'Use it or lose it' Local motorcycle riders sound off on increase in fatalities

BN - Drive most anywhere in Northwest Florida, and you’re likely to share the road with a motorcycle or two.
Like the rest of the state, this area has seen motorcycle use increase during the past decade.
That means motorcycle injuries and fatalities are also more common—particularly in light of national traffic deaths jumping by 14 percent during the first half of 2015, according to the National Safety Council.
In Okaloosa County, motorcycle fatalities are also on an upward trend. Since January 2015, there have been seven deaths, which is an increase from three in 2014 and three in 2013, according to data from the Florida Highway Patrol.
“Speed seems to contribute greatly to motorcycle crashes,” FHP Lt. Steven R. Preston said. “I don’t know that there is one specific factor that would make Okaloosa the highest. Every crash is different and has different contributing factors.”
In Walton County, there have been no motorcycle deaths this year compared to one in 2014 and one in 2013. Santa Rosa County has seen two fatalities this year, which is up from one in 2014 and down from six in 2013.
From wet roads and sharp turns to traffic congestion and impaired motorists, the reasons behind motorcycle crashes are many, and Okaloosa County’s run the gambit.
Lt. Charlie Nix of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said one reason for the increase is distracted motorists who are talking on cell phones and texting instead of paying attention to traffic.
Another reason could be that motorcycle riding is growing in popularity, Nix said.
“We have more motorcyclists on the road, enthusiasts, than we’ve ever had,” he said. “You have novice riders, and some of these people have never even sat on a motorcycle before.”
Nix teaches the state’s required Basic Rider Course at Northwest Florida State College, and new riders often think those two days are all the preparation they need to hit the open road.
“You need to practice more,” he said. “You need to practice lifesaving skills ... like stopping and swerving and cornering. Motorcyclists, especially novice riders, sometimes their risks outweigh their abilities.”
He encourages his students to earn their motorcycle endorsements for their driver’s licenses and then take the time to practice those critical skills off-road and out of heavy traffic.
But inexperienced riders aren’t the only ones at risk. Folks who return to motorcycle riding after years away often overestimate their skills, said Sam Engler, a longtime member of Sandollar Motorcycle Club, which has been active in Northwest Florida for 35 years.
“Unfortunately, as we get older and have ridden more years, we tend to go, ‘I don’t need that. I’ve been riding long enough,’” said Engler, who is 69 and has ridden since she was 18. “But what you’ve been doing is riding with bad habits.”

More: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/20150828/NEWS/150829130