His heart was hammering inside his chest, faster than the cars that were zooming by.
James Farr checked his limbs: all still there, though stinging from a few scrapes.
He allowed himself a breath.
The 45-year-old Fort Myers man was driving his Harley Davidson Sportster on Fowler Street early last spring when a driver in a car cut him off as he slowed to make a turn. He was forced to swerve to the ground, release his grip on the handle bars and let go of the bike. The other driver never stopped, he said.
“Luckily, I’ve been riding since I was 18, so I know how to lay down a bike without getting seriously hurt,” Farr said. “But someone with less experience, it could have been bad.”
As motorcycles become more popular in Lee County, accidents involving the two-wheeled vehicles are becoming increasingly common.
According to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the number of motorists in Lee County who were granted motorcycle endorsements increased 16 percent from 28,847 in July 2005 to 34,453 as of July this year. The state rate for endorsements was
lower, increasing 11 percent over the same time, to 924,746.
Lee County sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Petracca, who oversees the agency’s traffic unit, said often it is the drivers of other vehicles who aren’t paying attention or simply don’t see the single-headlight vehicles.
“Motorcycle riders have to be even more defensive than the average driver,” Petracca said. “And other motorists need to know that there are going to be more and more of them on the road, so they need to watch out.”
From 2002 to 2006, the number of motorcycle deaths annually in Lee doubled from nine to 18, according to Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles figures, and the number of motorcycle injuries increased almost 29 percent, from 139 in 2002 to 180 in 2006. Compare that to the number of overall crashes, which the department reported had decreased by nine during the same time, and the number of injuries was down about 9 percent, from about 5,100 to 4,700.
Motorist Chris Lee of Fort Myers admits it is sometimes difficult to see someone on a motorcycle.
“I was driving down Six Mile Cypress the other day, and there was this guy on a motorcycle going about 50 (mph) when he popped his front wheel off the ground,” Lee said. “I was trying to watch out for him, but I had to keep my eyes on the road and where I was going.”
Florida in general is more popular for riders than other states, Petracca said, because of the weather. And population in Lee County has also increased 20 percent from 2002 to 2006, which may account for some of the increase in riders. While some riders may be excitement seekers, it’s inexperience instead of speed that is usually the larger factor in crashes, Petracca said.
Many of the riders are now opting to use their bikes as work transportation – likely in response to higher gas prices. But Petracca said there is no concentrated area in which the crashes occur.
“People aren’t just riding them recreationally anymore,” he said. “So it’s not just happening on long stretches or more isolated areas. It’s everywhere.”
Statewide, motorcyclists account for about 16 percent of all crashes, according to the highway safety department. Within Lee Memorial Health System, motorcycle riders accounted for 145 trauma injuries last year, up 59 percent from 91 in 2003. Through Aug. 31, there have been 104 riders admitted for serious injuries. Meanwhile, the number of car injuries in the same period went up just 11 percent, Lee Memorial calculated, from 616 to 683. An average of 7 percent were fatal.
Of the total Florida motorcycle fatalities in 2006, the highway safety department learned, 61 percent were wearing helmets. Still, Petracca said putting one on anyway can’t hurt, even though state law doesn’t require it.
“It’s not like being in a car where you have this layer of metal around you,” he said. “A helmet is just one more layer of protection.”
At Harley-Davidson of Fort Myers, a bell sounds for every motorcycle sale.
“It’s a celebration,” said Ron Hall, general manager. “It’s really about a whole lifestyle. … There did use to be this perception of motorcycle riders as big guys in gangs. But that’s changing, and we have all kinds of people who come in and are interested in riding.”
The store also stocks helmets, pads and bright, weather-appropriate gear. It is also one of the several locations new riders can take the beginner’s course, required after June 30 in order to earn an a motorcycle endorsement. Riders learn not only how to handle a bike, but also various defensive driving techniques.
Hall doesn’t believe gas prices have played as large a role in fueling the increase, as much as the love of riding is spreading.
“It’s not necessarily about the money,” He said. “Gas could be $600 a gallon or 60 cents a gallon, and it wouldn’t matter. People who ride motorcycles do it for the love of the lifestyle.”
That includes regular group rides, something Petracca said can be helpful, depending on the size of the group.
“If you get 20 to 30 people, I would question the safety benefit there,” Petracca said. “But people in groups of two or four, you’re increasing your visibility to other motorists.”
North Fort Myers rider Chuck Duckett has been an enthusiast for 28 years. For the retired mechanic, it’s now a daily routine, although he said he never goes faster than 60 mph when riding alone.
“I always wear a helmet and heavy boots,” Duckett said. “And I say a prayer every time I go out.”
Posted in Biker Locations,Florida Bikers,General Biker Stuff on October 20, 2008
