Motorcycle Safety

May 7, 2008

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Profile America — Wednesday, May 7th. Few things are said to be as exhilarating as riding a motorcycle — with its sense of unencumbered freedom and the feeling that the vehicle is an extension of the rider. With the summer season starting, more and more bikers will take to the road. There are 6.2 million motorcycles in the U.S. — compared to 235 million cars and trucks. That lopsided ratio is one reason this is Motorcycle Safety Month, with programs to teach riders that many accidents are caused when car drivers don’t see them or see them too late. There are about 150,000 accidents involving motorcycles each year. While this number is down almost three- quarters since 1980, these accidents still result in 4,600 deaths of motorcycle riders annually. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 246
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1071
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html