Motorcycle Safety

Motorcycle enthusiasts have long said they love the freedom they feel when they’re out on the open road, wind in their hair (or helmet, it they’re smart), and that there’s nothing quite else that compares. That freedom comes laden with peril, however. The latest motorcycle accident statistics show that riders are almost six times more likely to be killed in a crash than someone in a car. Having a competent Portland motorcycle attorney may be well and good, but winning a case isn’t much good if you’re not around to spend the compensation.

In Portland, motorcyclists are showing a much better safety record than elsewhere in the country, and the trend is improving all the time. Oregon motorcycle crash rates leading to fatalities dropped again in 2010, by a minimum of 2 percent, but the ODOT says there’s still more to do. The fact is, 38 motorcyclists lost their lives on Oregon roads in 2010. This figure is lower than previous years, thanks mostly to cooperation between the Governor’s Highway Safety Association and motorcycle clubs, which are strenuously advocating safe and sober riding.

In 2009, the Oregon legislature passed a number of new motorcycle related safety laws, including increased penalties for riding a motorcycle without a proper license endorsement, and regulations requiring new motorcyclists to take an ODOT-approved training course. As of January, 2011, all new Oregon motorcyclists aged 30 and under must complete a basic or intermediate rider training course.

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Date: July 18, 2010
Location: Highway 20 near Bend, Oregon
Names: Benjamin Jonsson, Cara Jonsson, Frederick Herzoff, Annette Herzoff

A bucket in the road caused a crash between two motorcycles on July 18, 2010, on Highway 20 near Bend, Oregon, that injured four people, according to an OSP press release.

Around 10 AM, state police troopers were dispatched to the crash site. A motorcycle operated by Benjamin Jonsson, 54, of Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada, and carrying a passenger, Cara Jonsson, 54, also of Spruce Grove, was traveling west on the highway when Benjamin Jonsson saw a bucket in the road. He was able to swerve and avoid the bucket, which had blown off the back of a truck.

Another motorcycle, operated by Frederick Herzoff, 61, of Paradise City, California, was traveling behind Jonsson, carrying a passenger, Annette Herzoff, 60, also of Paradise City. Frederick Herzoff spotted the bucket and tried to swerve, but crashed into the back of the other motorcycle. Jonsson and Herzoff were not traveling together.

Annette Herzoff sustained critical injuries, and Frederick Herzoff sustained serious injuries. Benjamin and Cara Jonsson had minor injuries. All four were taken by ambulance to St. Charles hospital in Bend.

All four riders were wearing helmets. Police are continuing to investigate the crash.

Our thoughts go out to all the parties involved in this crash – Benjamin Jonsson, Cara Jonsson, Frederick Herzoff, and Annette Herzoff. We hope you are recovered and out of the hospital soon.

Motorcycle riders face special challenges staying safe on the road. The injury and death rates for motorcycle riders are high. Several factors contribute to the potential risk: a motorcycle itself is more difficult to handle than a car, and two-wheeled vehicles are more unstable than those with four wheels. Adding to the danger, some motorists may find motorcyclists harder to see, or just aren’t watchful of them. And a substantial factor in many crashes is inexperience. This is why we welcome the new Oregon motorcycle law requiring motorcycle skills training, and we are optimistic that this will make the roads safer for all.

Sometimes, though, you can do everything right and still end up in a crash. In these cases, an investigation by a competent Oregon personal injury attorney can make the difference. In this crash, for instance, it’s important to know where the bucket came from, and why. Who was driving the truck carrying the bucket? When the bucket blew off the back of the truck, had the driver taken precautions to secure it? Were there other factors that contributed to this crash?

We’re not ambulance chasers; we’re lawyers who feel it is our duty to help injured people deal with the insurance companies. And the first thing you should do after getting the medical help you need is to go to our website – not to give us your business, but to read our free tips, download helpful documents, or request a free copy of our book. And if that’s not enough, you can always contact us to ask us any questions.

Date: November 24, 2009
Location: Highway 97, near Chiloquin, Oregon
Names: John Lyman Howell, James M. Scott, Gary Couch, Susan Couch, Alan C. Galloway

After a crash on October 2, 2009, that killed two motorcyclists and injured a couple in an SUV, officials have asked for the public’s help in locating the next of kin of one of the motorcycle riders, John Lyman Howell, 65, of Reno, Nevada.

Oregon State Police Sergeant Mark Crisp told Portland Videojournalist Examiner that the crash took place around 12:45 PM, when a Ford SUV driven by Gary Couch, 63, of Redmond, Oregon, tried to pass a commercial truck on Highway 97 north of Chiloquin.
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Date: October 7, 2009
Location: Highway 101, Cannon Beach, Oregon
Names: Alan G. Gelvin, Edward Jones, Carol Jones

Alan G. Gelvin, 55, of Seattle, Washington, was killed October 7, 2009, when he slid into oncoming traffic and was hit by an Oregon couple in a pickup truck. The accident took place around 3:20 PM on Highway 101, near Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Gelvin was traveling south on his 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he tried to take a sharp right turn, lost control, and ended up in the path of a truck driven by Edward Jones, 62, of Scappoose, Oregon. Jones’s wife, Carol, was also riding in the truck.
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Date: September 25, 2009
Location: U.S. 199, north of Grants Pass
Names: Harrel Eugene Neal

An Eagle Point motorcyclist died about 2:20 PM on September 25, 2009, after his motorcycle swerved onto the shoulder of U.S. 199 near Grants Pass, hitting a guardrail. Harrel Eugene Neal, 51, was thrown off his 2005 Honda motorcycle, Oregon State Police told The Oregonian. Neal was wearing a helmet. An ambulance crew, which happened to be nearby, was able to reach the scene in minutes, but they were unable to revive Neal.
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