As you probably know - motorcycle and scooter accidents have increased. With the price of gasoline skyrocketing more and more people are opting for two-wheeled transportation. Sometimes motorcycle accidents are the result of no one's fault but the rider. Take for example the motorcyclist who drinks and drives. If they are in an accident they have no none to blame but themselves.

As you probably also know - automobile drivers are often found to be drinking and driving. In my opinion drunk drivers of a car or truck represent a more dangerous situation because they are behind the wheel of a two ton vehicle that can kill others. A drunk motorcyclist takes his own life in his hands and usually just his or her life.

I do not understand why the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is working with local law enforcement to implement a crackdown on motorcycles. Even the quotes in an interview with Pat Beale of ITD acknowledges that it is the lack of training that is the primary issue in contributing to single vehicle motorcycle accidents. The statistics in the article are probably true because motorcycle injury and deaths are increasing across the nation as a result of the surge in the number of motorcycles on the road.

What is not clear from the statistics is the number of motorcyclists killed in a single vehicle motorcycle accident who were new to motorcycling, had little or no training, were speeding and drunk. I would guess that the number is relatively small. Small at least when compared to vehicle drivers. A more interesting statistic would be the money spent on this program per capita targeting motorcycle and scooter riders per death caused because of alcohol consumption as compared to car and truck drivers in general.

This is just another way of demonstrating how society looks through rose colored lenses. Most people drive cars or trucks - motorcyclists are a distinct minority. It is discrimination to target a segment of society for ills that transcend that segment and are endemic in society as a whole. Alcohol consumption and driving is certainly not restricted to motorcyclists - is it?

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