Motorcycle accidents mount up in Central Kentucky

In Lexington, just last weekend, there were three fatal motorcycle wrecks, and in less than a month in Central Kentucky, six people have died from motorcycle accidents.

Lexington, Ky (WTVQ): In Lexington, just last weekend, there were three fatal motorcycle wrecks, and in less than a month in Central Kentucky, six people have died from motorcycle accidents.

Susan Spreitzer is very familiar with motorcycles. “Three of my friends were in horrible accidents and passed away,” she said. Although Spreitzer did not know the three people who died this past weekend in Lexington, she remembers back in the day riding.  “I used to ride on the back of motorcycles going 80 miles an hour on the highway, sometimes 85,” she said.

According to AAA of the Bluegrass, there’s been more than 1,300 motorcycle accidents this year, more than 1,400 when factoring in scooters and mopeds.

Chris Van Brackel has worked with the Lexington police department for 25 years. He says with the good weather more folks are out riding, naturally increasing the risk of motorcycle wrecks. “What’s one of the main things that car manufacturers push in their adds,” he said. “It’s really quiet inside this car. You don’t hear the outside distractions. Well, now you don’t hear that motorcyclist.”

Van Brackel cautions that there’s too much distracted driving. “Look twice, save a life,” he said. “Don’t just look once and say I’m clear. Motorcyclists have to drive as if no one around them sees them.”

Of course, speed can play a big role in accidents, along with infrastructure. “If you drive over a pot hole in a car, you drive over a pot hole in a car,” Van Barackel said. “You go wow, that was a hard hit. If you are a motorcyclist and drive over that same pot hole it could very well put that motorcyclist on the ground,” he said.

Most important, these wrecks could have been avoided. “I would much rather travel in a car, especially long distance than in a motorcycle,” Spreitzer said. “Last year there were fewer wrecks at this time– but more fatalities.”

According to AAA, this year there’s already been 70 fatalities just involving motorcycles, while in the same time last year, that number was 76.