by Helmet use, operator training and motorist awareness are factors that could be contributing to a three-year leveling off of motorcycle deaths in Louisiana, according to highway safety officials.
Louisiana, April 28th, 2013 – Gov. Bobby Jindal has proclaimed May as Motorcyclist Awareness and Safety Month in Louisiana. In recognition of the designation, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission on Sunday helped sponsor the annual Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Rally in front of the state Capitol.
Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, said “motorcycle safety involves operators of both motorcycles and other vehicles sharing the road.”
Preliminary data for 2012 shows that 75 people were killed in motorcycle crashes that year, down moderately from 79 in 2011. Motorcycle fatalities in Louisiana spiked in 2009 when 104 people died in crashes. In 2011, the most recent year for which statistics are final, motorcycle fatalities represented almost 12 percent of all highway deaths in Louisiana. One-third of 2011 motorcycle fatalities involved alcohol and 44 percent of the deaths involved a single vehicle.
Observational surveys have shown near 100 percent compliance with Louisianas law that requires all motorcycle riders to wear approved helmets.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety sponsors motorcycle operator training courses that, when completed successfully, facilitate the process for obtaining the required endorsement on a motorcycle operators and drivers license.
Information about the DPS courses is available at www.lahighwaysafety.org.
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