AMA- FATALITY FIGURES UNDERSCORE NEED FOR NEW ACCIDENT STUDY

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has once again
called for a comprehensive nationwide study of the causes of motorcycle crashes
after the federal government released final motorcycling-related fatality
statistics for 2001.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released final
figures Wednesday that show 3,181 motorcyclists were killed on the nation's
roads last year, up from 2,862 the previous year. The final figure represents an
11.1 percent increase over 2000.

The fatality figures for 2001 also indicate that the highest percentage
increases came among riders under the age of 40, which marks the reversal of a
four-year trend. The NHTSA had issued a report last summer that noted deaths
among motorcyclists over the age of 40 were on the rise beginning in the late
'90s.

The recent upward trend of motorcyclist fatalities followed 17 consecutive years
of declines. From 1990 through 1999 alone, motorcycling-related fatalities
dropped by 48 percent.

The AMA noted that one significant reason for the increase in
motorcycling-related fatalities is that motorcycling has seen an enormous
increase in popularity, with sales of new street bikes up more than 100 percent
over the past five years, from about 243,000 in 1997 to more than 500,000 in
2001.

The AMA expressed concern over the increase in motorcycling fatalities, but
noted the raw numbers offer no clear explanation for the increase.

"The death of any motorcyclist is a tragedy," said Edward Moreland, AMA vice
president for government relations. "But because there's no recent research, we
don't know the reasons behind the increases in fatalities. There's a desperate
need for detailed, comprehensive research."

Rae Tyson, spokesman for the NHTSA, said his agency also sees a need for
research.

"We agree with those in the community who believe a new causation study is
called for," Tyson said. "We hope to be able to find the money for one."

The last comprehensive federal study of motorcycling accident data was published
in 1980, and dealt with accidents only in Southern California. That report,
"Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures,"
commonly called the Hurt Study after lead researcher Harry Hurt, is still the
most comprehensive study to date on the causes of motorcycle crashes.

For the past several years, the AMA has asked the NHTSA to conduct a nationwide
study of motorcycling accidents that would help identify elements that can
improve rider safety. In 2000, the NHTSA and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation
released a National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety to serve as a blueprint for
improving motorcycling safety in the future. Representatives of the AMA and
other industry groups were part of a team that helped shape the plan, which
calls for more research into the causes of motorcycle accidents and potential
ways to reduce them.

Moreland recently testified before a U.S. House subcommittee asking Congress to
fund comprehensive research to determine the causes of motorcycle crashes.