The messages of sympathy left online for Kevin Utter’s family last month describe a man who loved his friends, and a man who loved
his motorcycle. “You left this world doing what brought you absolute joy,” his sister-in-law Kalyne Utter of Las Vegas wrote on the Nunn and Harper Funeral Home’s Web site. Another mourner wished Utter, who died July 17 after losing control of his bike on the state Thruway in Marcy, a good journey on his “last ride to heaven.” Five other families in the region of Upstate New York have received similar messages this year after their own loved ones died while on their bikes. Nationally, the number of injuries reported from motorcycle accidents has increased every year for nearly a decade, reaching a high of 5,154 fatalities and 103,000 injuries in 2007, the last year for which data is available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Now, law enforcement officials and bikers themselves are encouraging all drivers to be proactive about preventing future crashes Speed of ‘crotch rockets’ While four of the six fatal accident victims from the area this year were 40 or older, state Department of Motor Vehicles statistics show that those who are 25 to 29 are responsible for the largest proportion of motorcycle accidents. Curt O’Dell, a Harley Davidson owner and president of the local Red Knights Firefighters MotorCycles Club, said younger riders have more accidents because they are more likely to take risks. “You’re looking at the years of experience,” O’Dell said. “The young kids have the ‘crotch rockets.’ It’s a bike built for speed, and kids have a tendency to see what they can do.” Not surprisingly, aggressive driving, inexperience and unsafe speed were all major contributors to motorcycle accidents last year, with the last being a factor in almost 17 percent of all crashes, according to DMV statistics. Other riders, however, said fast bikes have received a bad reputation. “People judge a book by its cover because of these kind of bikes, and it’s not always the case,” said motorcyclist Carmen Lindfield, 34, of Utica. “It’s the rider that makes a bike act the way it does.” Lindfield said a good dealer will try to steer people toward bikes that are appropriate for them. He said some riders, like him, enjoy knowing they have speed and power available, but don’t make a habit of using it. He acknowledged, however, that some bikes, like his high-powered Kawasaki ZX14, can be dangerous in the wrong hands. “This in the hands of an 18-year-old kid &hellip he’d be dead,” he said. ‘A lot going on’ Capt. Francis Coots of state police Troop D out of Oneida said driver inattention is a close third behind inexperience and speed when it comes to the cause of accidents. And often, it’s inattention on the part of other drivers, not the motorcyclists themselves. In addition to wearing the proper safety gear, motorcyclists need to be constantly monitoring what’s going on around them, Coots said. Also, they need to remember that the bike’s smaller size makes it harder for other drivers to see them, Coots said. “There’s a lot going on in other drivers’ worlds,” Coots said. “The music’s playing. They’re talking on the telephone. There’s distraction in the back seat. &hellip That’s why that operator of the motorcycle has to be aware all the time.” But sometimes even vigilance is not enough. Jennie Hatch, 18, of Verona, said her father, 54-year-old Tim Hatch of Norwood, saw their July 7 accident coming so far in advance that he yelled at her to hang on before it happened. He still couldn’t avoid the oncoming car on Route 5 in Schuyler that swerved over the yellow line and struck his bike. The ensuing crash in a 45 mph zone sent the riders and bike skidding across the pavement in different directions, snapping the visor off Jennie Hatch’s helmet and tearing the brake handle off the bike, she said. She was bruised. Her father had a concussion and a broken wrist. Image carries on O’Dell said that the “bad boy” biker image popularized by the Hells Angels in the 1960s and ’70s may cause other drivers to be less careful around bikes. “Hells Angels haven’t been the hell-raisers for over 25 years, but people today still associate it with the people back then,” he said. In the Red Knights’ case, it’s a perception that’s undeserved. Similar to many other local riders, the Knights participate in annual charity events such as the annual Ride for Diabetes. The Erie Canal HOGS, similarly, conduct an annual “toy ride” to benefit local children. And hundreds of bikers turned out on Aug. 1 for the second annual Brothers Forever Ride in memory of fallen Utica police Officer Thomas Lindsey. Regardless, a 2008 survey conducted by the Motorcycle Industry Council found 42 percent of nonmotorcycle-owners questioned had a negative “general attitude” toward motorcycles and scooters. ‘Just take it slow’
The unavoidable truth is that motorcycles are more dangerous than cars, law enforcement officials said. In the event of an accident, there are no steel beams, seat belts or air bags to cushion the blow. But for people who love bikes, the risks still don’t outweigh the rewards. Whitesboro resident Jorge Lebron said he got his love of bikes from his father, but his father tried to steer him away from the hobby because of the risks. So Lebron took the initiative and began to practice riding on grass at age 12. Now at age 33 and a father himself, he said he worries about the effect on his son, 6, if the worst should happen to him. But he’s still showing his customized Suzuki Hayabusa at local shows two or three days a week during the summer, and riding another, less-showy bike for fun. His arm is covered in scars from a wipeout he took after hitting a pothole on Bleecker Street in Utica in June. “Nowadays, you can get hurt just waking up from your bed,” he said. “Just take it slow.”