VI. CRASH DESCRIPTIONS

The material presented thus far has been based largely on the statistics of crashes and helmet use. In the present section, we attempt to provide a more qualitative "feel" for what is happening in motorcycle crashes and to the persons involved. We do this by translating crash report data into narrative descriptions of selected crashes.

This technique was originally used by Preusser, Williams and Ulmer (1995) as a means of crash typing motorcycle crashes. Five crash types were found to classify 86 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes: ran off-road crashes (41%) involve situations where the motorcyclist runs off the roadway and overturns or strikes an off-road object; ran traffic control crashes (18%) occur when one vehicle with an obligation to stop, remain stopped, or yield, fails to do so and collides with another vehicle; oncoming or head-on crashes (11%) involve a collision between two vehicles traveling in opposite directions; left-turn oncoming crashes (8%) involve a vehicle making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic resulting in collision; motorcyclist down crashes (7%) involve a motorcyclist losing control and going down in the roadway or deliberately going down to avoid some perceived threat ahead. Other crash types, identified in small percentages of crashes, were: run down crashes (3%) in which one vehicle runs down from behind another vehicle traveling in the same direction at an unimpeded speed; stopped/stopping crashes (3%) in which a vehicle stopped, stopping or just starting up in a travel lane is hit from the rear; road obstacle crashes (2%) in which a motorcyclist strikes an object in or on the roadway; and lane change crashes (1%) in which a vehicle moves into another same direction travel lane that is already occupied.

LOUISIANA FATAL CRASHES

After Louisiana's repeal of its universal helmet law effective August 15, 1999, there was an increase in motorcyclist fatalities compared to the same period in 1998. From August 15, 1999, to the end of the year, there were 16 motorcyclists killed in 16 separate crashes, compared to 12 victims killed in 11 crashes a year earlier. The following narratives describe the 16 crashes that took place just after the law change

The first crash following the helmet law change took place about a week later, late on a Sunday afternoon . In the crash, a 40 year-old motorcycle operator was killed when he ran off the road while attempting to negotiate a curve and struck a culvert. The crash site was a rural collector roadway with undivided two-way traffic, two travel lanes and a 45 mph posted speed limit. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The victim was alone at the time of the crash. The operator held a valid license and had no recorded crashes or violations on his driving record. Based on alcohol testing, this was an alcohol related crash. The victim was not wearing a helmet. According to state data, death was due to head injury.

The second crash, and the first involving multiple vehicles, occurred early in the evening on a Monday in mid-September. The crash site was also on a rural collector roadway, with undivided two-way traffic and two travel lanes. The roadway was straight and level with a 55 mph speed limit. The crash was at an intersection controlled by a stop sign. There was still daylight and the weather was clear. The crash victim was the motorcycle operator, a 31 year-old male. The victim was stopped at the stop sign when he was hit from the rear by a 16 year-old male driving a sport utility at an estimated speed of 50 mph. A third vehicle was also struck in the crash. The victim was not helmeted; state data indicate that death was due to head injuries. The stopped/stopping crash type represented here is found in about 3 percent of motorcycle fatal crashes.

The third post-law change crash took place on a September Saturday at about 5:30 pm. A motorcycle operator was killed in a single vehicle crash in another ran-off roadway type crash. The crash site was a rural collector, with a 45 mph speed limit. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The victim, a 45 year-old male, failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the road, and struck an unspecified object off the roadway. Estimated speed was 40 mph. A 36 year-old female passenger was injured but survived the crash. Neither the operator nor passenger were helmeted. Death was ascribed to internal hemorrhaging. Police reported this was an alcohol related crash.

The following week, on a Sunday night, a 25 year-old male motorcycle operator was killed in a two vehicle crash. The site was an urban arterial, a divided roadway with 2 travel lanes in each direction with a 35 mph speed limit. The crash was mid-block. It was dark and the weather was clear. The motorcyclist was killed when he ran into the rear of a pickup truck that was traveling in front of him at about 30 mph. The motorcyclist was described as operating in a reckless manner prior to the crash. No helmet was worn and death was ascribed primarily to head injuries. This crash is an example of the run down crash type where one vehicle runs down another traveling in the same direction and strikes it in the rear. In this type of crash, the struck vehicle is traveling at an unimpeded speed prior to the crash. In most cases, as here, it is the motorcycle that comes from behind and runs down the lead vehicle.

Two days later, on Tuesday at about 5:00 pm, another motorcyclist was killed in a two vehicle crash. It occurred on a rural collector, with undivided two-way traffic and 2 travel lanes. The roadway at the crash site was curved and level with a 55 mph speed limit. It was daylight, and the weather was clear. The 35 year-old operator was killed when he crossed into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with an automobile coming from the other direction. Both vehicles were traveling at or above the speed limit. The victim was not wearing a helmet; death was attributed to multiple injuries.

The sixth post-helmet law change crash took place in early October on a Friday around 2:00 am. The crash occurred on an urban arterial with a 70 mph speed limit. It was dark, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. A 51 year-old male operator of a motorcycle was reported to have been driving on the wrong side of the road and was killed when he collided head-on with several vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. No helmet was worn; death was caused by multiple injuries. A 23 year-old male passenger, also unhelmeted, received serious injuries in the crash, but survived. Only one minor injury was reported in the other vehicles. Alcohol testing showed the motorcycle operator had been drinking.

The seventh crash took place two days later on Sunday just before 8:00 pm. A motorcyclist was killed in a two vehicle crash on an urban arterial road way with a 40 mph speed limit. It was dark but lighted; the weather was clear The crash occurred when a 51 year-old male driver of an automobile, who was described as operating erratically, changed lanes and ran into a 38 year-old male motorcyclist who was traveling in the same direction (run down crash type). The motorcyclist was helmeted but died of internal injuries. The other driver sustained moderate injuries. Alcohol testing revealed indicated that the automobile driver had been drinking.

Nearly two weeks passed before the next motorcyclist fatality in Louisiana. It took place during mid-afternoon on a Saturday when a motorcycle operator was killed in another head-on crash. The site was a rural major collector, with undivided two-way traffic and 2 travel lanes. The roadway was curved and level with a 50 mph speed limit. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The 41 year-old male victim was operating a 1994 motorcycle when he crossed into the on-coming lane and collided head-on with a pickup truck. The motorcycle was Louisiana registered, the operator had a valid license and no prior recorded crashes or violations. The operator was helmeted, but nevertheless, died from head injuries. A passenger of the pickup sustained minor injury.

The following day, the 22 year-old male operator of a 1995 motorcycle was killed in a left-turn oncoming type crash. It took place in the afternoon at an intersection on an urban local street. The road was straight and level with a 25 mph speed limit. There were no traffic controls. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The crash occurred when a compact utility driven by a 49 year-old female made a left turn in front of the motorcycle which collided with the turning vehicle. The victim was not helmeted but died from aortic laceration. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. This crash is typical of the left-turn oncoming type in that it is usually the other vehicle that turns left in front of, or into the motorcyclist.

The tenth post-law change crash, another left-turn oncoming type, occurred on a Friday about 7:00 pm. The crash site was a rural principal arterial, with undivided two-way traffic and 2 travel lanes. The roadway was straight and level with a 45 mph speed limit. It was dark but lighted, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. A 23 year-old male motorcycle operator was killed when a 25 year-old female driving a pickup truck made a left turn to a driveway and struck the motorcycle. The driver and a passenger in the pickup were uninjured. Alcohol testing showed the pickup driver had been drinking. The motorcycle was registered in Louisiana, the operator's license was valid and there was no prior history of crashes or violations. The victim was not helmeted; state data did not indicate the nature of the injuries received. Alcohol testing showed the pickup truck driver had been drinking.

The next day, still another left-turn oncoming type crash took the life of a 44 year-old male motorcyclist. The crash took place at about 1:00 am on an urban local street. The road was straight and level with a 35 mph speed limit. The crash was at an intersection with no traffic controls. It was dark but lighted, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. A large utility station wagon driven by a 24 year-old female made a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle. The utility's driver, who was operating on a suspended license, and several passengers sustained minor injuries. The 1983 motorcycle was registered in Louisiana. The operator had a valid license with one prior speeding infraction on his driving record. Alcohol testing showed the victim had been drinking. No helmet was worn and death was attributed to multiple blunt trauma.

At mid-afternoon on a Tuesday in early November, a 53 year-old motorcyclist was killed in a ran traffic control type crash when he entered an intersection in front of a vehicle coming from the left. The crash site was a rural principal arterial, with undivided two-way traffic and 4 travel lanes. The roadway was straight and level with a 25 mph speed limit. The intersection was controlled by a stop sign facing the motorcyclist. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The victim's 1985 motorcycle was registered in Louisiana, his license was valid and there were no prior crashes or violations on his driving record. Investigators reported that he failed to obey the stop sign before beginning a left turn. No helmet was worn and death was ascribed to multiple injuries. The striking vehicle was a large utility station wagon. Neither the driver nor any passengers were injured.

The following Saturday, in the early evening, a motorcyclist was killed in a stopped/stopping type crash. It took place on a rural minor arterial, with undivided two-way traffic and two travel lanes. The roadway was straight and level with a 55 mph speed limit. It was dark, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The 45 year-old male motorcyclist, stopped in traffic, was killed when he was struck from behind by a small sedan driven by a 23 year-old male. The victim's 1994 motorcycle was registered in Louisiana; he held a valid license with no recorded crashes or violations. No helmet was worn and death was due to a fractured skull. An unhelmeted 44 year-old passenger was injured in the crash, but survived.

Another ran traffic control type crash claimed the life of a 44 year-old motorcyclist when he struck a passenger vehicle that had run a stop sign. The crash took place on a weekday in mid- November at about noontime. The site was an urban divided minor arterial. The roadway was straight and level with a 40 mph speed limit The crash was at an intersection. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The motorcyclist struck the right side of a passenger car, driven by a 52 year-old male who failed to yield the right-of-way at the intersection. The motorcyclist had a valid license with no record of crashes or violations. His 1993 motorcycle was registered in Louisiana. The motorcyclist wore a helmet; death was attributed to spinal trauma. The passenger car driver held a valid license but had a prior crash and two speeding infractions on his driving record. The driver and several passengers sustained minor or moderate injuries.

A mid-morning crash in early December took the life of a 26 year-old male motorcyclist who was killed in a left turn oncoming type crash. The site was an urban local street. The roadway was straight and level with a 35 mph speed limit. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. A pickup truck driven by a 29 year-old male made a left turn toward a driveway. The motorcyclist, coming from the other direction, could not stop and struck the right side of the pickup. The motorcyclist wore a helmet but died of head injuries. The pickup driver was not injured.

The final motorcyclist fatality in Louisiana in 1999 involved a 29 year-old male who ran off the road, struck an embankment and was killed. A female passenger was injured in the crash. Helmet use was not recorded and the nature of the victim's injuries were not specified. The crash occurred on a weekday in the early afternoon. The site was a rural major collector, with undivided two-way traffic and 2 travel lanes. The roadway was curved and level with a 55 mph speed limit. It was daylight, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry. The motorcyclist failed to negotiate the curve and left the roadway. The 2000 motorcycle was registered in Louisiana. The operator's license was valid with no recorded crashes or violations.

KENTUCKY FATAL CRASHES

Unlike Louisiana, Kentucky did not experience an immediate increase in fatalities following the modification of its motorcycle helmet law. In the period just after the law change, July15 - December 31, 1998, there were 14 motorcyclist fatalities in 14 crashes. In the comparable period a year earlier, 15 motorcyclists were killed in 15 crashes. As noted earlier, there was an initial requirement to obtain and display an exemption sticker and there were questions about helmet requirements for passengers and out of state riders. These issues may have ameliorated the potential effects of the law change. For instance, observed helmet use dropped in the immediate post law survey but not nearly as dramatically as in other states that have repealed universal helmet laws or in Kentucky in subsequent helmet use observations. In 1999, helmet use declined further and during the July 15 - December 31, 1999, period 25 motorcyclists were killed in 24 crashes.

Kentucky's first motorcyclist fatality after the helmet law change took place on a Sunday evening in early August. A 46 year-old male motorcyclist, operating on a suspended license, was killed in a ran traffic control type crash when he failed to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign and was struck by an automobile entering the intersection from the left. The victim was helmeted. Police reported the motorcyclist had been drinking.

A week later, just after noon, a 44 year-old male motorcyclist was killed in a head-on crash on a rural roadway with a 55 mph speed limit. The motorcyclist was negotiating a curve when he crossed the center line and collided with an automobile coming from the opposite direction. The motorcyclist was helmeted but sustained multiple injuries. The automobile driver, a 17 year-old female sustained minor injuries in the crash.

Two weeks later, at about 3:00 am on a Saturday, a 28 year-old male motorcyclist was killed on an urban Interstate roadway. The motorcyclist, who was traveling in excess of 90 mph, ran off the roadway and struck a concrete barrier in the median. The impact forced the motorcyclist back onto the roadway where he was struck by a large van type vehicle traveling in the same direction. A fire ensued. The motorcyclist was not helmeted and sustained head and face injuries. BAC testing showed the motorcyclist had been drinking. The van driver, a 34 year-old male sustained incapacitating injuries. A 36 year-old female passenger and two young child passengers sustained moderate injuries in the crash.

A week later, just after midnight on a Saturday, a 31 year-old male motorcyclist was killed when he ran off the road and struck an embankment. The crash site was a rural collector type roadway with a 55 mph speed limit. It was dark and foggy. The victim was not helmeted and sustained head and face injuries. BAC testing showed this was an alcohol-related crash.

The following week, on a Friday around 10:00 pm, a 40 year-old male was killed when he ran off the road and struck a tree. The crash site was a rural local road. The weather was clear and the road was dry. The motorcyclist was helmeted but sustained head and face injuries. BAC testing showed this was an alcohol-related crash.

The next morning, a 23 year-old motorcyclist was killed in a head-on crash that occurred on a rural local road with a 55 mph speed limit and two travel lanes. The motorcyclist was attempting to pass another vehicle while negotiating a curve and collided with a pickup truck coming from the opposite direction. The motorcyclist was helmeted but sustained multiple injuries. The operator of the pickup, a 44 year-old male, sustained moderate injuries in the crash.

Four days later, just after noon on a Wednesday, a 23 year-old male motorcyclist was killed when he ran a stop sign (ran traffic control) and struck a pickup truck that was making a left turn from the intersecting roadway. The crash site was an urban arterial roadway. The weather was clear and the road was dry. Investigators indicated the motorcyclist was speeding prior to the crash. The motorcyclist was not helmeted and sustained multiple injuries. The pickup truck driver, a 25 year-old male was uninjured.

Two weeks later, on a Monday afternoon, a 31 year-old male motorcyclist was killed when he failed to negotiate a curve, ran off the road and struck a roadside object. The site was an urban collector type roadway with a 55 mph speed limit. The weather was clear and the roadway was dry. The motorcyclist was not helmeted and sustained head and face injuries. BAC testing showed this was an alcohol-related crash

The next day at mid-morning, a 66 year-old male motorcyclist was killed when an 86 year-old driver of an automobile failed to negotiate a curve, crossed into the on-coming lane, rolled over and struck the motorcyclist head-on. The site was a rural roadway with two travel lanes and a 55 mph speed limit. The weather was clear and the roadway was dry. The motorcyclist was helmeted but sustained unspecified injuries. The automobile driver sustained moderate injuries in the crash.

The final five Kentucky motorcyclist fatal crashes of 1998 took place during the month of October.

Late on a Saturday morning, a 29 year-old male motorcyclist failed to negotiate a curve, ran of the road, struck a fence and was killed. Estimated travel speed was in excess of 90 mph. No helmet was worn; death was attributed to neck injuries. According to BAC testing, this was an alcohol related crash.

The following day just after noon, a 43 year-old male motorcyclist was killed on a two lane rural roadway when a pickup truck coming from the opposite direction turned left toward a driveway (left-turn oncoming). The motorcyclist struck the oncoming turning vehicle. A helmet was worn but multiple injuries were sustained. The 55 year-old male operator of the pickup was uninjured in the crash.

Mid-morning the next Friday, a 43 year-old male motorcyclist was killed in a ran traffic control type crash. An automobile on a crossing city street driven by a 67 year-old male failed to stop at a stop sign and entered the intersection in front of the motorcyclist. No helmet was worn; the motorcyclist's injuries were unspecified. The automobile driver sustained minor injuries. According to BAC testing, the motorcyclist had been drinking.

On a Thursday evening about 10:00 pm a 50 year-old motorcyclist was killed on a rural local road when he and two other motorcyclists traveling together collided in a lane change type crash. The victim sideswiped another motorcyclist and then was struck by the third rider. A helmet was worn but multiple injuries were sustained. BAC testing showed that the victim and one of the other motorcyclists had been drinking..

The last Kentucky motorcyclist fatality of 1998 was another ran off road type crash. A 17 year-old male motorcyclist was killed about 1:00 am on a Friday when he failed to negotiate a curve on an urban local street and struck a utility pole. No helmet was worn.