DENVER—Colorado highway officials say the number of riders killed on motorcycles reached a record high last year and that most of the people killed the last five years were not wearing helmets.
The Colorado Department of Transportation says 90 people died in motorcycle crashes in 2007 and 402 have died in the past five years in the state. Most of last year’s deaths were in Denver, El Paso and Adams counties. CDOT spokeswoman Toni Gatzen says that’s likely because of the metro area’s high population and because it’s where most of the motorcycles are bought.
CDOT officials say 81 percent of the people who died in motorcycle crashes since 2003 were not wearing helmets and 40 percent of the deaths were alcohol-related.
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Information from: Steamboat Pilot & Today,
