EDITORIAL: Follow the rules so everyone can have a safe summer

Posted 6/14/16

On Thursday, three motorcyclists died and three more were seriously injured when a pickup truck crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 14-16-20, according to Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Blain Mollett. The driver of the pickup truck has been …

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EDITORIAL: Follow the rules so everyone can have a safe summer

Posted

The summer season has just started, but it’s already turned deadly on Wyoming’s highways; so we’re urging everyone — tourists and locals — to follow the rules and play it safe.

On Thursday, three motorcyclists died and three more were seriously injured when a pickup truck crossed the center line on U.S. Highway 14-16-20, according to Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Blain Mollett. The driver of the pickup truck has been charged with one count of vehicular homicide.

The tragic incident underscores how important it is for drivers to pay attention at all times. It only takes a split second for everything to take a terrible turn for the worse.

Unfortunately, Thursday’s accident was the second multi-vehicle accident on the North Fork highway within a week. 

On June 5, a driver from Denver crossed the center line and struck two vehicles. All three drivers were hospitalized, treated and released.

Both crashes are reminders for drivers to be careful on the North Fork and other roads in the area.

Trooper Mollett said motorcyclists tend to ride in tight groups, so when oncoming traffic crosses the line it involves multiple motorcycles — which is a catch-22 for motorcyclists.

On one hand, traveling as a group increases visibility, but on the other hand it also means if one gets hit, odds increase for all of them to be involved in a crash.

Of course, it’s not just up to the motorcyclists. These motorcyclists were obeying traffic laws, and there wasn’t much they could have done to prevent this tragedy from occurring.

Safety is a two-way street, and it’s up to every driver to be aware of what’s around them, follow the law and exercise caution, particularly during the summer months when less-visible vehicles, such as motorcycles, are on the road. 

It can be difficult to see motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians, so make sure you always double check when passing or turning.

More than 4,500 motorcyclists died and 92,000 were injured in crashes in 2014, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Wyoming, there were 23 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2015. 

Motorcycle fatalities have decreased in the past few years, but so has helmet use, according to AAA. 

Even though helmets aren’t required for riders in Wyoming older than 17, we hope that all riders choose to make their ride safer by wearing a helmet — they may be pricey, but they are a worthwhile investment. 

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helmets are 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. Out of 4,586 motorcyclist fatalities in 2014, 39 percent were not wearing helmets. 

We also remind drivers how important it is to buckle up every time you’re in a vehicle, whether you’re driving or a passenger. It’s a message you’ve undoubtedly heard before, yet we continue to see crashes involving people who aren’t wearing a seat belt. Too often, that simple decision not to buckle up is a fatal one.

So far this year, Wyoming’s highways have had 33 fatalities. While this is a great improvement over the 56 fatalities we had at the same time last year, even one fatality is too many.

So whether you are saddling up, revving up or packing up, please use caution and follow the rules.

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