ROCKPORT — With more motorcycles on Massachusetts roads than ever before, the risk of being involved in an accident with a motorcycle is also on the rise, and Rockport is no exception.
In recent years, motorcycle accidents have increased slightly in Rockport, prompting local EMT and motorcycle enthusiast Jane Carr to suggest offering a safety course for all Cape Ann residents.
On Sunday, Nov. 16, the Rockport Ambulance Association will sponsor an all-day training session for emergency personnel on motorcycle safety at the Rockport Police Station, 168 Main St., from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The course, which is free to the public, will be conducted by Accident Scene Management Inc. Upon completion of the course and payment of $55, emergency medical technicians can receive seven continuing education credits while nurses can receive six.
Ambulance Department Head Rosemary Lesch agreed to sponsor the program in Rockport.
"(Carr) thought it would be great for our area," Lesch said yesterday. "With a lot of us having scooters and motorcycles, it's a good thing to bring to Cape Ann."
The company believes the person most likely to be present at a motorcycle crash is another motorcyclist; the course's goal is to reduce fatalities and the severity of injury at motorcycle crash through proper actions and reactions.
The "Crash Course for the Motorcyclist" lesson will teach:
Mechanisms of injury.
How to secure a crash scene.
Effectively assessing the emergency medical safety factors.
Common injuries associated with motorcycle trauma.
Assessment and treatment techniques.
Preservation of evidence at a crash scene.
How to protect yourself legally and financially.
Lesch said Rockport first responders are fortunate to see only relatively few motorcycle accidents each year, but that even one is too many.
"(They see) less than a half dozen, but it used to be one or two and now it's more," Lesch said. "There are a lot more motorcycles on the road; a lot of the motorcycle drivers are experienced, but car drivers are not used to having them buzzing around, so that's a little more the issue."
According to the state's Registry of Motor Vehicles, the number of registered motorcycles rose significantly in 2006, the last year for which data is available. In 2006, there were 167,112 registered motorcycles in Massachusetts, a 12 percent increase over 2005.
According to the Accident Scene Management Web site, its bystander assistance programs not only strive to reduce injuries and fatalities to motorcyclists, but also to reduce rescuer injury through proper training. The programs are based on the U.S. Department of Transportation first responder curriculum, which focuses on trauma rather than first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3 percent of roadway crashes involve motorcyclists but 17 percent of roadway fatalities were motorcyclists.
In 2006, 55 motorcyclists died in Massachusetts as a result of injuries sustained in an accident, according to a state Department of Public Health report released this April.
Lesch said a half-dozen people already plan to attend, but added she is hoping for at least 15 to 20 to attend the class. To register for the course, Lesch said people should call her office at 978-546-9589.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
Advice to drivers
You are more likely to be involved in an accident with a motorcycle when:
You are making a left turn in front of a rider.
A motorcyclist is riding in your blind spot.
There are hazardous road conditions. Potholes, wet leaves, railroad tracks, and other obstructions may force a motorcyclist to take an action you don't expect.
You have an obstructed line of sight. Sport utility vehicles, delivery vans, and large trucks may block motorcyclists from your view.
Source: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
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