Bike Week-related deaths: Since 15 motorcyclists died in 2006, things have gotten better

The Daytona Beach Bike Week event turned 82 this year.

The event hailed as a money maker by local businesses in the Daytona Beach area, attracts hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the area. Bikers come from around the United States and the world to be part of the fun at the beachside community with Main Street being their ground-zero gathering spot.

Over the more than eight decades of revelry, visiting motorcyclists enjoy all that Daytona Beach has to offer before rolling out.

But tragically, some don't make it home.

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What happened in 2006?

In 2006, 15 motorcyclists were killed in accidents in Volusia and Flagler counties. Four more died in the surrounding counties, according to an annual tally.

Why? Officials said that in 2006 good weather drew more riders to the area. And bikers were out in force. In that deadly year, 11 people were killed in Volusia County and four in Flagler County. Another four died in crashes in surrounding counties, officials said.

What did we do about it?

The high number of Bike Week-related deaths in 2006 was sobering, said retired Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Kim Montes on Thursday.

Montes recalled how she and Mark O'Keefe, then spokesman for Volusia County's ambulance service, talked about the tragic loss of life in the biker event and started brainstorming ideas of how to promote safety for riders.

""I looked at Mark and I said 'We cannot have a big event like this and not make it safe," Montes recalled in a telephone interview.

So Montes and O'Keefe spearheaded a safety campaign and adopted a Georgia traffic safety slogan "Look Twice. Save a Life."

What's the most common reason for fatal accidents?

Montes said an analysis of the causes of crashes that left many dead and injured showed that among several types of accidents, two were most prevalent.

"One, single-motorcycle accidents where the rider was speeding or under the influence and two, violation of right of way by motor vehicles. These were the two major causes of Bike Week deaths," Montes said.

Montes and O'Keefe then approached the Institute of Police Technology and Management in Jacksonville.

Billboards and yard signs?

The Institute of Police Technology and Management, through grants, paid for a dozen roadside billboards and hundreds of yard signs.

Montes and O'Keefe then partnered with Volusia County firefighters. Together they would put out the signs at bridges, exit ramps to Interstate 4 and major event locations for every Bike Week and Bikertoberfest.

The effort to make Bike Week safe for bikers gave origin to the Florida Motorcycle Safety Taskforce, Montes said.

"I remember calling Mark and we divided the county (Volusia) so we would not put signs where one had already placed them," Montes recounted.

Did the campaign help save lives?

"I personally think it did help," Montes said. "Since 2006 we saw a downward trend in the number of fatalities for Bike Week events in the Daytona Beach area."

A review of News-Journal archives of the coverage of Bike Week events in the last 17 years showed that although the number of Bike Week fatalities fluctuated over the years, the loss of life has never been as high as it was in 2006.

And so far, there have been three deaths, according to police.

What helped?

"The fact is, after such a bad year for Bike Week in 2006, there has been a huge educational campaign to put information out to locals and visitors," Montes said. "Hospitals started putting out their trauma stats making people aware of motorcycle injuries."

The education approach changed the way drivers shared the roads with motorcyclists and riders started taking steps to be more visible, Montes said.

"Motorcyclists were required to have their lights on during the day, and some added strobe lights and reflective material and clothing to make themselves very visible," Montes said.

The safety campaign made the roads safer for bikers and motorists, Montes said.

"It made people pay more attention," Montes said. "It made both the driver and the rider more careful as they navigate the roadways during Bike Week.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bike Week 2006 saw 15 fatalities; things are better now