OHP to stress motorcycle and bicycle safety at the fair

By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

July 31, 2008 03:02 am

— ASHTABULA — With the current high price of gasoline, motorists searching for a means to save money at the pump are turning to motorcycles and bicycles.
This, in turn, has increased cycle traffic and created a higher risk for accidents among bikers.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Ashtabula post will be promoting motorcycle and bicycle safety for bikers and nonbikers alike next week at the Ashtabula County Fair. OHP will share space with Safe Communities, next to the Sheriff’s Department, on the back midway.
“With more people on the road, driving more motorcycles, you’re going to have more injuries," said OHP Lt. Mike Harmon, who will be at the fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 9.
Harmon and his fellow troopers are noticing friends and relatives making the switch from cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks to motorcycles and bicycles for regular transportation. The Ashtabula Police Department added a bicycle patrol this summer. Geneva-on-the-Lake has had a bike patrol for a couple of years now.
Last year, there were 3,513 crashes in Ohio involving motorcycles, resulting in 190 fatalities, the most motorcycle-related deaths per year in the past 20 years, statistics show. In Ashtabula County, two motorcyclists were killed in traffic accidents in 2007, but so far, no fatalities have occurred this year, Harmon said. However, two Amish-related fatalities and one bicycle fatality happened this year in Ashtabula County, he said.
Harmon and other troopers will be talking about things bikers need to pay more attention to in order keep everyone safe, including riding side by side but only two to a lane.
OHP invites the public to visit them and Safe Communities at the fair.
The “seat belt convincer” will be on display, too. Harmon said it’s something every driver should see, but especially young, new drivers.
From 2005-07, citations issued to motorcyclists not having appropriate operator’s licenses increased by 47 percent, accounting for one-fifth of all motorcyclist citations, according to data from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Twelve percent of citations included driving-while-impaired offenses.