As motorcycle numbers grow, so do dangers
Bike accidents on the rise in N.Y. since 2001

It happens to everybody, even the most experienced motorcycle rider. And with more than 30 years under his belt, Tom Thestrup qualifies as an experienced rider.

"I had an accident on Route 52," Thestrup, a Poughquag resident, said about an incident that took place 18 years ago. "At the time, I was tired and I shouldn't have been on the road. I lost my attention on the turn. I banged up my knee, but otherwise I was fine."

Since the accident, Thestrup attends a motorcycle safety course every few years.

With the warm weather, motorists can expect to find more bikes on the road.

According to state Department of Motor Vehicle statistics, the number of registered bikes on the road has risen dramatically. In the state, bike registrations grew from 217,546 in 2001 to 272,779 in 2005.

In Dutchess County, registrations rose from 6,125 in 2001 to 7,587 in 2005. In Ulster County, there were 4,758 registrations in 2001 to 6,141 in 2005.

In Ulster and Dutchess, fatalities from 2001 to 2005 fluctuated from year to year, but have never reached double digits.

Statewide, fatalities in-creased from 145 in 2001 to 168 in 2005. However, the total number of motorcycle accidents decreased statewide from 4,848 in 2001 to 4,269 in 2002. But that number has steadily risen again, with the state recording 4,892 accidents in 2005.

Correlation noted

Joseph Aiello, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Association of New York, believes the increase in accidents state-wide correlates with the increase in motorcycle registrations.

"The gas mileage has obviously been a factor for many people who like the idea of having a machine that can get 40 to 50 miles per gallon," Aiello said. "Bikes are more accepted in society and have become more mainstream. The baby-boomer population has been turning to the sport because they are at an age where they want to do what they did earlier."

Aiello said a big problem is that people are capable of buying, registering and insuring their bikes in this state without having a motorcycle license.

"If you are allowing someone to register a motorcycle without a license, you're talking about a high-performance vehicle," Aiello said. "That's a recipe for disaster."

There are two ways to receive a motorcycle license in the state. The first option is to pass a DMV road test. The second option is to obtain a waiver by completing a rider safety course administered by the Motorcycle Association of New York State.

The safety course relies on a curriculum developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that works with the federal government and states to improve motorcycle safety.

"I would say, from my experience, the best riders I have seen are those that have taken the MSF course," said Sgt. Jonathan Hughes, who heads the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office motorcycle patrol. "It just teaches people good habits."

Bob Simpson, a member of the Dutchess County Traffic Safety Board and the person responsible for administering the safety course locally, said the course received between 500 and 700 people a year.

Christine Firehock runs Christine's Kickstart, a motorcycle riding school based in LaGrange. Although she believes the MSF course is useful, she said it doesn't focus enough on advanced street riding tactics. She pointed to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that shows fatalities have steadily increase from 2,227 in 1995 to an estimated 4,758 in 2006.

"I don't think the rider education is adequate," Firehock said. "They're giving them just enough information to be more of a danger. They're not properly learning how to negotiate traffic."

Simpson disagrees with Firehock.

"The MSF has been around for 20 years and had been approved in 48 states," Simpson said. "Obviously, the government thinks it's good enough."