It seems that there have been more motorcycle accidents this year. With the high gas prices, it also seems there are a lot more motorcycles on the road. So I decided to investigate to see if that is true. I found that although other areas of the economy are weak, motorcycle sales have sped up. And even though it seems like motorcycle wrecks are on the rise, according to statistics, they really aren't.

One way people are saving money on gas is by hitting the streets with these. "Some of the big ones average 50 miles per gallon." -Joe McKnight, Action Motor Sports

And motorcycle sales prove it. "Probably 10 to 20%. Lotta new people looking for bikes that haven't before. You know the fuel thing is obviously driving it and I think too a lot of people want to play closer to home this year and a lot of them have wanted a bike anyways. It's a good time to get it done."

But with more motorcycles on the roads that could mean we could see scenes like this more often. But so far, statistics don't show a rise.

Last year in Idaho there were 516 motorcycle wrecks with 38 of them being fatal. Meanwhile Bonneville County had 8 wrecks last year.
So far this year, the county has seen 5. Sgt Doug Metcalf with the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office explains that's with more motorcycles on the road. "Compared to how many more are on the road, the numbers don't show that it's going up, it's staying constant, but like I say the more you see them, the more you're getting "OK, that's what I gotta look for."

But we can all do our parts to make sure those numbers stay low. Before you hit the streets, you have to take a safety class. Every time you ride, protect yourself by wearing one a helmet and once you're on the road, be vigilant so you see people who may not see you.

Sgt. Doug Metcalf says, "looking at the stats, they have been keeping a good eye out."

Especially on this holiday weekend, officials are urging everyone to get out and have some fun, but to be careful and watch for motorcycles.
One other thing I found out is that despite the fact that the price of everything seems to be going up, prices on motorcycles have actually gone down.