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MOTORCYCLE RIDER IMPAIRMENT FACT SHEET

Impairment Statistics

National

• Injuries occur in 90% of all alcohol-related motorcycle crashes but only in one-third of automobile crashes. That's a 2.5:1 difference. When it comes to fatalities, the difference is 8:1.
• 58% of alcohol-related motorcycle fatalities occur in the 30 to 39 age group.
• Approximately 2,500 motorcyclists are killed in alcohol-related crashes every year, while 50,000 motorcyclists are injured.
• In a report released in February 2003, according to the 2000 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes had higher intoxication rates with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or greater, than any other type of motor vehicle driver.

Connecticut

• In 2002, nearly half (40%) of all motorcycle fatalities involved alcohol.
• In 2002, 19% of total motorcycle driver fatalities were legally intoxicated with a BAC of .08 or higher.
• In 2002, nearly 15% of the state's total alcohol-related vehicle fatalities were motorcyclists.
• BAC on average is higher in male motorcyclists who don't wear protective gear.
• The BAC is typically higher in operators of larger motorcycles.
• The BAC among motorcycle fatalities is typically highest on weekends and during warmer months (May and June).

*According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

Impairment Facts

• Impairment doesn't only include alcohol. It also includes marijuana, tranquilizers, barbiturates, antihistamines, amphetamines and fatigue.
• Alcohol is a depressant and slows down bodily functions - both mental and physical.
• At a BAC of approximately .05, most people become impaired and performance begins to suffer.
• At a BAC of .08 percent to .10 percent most people can no longer function normally and are considered legally intoxicated.
• One of the most serious effects of alcohol is that it prevents one from correctly judging how one is functioning. An intoxicated person may be performing very poorly but may think he or she is functioning perfectly.
• Penalties one can expect if caught drinking and riding include license suspension, fines, insurance increases, jail, community service and financial loss.
• Alcohol affects riding in the following ways: the ability to divide attention between searching the environment and operating the motorcycle, the ability to identify potential hazards and the ability to make decisions (i.e., whether to pass a vehicle or give way to another vehicle).
• Marijuana affects vision - particularly night vision - and the ability to recover from headlight glare.
• Tranquilizers cause drowsiness, lethargy and loss of coordination.
• Barbiturates and antihistamines cause drowsiness and lethargy.
• Amphetamines can produce mind euphoria leading to increased risk taking. Once it wears off, the result can be extreme fatigue.
• Tranquilizers have been found increasingly more often in crash victims.

* According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For more information about motorcycle safety please visit www.ride4ever.org.