Recent fatal motorcycle accidents — as well as the warm riding weather and rising registrations — have spurred officials both locally and across the state to remind drivers to be alert to motorcycle safety.
In a span of six days, two East Hartford residents and one Andover resident were killed in separate motorcycle crashes.
In late May, 19-year-old Nicholas S. Cohen died after his motorcycle collided with a minivan in Glastonbury. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, Glastonbury police say.
Last week, Brian S. Bertocki, 40, was killed in a hit-and-run accident at Forbes and Hillside streets in East Hartford. The investigation into the crash continues as police search for a tractor-trailer driver that they believe to be involved.
And on Thursday, an Andover man, Mark Bergeron, 47, died after a car collided with his motorcycle in the Gilead section of Hebron.
According to statistics from the state Department of Transportation, motorcycle accidents and deaths are most likely to occur during the summer. In 2006, 53 motorcyclists or passengers died and 915 accidents were reported.
The number of accidents rose to 1,364 in 2007, according to preliminary figures provided by the DOT. The number of fatalities decreased to 41.
The majority of the accidents in both years occurred between April and September, and most happened in clear weather conditions, records show.
“This is the season for motorcycles,” State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said. “Everyone has to be cautious and recognize that everyone is on the road,” Vance said.
According to the DOT, the number of motorcycles sharing the road also goes up every year.
According to DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick, the number of the motorcycles registered in the state has increased by nearly 40,000 in the past 10 years. In 1997, there were fewer than 51,000 registered bikes. By 2007, there were more than 89,000.
Richard Paukner, a lobbyist for the Connecticut Motorcycle Riders Association, said the increase is tied directly to Baby Boomer demographics.
Paukner said that a whole generation of Americans now has the financial means to pursue motorcycling as a sport, now that family-rearing days are over. Also, the typical new rider is in his or her 40s or 50s.
Despite the increase in registered motorcycles, riders have been traveling more safely based on fatal accident statistics, which have decreased through the years, Nursick said.
Paukner said he believes state-funded rider education programs have been successful in preventing riding accidents and deaths.
Nursick agreed, pointing to the virtues of the Connecticut Rider Education Program, which offers three levels of motorcycle training.
Classes run from spring through the fall and motorcycles are provided for road training. Participants receive several hours of road training, coupled with lessons on safety, maintenance, and facets of motorcycle ownership that Nursick said has been successful in training riders.
Nursick said people who pass the course are waived from taking the road portion of state’s motorcycle driving test, though passing the course is difficult.
Also, riders completing the course are provided discounts of at least 10 percent on motorcycle insurance from providers within the state.
Still, with the number of bikes on the road, state police and the DOT are providing advice to riders on how to stay safe.
“From the DOT’s perspective, when operating a motorcycle, we advocate wearing all appropriate safety gear, in particular a helmet,” Nursick said.
The state doesn’t require riders over 18 to wear helmets while driving their bikes. A law requiring helmets was repealed in the 1970s and several attempts to promote new legislation have been met with stiff resistance from groups like the Connecticut Motorcycle Riders Association.
Paukner said his organization doesn’t oppose helmets, just laws requiring their use by adults.
“We believe government governs with the consent of the governed,” he said.
Paukner said motorcyclists know their passion is inherently dangerous and risky. Moreover, if riders are required to wear helmets, the government would have to set harsher safety laws against other high-risk groups of Americans, such as smokers, he said.
“If you’re going to do it for one group then you’ve got to do it for all groups,” Paukner said.
Vance said helmets are the best option for preventing serious injury and urged riders to wear them, as well as bright colors and gear, to make themselves as visible as possible to other drivers.
Vance added that motorcycle safety is the responsibility of everyone on the road, and those who see riders acting irresponsibly should report bad conduct to police.
Nursick said it is crucial for motorcycle riders to refrain from even a little bit of alcohol before getting on a bike, as well as other substances that could alter alertness such as cold medicine.
As for sharing the road, East Hartford acting Assistant Fire Chief James Silver, a motorcycle rider himself, said he advocates always obeying the law and not reacting negatively to the presence of motorcycles.
