The Lombardi Law Firm Blog

Motorcycle Safety – It’s about watching out for the unexpected and paying closer attention – and not just for those on the motorcycle.

A southbound motorcycle rider was ejected from his bike after a northbound car turned and struck him head on while turning off Highway 965 onto Cou Falls Road near Swisher, Iowa. The collision occurred about 6:30 PM. There is no mention of whether a helmet was worn or a cause of death. This appears to be a failure to yield case.

In a second news item from the Golden Triangle Media a Mt. Pleasant man was killed in a similarly head-on crash. The accident description is not very clear other than the Mt. Pleasant man was pronounced dead at the scene when his motorcycle collided head-on with a vehicle being driven by a Ft. Madison gentleman.

In a third collision a car and motorcycle collided at 6^th Street SW and 33^rd Ave. SW just before 3:00 A.M. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The cycle rider was taken to the hospital. The police suspect the driver of the car had been drinking. KCRG has this story. This is an alcohol related case, or OWI collision.

In a fourth accident near Welton, Iowa a woman from Lost Nation driving a car collided head-on with a motorcycle driver in Clinton County. The woman was driving a Buick Century westbound in the 2000 block of 190^th Street at 4:44 PM when she fell asleep at the wheel, then crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Harley-Davidson cycle driven by a 54 year old man, Bruce Hanley from Geneseo, Illinois. The point of impact was in the south shoulder of the road, tending to show the motorcyclist was trying to avoid the collision by turning away from her. Both vehicles went airborne, the car ending up on it’s top and striking a utility pole. The cycle had a passenger, Hanley who is 53. She was pronounced dead at the University or Iowa Hospital and the driver was admitted. Neither was wearing helmets. The car driver was treated and released. This is a failure to maintain control case.

In a fifth motorcycle accident a Fremont woman was killed when the motorcycle she was riding on blew a tire, the driver lost control and she was injured. This collision occurred on Interstate 80 west of Des Moines. The motorcycle actually overturned and slid into the ditch. They were traveling east on I-80 and ended up in the south ditch. In this collision both were wearing helmets. This is a vehicle-maintenance case.

KIMT, News 3 from Mason City, Iowa has a story about the number of motorcycle registrations and death rates in both Iowa and Minnesota. As the number of registrations climb so has the death toll. Iowa has 60-motorcycle related deaths in the state.

“The Iowa D.O.T says there are things you can do to stay safe on your motorcycle. Bikers should wear bright colors so other drivers can notice them.
        
Drive the speed limit while operating any vehicle and don't drive while intoxicated. You can also lower the fatality rate while driving your car.

"As far as a driver be aware of motorcycles I know it's been preached for many years but it obviously is a problem we still have people today saying I didn't see the motorcycle," said Iowa D.O.T's Field Service Coordinator Pete Hjelmstad.

Some motorcycles now have flashing headlights to help them become more visible to the rest of the traffic.”

With gas prices what they are the number of scooters using the roadway is bound to increase. We all need to slow down and pay more attention to our driving and the traffic conditions. Motorcycle riders need to increase their visibility.  I don’t mean to pick on the motorcycle riders, I just want them to stay alive. Everyone needs to be more careful, to be alert and then we can all be safe and stay alive.