County bucks trend in motorcycle fatalities

The number of deaths involving motorcyclists in Sonoma County is on the decline for the second straight year, but the number of crashes is holding steady.

So far this year only one person has died on the county’s more than 2,300 miles of roadway, compared to six last year and 14 in 2007.

However, non-fatal wrecks are on track to match a two-year average of about 120 crashes a year, according to data from the California Highway Patrol office in Rohnert Park, which covers Highway 101 and the unincorporated areas.

Because motorcycles continue to pile up at the same rate, it could mean the lower death toll is a statistical anomaly, said CHP Capt. Kelly Young, commander of the Rohnert Park office.

“Maybe we’re just dodging the bullet,” Young said. “Luck is on our side this year.”

Statewide, fatal motorcycle crashes climbed 8.1 percent in 2008 to 560. The deadly trend goes back 11 years, starting with 204 fatalities in 1998, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety.

Over the same period, motorcycle registration has also increased, but at a slower rate, Department of Motor Vehicle records show.

Statewide motorcycle registration rose to 772,000 in 2007, up from 464,000 in 2000.

Sonoma County, which is a magnet for sport-touring, had nearly 16,000 registered bikes in 2007, a 4.5 percent increase over the previous year.

This year’s first and only fatal crash happened in May in downtown Sebastopol, when a 32-year-old Santa Rosa man lost control of his bike and smashed head-first into a pole.

Other deadly crashes have occurred in the region. In Marin County, just outside Petaluma, a 59-year-old Santa Rosa man was killed Wednesday when an oncoming van drifted into his lane.

The years 2006 and 2007 had 12 and 14 fatals, respectively, but the county average going back to 2000 is five or six motorcycle deaths a year, according to the state traffic safety office.

With more motorcycles on the road, the CHP has launched several safety campaigns aimed at older riders returning to motorcycles and younger, first-time riders, Young said.

He said the programs, which included placing safety posters at motorcycle dealerships, may have raised some awareness of the dangers. But he was reluctant to credit them for the reduced number of deaths.

Most crashes occur from speeding, he said.

Contrary to popular belief, lane-splitting, which is legal, is not a leading cause of crashes involving motorcycles, he said. Drivers failing to spot motorcycles is, he said.

“When you think somebody sees you, they don’t,” said Young, a veteran motorcycle officer. “You’ve got to ride like you’re invisible.”

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 762-7297 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.