"What's your life worth?": Amid spike in motorcycle deaths, bikers advocate for safer riding
By Beret Leone
MINNEAPOLIS – Seasoned motorcyclists know the grim reality: biking, if not taken seriously, can be a dangerous sport. This year alone, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reports 78 fatal crashes, up from 60 in 2021.
"It concerns us a lot," DPS Motorcycle Safety Coordinator Jay Bock said. "Most of those could be prevented. Most could be less severe."
Bock said the spike in deaths started over the last couple of years since the pandemic hit – and it's not just motorcycle deaths, it's overall traffic fatalities.
"Unfortunately the things we're seeing are the things we've been seeing for several years, just more instances of them," Bock said.
While DPS can't cite a specific reason for the deadly uptick, speed, alcohol and distracted driving continue to play a role.
"We ride by people all the time and see they're texting," BMW Motorcycle Club of Minnesota member Dan Elasky said.
"Just the statistics alone, you need to be geared up. Our club is a big believer of all the gear, all the time. Regardless of how short of long the ride is, you put on your gear. Helmets, suit, gloves, boots," fellow club member Dan Reese said.
It's a main reason the group advocates for other motorcyclists to wear protective gear and keep their skills sharp with annual trainings.
"Traveling 55 miles per hour and coming broadside into a vehicle, statistically, you got a lot going against you," Reese said. "With the proper gear, it might be a sore hip for a day, versus something more serious with it puts you in some sort of care."
"What's your life worth?" BMW motorcyclist Adam Benedix said. "All the gear has a cost associated with it. But every bit of protection is worth it."
Bottom line, the group reiterates you can't control everyone on the road, but bikers – and drivers – can be ready for the worst.
"Regardless, car, motorcycle, we can all be better drivers and we should strive to do that," Bock said.
Reese would like to see stricter penalties for distracted driving, but says the problem as a whole is complicated.
"I think it's a complicated equation. There's not a simple solution to impact that statistic directly, things like distracted driving. Strongly penalties with distracted drivers. I'm curious how many of those fatal accidents are of people without experience or training," he said.
DPS offers several motorcycle training courses. You can find a list here.
"I think one of the best things an individual can do is invest in themselves as a ride," Bock said.
The BMW Motorcycle Club of Minnesota will host a "Simply Ride Fall Swap Meet" on Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Eden Prairie.