The Federal Highway Administration announced that highway traffic deaths dropped about 4 percent to 41,059 in 2007. Even with this overall decrease in total deaths motorcycle deaths have increased. Motorcycle deaths increased a staggering 6.6 percent in 2007 and now account for about 13 percent of all traffic deaths.

There are a couple of interesting facts in these statistics. First of all overall miles driven in the United States has decreased. Motorists (including motorcyclists) traveled 3 trillion miles in 2007 down from 3.01 trillion miles in 2006 - the first annual drop since 1980. June of this year showed a 4.7 percent drop in mileage traveled compared to June of last year.

On a year over year comparison motorcycle injuries increased 17 percent in 2007 compared to 2006. In 2007 there were 103,000 motorcycling injuries.  In 2007 there were 41, 059 people killed in traffic accidents.  Of this total 13 percent were motorcycle deaths - 5,338 motorcycle deaths across the nation.

The reason for this divergence of vehicle deaths declining and motorcycle deaths increasing is probably clear. With gas averaging about $4.00 per gallon many more people are using motorcycle and scooters to commute. Scooter sales have been reported to be up as much as 40 percent in 2008 compared to 2007.

I think most of the 2007 purchasers of scooters and motorcycles are new to riding. In my law practice, which focuses on representing injured motorcycle riders and their families, it is not uncommon to hear that the motorcyclist had just purchased their ride. The Federal Highway Administration stresses helmet use, sometimes at the cost of funding rider education. This is an ill-considered plan. I think that the single best way to decrease motorcycle injuries and deaths is to require all new riders to take a new motorcycle rider course.

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