North Carolina tackling increase in rider fatalities
A 29 percent spike in motorcycle fatalities in North Carolina against a backdrop of fewer motorcycle fatalities nationwide has officials scrambling to figure out the reason.
“It’s definitely a concern any time you have a statistical increase like that,” Sgt. Steve Greene of the N.C. Highway Patrol’s state office in Raleigh told the Gaston Gazette. “Now the question to answer is what do we attribute it to?”
The increase in fatalities was recorded through the first eight months of 2010. There were 97 motorcycle deaths statewide through August, compared to 75 during the same period in 2009, the newspaper reported. That may be because more people are riding on two wheels.
“When times are tight, motorcycles are a good fiscal alternative to cars,” says Brendan Byrnes, a spokesman for AAA Carolinas. “The way the law reads now, there’s no requirement to pass a road safety test of any kind before someone can legally get out on the road on a motorcycle.”
In North Carolina, riders only have to pass a written test. They get an 18-month permit, renewable every 18 months.
Starting Jan. 1, drivers 18 and older will need a motorcycle learner’s permit, which requires passing vision, road sign and written tests. Applicants younger than 18 must first complete rider safety courses.
The permit will last 12 months, after which it can only be renewed for six months. Then drivers will have to pass a road test to continue operating a motorcycle legally.
Originally posted by Holly Wagner at dealernews.com
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