were found to be under the influence of alcohol. There were 10 times as many deaths of  unhelmeted riders in states without mandatory helmet laws – 1,858 rider deaths versus 178 unhelmeted fatalities in states with helmet laws.

Rider injuries also rose in 2012 to 93,000, a 15 percent increase. The NHTSA report is posted here.

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A 1938 Harley-Davidson WLD Solo Sport once owned by Steve McQueen is going up for auction in Anaheim, CA on Saturday. The bike has original paint and 21,000 miles on the odometer. It last sold in the 1984 sale of the actor’s estate in Las Vegas.

McQueen’s ownership of the Harley is fully documented and the bike comes with “McQueen’s personal tools found wrapped in a piece of denim in the frame mounted tool box.”

The complete auction listing may be found here.

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More to read:

– The “Democrat and Chronicle” in Rochester, NY has a story on a Harley and Triumph mechanic who loves his job.