July 4th Second Deadliest Day of the Year for Bikers

The Fourth of July holiday is the second most deadly holiday period of the year – just behind New Year’s Eve.  In 2004, at least 253 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes across America during the Fourth of July holiday period.  Of those, 225 fatalities involved a driver, or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .08 and higher.

About half of all traffic fatalities over the July 4th holiday are alcohol-related.

Too many people still don’t understand that alcohol or drugs and driving just don’t mix. Impaired driving is no accident, nor is it a victimless crime.  Too many lives are being lost and we need everyone’s help to stop it. Overall in 2004, more than 15,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .01 or higher.  Of those, nearly 13,000 were killed in crashes where the BAC was .08 or higher.

Alcohol plays a major role in motorcycle fatalities, affecting those skills essential to operate a motorcycle -- balance and coordination.  In 2004, 41 percent of the 1,672 motorcycle operators who died in single-vehicle crashes had BAC levels of .08 or higher.  For fatal crashes in the same year, a higher percentage of motorcycle operators had BAC levels of .08 or higher than any other type of driver. 

Ride safe - Loco Logan