Fatal motorcycle crashes rise 33 percent in Colorado Springs
With a little more than a month remaining in 2014, Colorado Springs police said 12 of the 26 people killed in city traffic accidents were driving motorcycles — compared with eight at the same time last year.
One of those victims was Nicholas Uberecken, 22. He was killed Aug. 21 in a crash with a SUV at the intersection of Cimarron Street and 31st Street. His fiance’, Jordan Shinkle, said the SUV driver had a suspended license and is a habitual traffic offender.
“He got killed by just going to work,” Shinkle said. “He wasn’t speeding, he had his helmet on, he was completely safe. He took motorcycle safety classes. Everything you can do to be a safe motorcyclist.”
Police said Uberecken’s case is more the exception than the rule with biker fatalities. This year eight of the 12 bikers were at fault and seven were not wearing helmets.
Drive Smart Colorado, a nonprofit organization promoting traffic and pedestrian safety, said several factors are behind the increase.
“We do have more motorcycles being registered in the county, so we have more riders out there,” said spokeswoman Barb Bailey. “We’ve had — except for this past week — some really nice weather into the late fall. So people are probably riding a little bit more.”
Bailey said speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, DUI and failure to use traffic signals also contribute to the increase in biker deaths.
DSC and police urge motorcyclists to enroll in training classes, even if bikers are experienced. Such classes are not required.
“Bikes are a little more complicated than they used to be,” Bailey said. “There’s a lot more features on them. So getting the proper training, wearing the gear (is important).”
Dennis Mellinger has provided motorcycle safety instruction for 12 years. He said in addition to classes, bikers should find a safe place — an empty parking lot or vacant lot — to practice riding skills before using them in traffic.
“The No. 1 mistake I see bikers make is trusting too many cars,” he said. “Cars won’t see you because they’re looking for bigger objects. Cars don’t check their blind spots when they make lane changes.”
The Colorado Department of Transportation, as an aid to bikers, publishes a map — Live to Ride — that rates highways across the state for safety. For more information, visit:http://www.comotorcyclesafety.com.
Mellinger said a training class lasts three days and costs around $200. For more information, visit: https://www.motorcycletrainingacademy.com/ or http://pikespeakharleydavidson.com/default.asp?page=learn-to-ride.