Motorcycle safety expert, author of Hurt Report dies at 81

Motorcycle safety advocate and accident researcher Hugh Hurt died on November 29 at the age of 81.  He suffered a heart attack.  He is best known as the author of the Hurt Report, a comprehensive study released in 1981 as to the causes of motorcycle accidents and injuries.  He reached three conclusions: (1) that drivers fail to see motorcycle riders, (2) not enough riders wear safety gear, and (3) not enough motorcycle riders know how to recover from a skid.

Two of the three causes he identified have improved, as many states have passed helmet laws and riders have increased awareness of the importance of safety gear.  Also, more and more riders are taking safe riding classes to help them improve their motorcycle riding skills.

However, there is one aspect of he causes of motorcycle accidents identified in the Hurt Report which is not improving, and this is the failure of drivers to see motorcycles and react appropriately.  This frequently results in the car driver failing to yield the right of way to the motorcycle rider, resulting in left turns made in front of the motorcycle, the car entering an intersection in front of a motorcycle, or coming out of a driveway in front of a motorcycle.  These kinds of accidents almost always result in serious injuries to the motorcycle rider, and many times, result in wrongful death motorcycle accidents.

Great progress has been made in the last 20 years on two of the three causes identified in the Hurt Report.  Hopefully we can make faster progress on the final aspect in the Hurt Report.